The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-06
TIE EVENING STOR T


the young doctors hands, for his mind
was far afield. After long silence ne
turned to the girl beside him and asked
IN a voice that he could not keep quite
steady:
your answer is final, then? You
won't marry me? And you-you don't
love mel" he added with a helpless
movement of his head. Why, Eliza
beth 1 can't realize it, I really can
not" and the blue eyes he turned on
her were full Of tears.
Edward" she began, Edward.
I can't bear to hurt you, but" and
her voice lost itself in a quick sob.
The young man put a Quivering hand
over the ones she had locked in her
lap.
Don't cry. little Bess," he said
huskily, cit hurts me terribly to see
you. If you can't love me- you can't,
I suppose, and I'll have to bear it like
many another man. But well,
loved you so much that 1t didn't seem
possible that you couldn't help liking
me=just little.''
That this humble, suffering man
could be the same, cold, unmoved per-
son who had, only short time since,
with such reluctance and III concealed
Impotence. left her for the bedside OF
q dying old woman, seemed incredible
to Elizabeth. But she chung to her
decision to give him up, course OF
action made imperative by the dictates
of her reason, SO she answered hesl-
tatingly:
I'm sorry, Edward-but [ can't.
They rode along in silence, the thor
oughbred moving with nearly noiseless
steps, and as they were turning an
abrupt bend in the road half a mile
father down, a thin groan struck up
from the tall Wayside weeds. 6adiey
brought his horse to a standstil Dy
WHATS that?" he asked sharply.
''Listenl"
Again the sound was repeated-a faint
piteous note of pain.
IT'S a baby" declared Elizabeth,
trembling, land it's hurt"
Hadley was already poised between
the wheels of the runabout and IN an
instant was striding through the long
grass which he suddenly stopped to
! part After an appreciable space, he
! Strengthened up and held out hand
/ to Eliza beth, who had followed him, and
/ the girls fingers closed tightly over 1t
as she leaned forward to peer into the
| grass.
'.Oh. Ned, a puppy" she exclaimed,
relief and fresh pity blending in her
voice, for at their feet lay poor little
/ morsel Of a dog His little black nose
was dry and bleached with pain and the
soft, curly white of his hair. through
which the skin showed family pink, was was
soiIed by blood and dirt, and saddest
of all, one tiny hind-leg lay shattered
and limp in a pool of blood.
Some brute has run over him and
chucked him in the gutter to die Had
ley said between his teeth. only
! wish I knew who it was.
| In a moment he stopped and slipping
| his hands unoer the little creature
raised him with a gentleness of move
ment that was a revelation to Eliza
beth and which filled her eyes with sud
| arll have to ask you to drive said
/ the doctor as he got in the ranabout
after her; lit would hurt cruelty to put
1 him down. And then as he saw the
/ anxious questioning of her eyes, he an
swered: Il think / can fix him up all
right The leg is badly broken, but he's
| SO young I think it will mend quickly"
He fell to watching the quivering heart
beat against the tiny ribs. The tip OF
/ pale little tongue just showed in the
dry mouth. and great brown ear
| fringed with black dropped Hstlessly
against the white pulsing throat.
isn't he beautiful sighed the girl
How like a little hurt child ne looks;
What does make people SO careless ana
so cruel?" As she turned her head sor-
| roWfully away her glance fell upon
small boy standing by the roadside.
Little boy" she called: stopping tne
horse, do you know whose dog this
A pair Of stolid eyes were obediently
focused upon the puppy.
! nent's survey, that's Sammy Cases
/ .Patsy-Doodle.' No, you can't ind
sammy; him an his nav moved to
Plattsville day for yeste' day-she,s
widow woman. Course they didn't take
hirn-dorgs is too easy got-an' they had
'nough to cart along 'ithout Patsy
| Doodle Why. they had three but
her interest in the Caseys' movements
/ having been satisfied, Elizabeth sud
denly touched the horse with the whip,
| and in a moment they had left the dis
! coursiVe urchfn far behind.
] Once in Hadley's office the little dog
<f-o 70. nd
! broken leg bound up with deft and
tender fingers With the intelligence
often vouchsafed his kind, tPatsy-Doo
die" seemed content to lie quite stiil
/ and relaxed in the atmosphere OF SYM
lpathy So motionless was his atti-
| tude that they thought he was sleep
/ ing but when Elizabeth withdrew her
| hand from the head she had been softly
stroking the great brown eyes. stu
bloodshot with pain, opened fmmedl-
ately with an anxious expression and
the puppy lifted his dropping ears in
| quiringly.
see, Bess. he misses your touch"
said Hadley, dropping the towel with
which he was drying his hands.
with a murmur Of tenderness Eliza
| beth slipped her hand under the SOFT
little head, and after a smuggling move
ment of the nose which was becoming
moist again, ''Patsy-Doodle' gave a lit
| tie breathing of content and, closing his
| beautiful eyes, fell asleep like tired
child.
When the office had been restored to
its former Immaculate order Hadley
| walked to the open window and stood
| looking modify out upon the summer
street. but when Eliza beth stirred in
her chair he turned quickly. for hts
mind was conferred only upon the occu-
pants of the Office. She beckoned him
and he came across at once, seating
| himself on a corner of the table.
For a moment neither spoke. then
the girl lifted her face and said in
| tone that thrilled her companion,
Ned, dear, I've done you a horrible
injustice!"
Hadley leaned forward suddenly.
| ssE4ow o. he asked with eager eyes.
Elizabeth caught a fiuttering breath.
| you rem ember the night they brought
-. Is, 2 =, o.aa o-a HAT fnat old Ia d. 1.-a