The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-08-28
THE SYMPATHY OF
MISS AUDENREID


days after this she saw young man
whose overcoat reached to his ankles
walk somewhat stiffiy to a carriage
standing at the door. get In and go for
a drive. He was very nice looking
fellow, faultlessly dressed, and jdst
before being driven away he cast a
glance at the window where the lady
was standing looking at him. She at
once lowered her glance and left the
window.
A few days later she saw the same
young man driven away again. lie
looked up at her window; but, as she
was standing at a distance, she kept
her position and noticed that the &C.
cupant Of the carriage kept his eJ es
hxed on her window till he had passed
beyond her house. Several times a
week he took drive and always look
ed for her. Miss Audenreld's curiosity
was excited to know why the young
man always wore the long overcoat, be
the weather cold or warm, and why
she never saw him leave the house on
foot. She also noticed that as soon as
he was comfortably seated he bent
down and adjusted something, but
what the process was she could not
| see.
One day she went to the window Just
as he was driving away, not knowing
that he was out, and received look
In which there was unconscious adj
mlrati0n. As the carriage turned an
automobile came tearing down the
street, there was a collision, and when
It was over a painful sight greeted
Miss Audenreid. The man who lived
the house. But the most horrible sight
Of all was a man disappearing within
the house carrying a leg.
To see a mans leg cut of in this
horrible manner completely unsettled
the lady's nerves, and she had not the
courage to even look at the house
opposite for several days. Mean.
while her heart went out to the
mutilated man. She was anxious
to know whether he would live and
would have asked her brother to In
quire II she had had a brother, which
she had not. She restrained her sym
patty for awhile, then wrote a note
stating that lady who had witnessed
the accident wished to be Informed
how the injured man was doing,
This she sent by maid to the propri.
etor Of the house opposite He sent It
up to the sufferer and in a few min.
utes a reply came down, written on
note paper decorated with a crest, say.
ing that the gentleman was profoundly
moved by the lady's sympathy and he
was happy to say that his physician
assured him that he would recover
Miss Audenreid sent her maid over
again with inquiries, and with the reply
she brought number OF roses with
a request that the sympathetic lady
would permit the sufferer to thus OK.
press his appreciation of her kindly
interest.
Miss Audenreid looked at the beauti
full flowers, remembered the uncon.
scious glance of admiration the invalid
had given her but a moment before
having been mutllated for life, ana
tear stood In her eye. She considered
that she was warranted In encouraging
a sufferer to get again on his feet--or.
rather, his one foot-and permitted her.
self by sending note of thanks to
be drawn into correspondence, for
the sufferer replied to her note Of
thanks begging her to help him bear
his confinement and his sufferings by
writing him occasionally. promising not
to mlsconstrue her action. A number
OF letters passed between them and Il
seemed to Miss Audenreid that In her
correspondent she had found q man
whose sentiments rendered him worthy
to be loved by any woman. Indeed.
she began to feel regret-sOmewhat
selfish. II Is true-that he had been de-
prlvOd OF his leg. for abe could not
think OF marrying q man who must
hobble through life.
Finally the invalid wrote that he
had been promised that he might go
out at the end OF the week and begged
that his first exit might be a call upon
the lady whose encouragement had
been the cause OF such a speedy re.
covery, Miss Audenreld replied that
she took great pleasure In granting his
request. and from that moment till
the time Of the appointed visit her
heart tiuttsred omlnously. She. how.
ever, fortified herself with an lrreyo-
cable resolution that she would not
give way 10 anything which would lend
TO her having to refuse a man with but
one leg,
II was arranged that the invalid
should call about O'Clock In the even
INK. Miss Audenreld had a great easy
chair placed for him before a cheerful
open Ere and threw an afghan over
the back ready for use.
When the bell rang promptly at 8
o'clock and tho visitor had been an.
nounced Miss Audenreld went to the
drawing room. To her establishment.
the invalid advanced to meet her with
buoyancy OF step that he had not
possessed even before the accident.