Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-10-31

was that Wnen AT last the Wneel was re
placed, and Sorre again trotting on to
ward Devonshire, he drew after him
sad, heavy heart.
Maddy's disappointment was keene
than his own, and so after the sorrowfu
words, "and | failed, too" he bent him
self to comfort the poor child, who, lean
ing her throbbing head against his shoul
der, sobbed bitterly, as In the soft sprin.
twilight they drove back to the low rec
cottage where grandma waited for them
CHAPTER VI.
1t was Farmer Green's new buggy anC
Farmer Green's pay colt which. three
days later than this. stopped before DR.
Holbrook's office. Not the square boxed
wagon, with old Sorrel attached; the
former was standing quietly in the chip
yard behind the low red house, while the
! latter, with his nose over the barnyard
fence, neighed occasionally, as if he miss
ed the little hands which had daily fed
him the oatmeal he liked so much, and
which now lay hot and parched and help
less upon the white counterpane Grand
ma Markham had spun and woven her
self. Maddy might have been just as
sick as she was if the examination had
never occurred, but it was natural for
those who loved her to impute it all to
the effects of excitement and cruel disap-
pointment, so there was something like in
dignation mingling with the sorrow gnaw
ing at the hearts of the old couple as
they watched by their fever-stricken darl-
ing. Farmer Green, too, shared the feel
ing, and numerous at first were his men
tai animadversions against that "prig Of
a Holbrook." But when Maddy grew so
bad as not to know him or his wife. he
laid aside his prejudices and suggested to
Grandpa Markham that DR.. Holbrook be
sent for.
Hes great on fevers," he said 'and is
good on curin' sick folks" so, though he
would have preferred someone else should
have been called, confidence in the young
doctors skill won the day, and grandpa
consented
This, then, was the errand of Farmer
Green, and with his usual bluntness he
said to the recreant doctor, who CHANGED
to be at home:
wall, you nigh about killed our little
Madge t'other day, when you refused the
stiffcut and now we want you to cure
her"
The doctor looked up in surprise, but
Farmer Green soon explained his mean
ing, making out a most aggravated case,
and representing Maddy as wild with de-
lirum.
Maddy's case lost nothing by Mr..
Green's account, and by the time the doc
tors horse was ready, and he on his way
to the cottage, he had arrived at the con-
cluson that of all the villainous men out
side the walls of the States prison, he
was the most villainous, and Guy Rem
ington next.
What a cozy little chamber it was
where Maddy lay, just such room as
girl like her might be supposed to occu-
py, and the bachelor doctor felt like
treading upon forbidden ground as he en-
tered the room so rife with girlish hab-
it's, from the fairy slippers hung on
peg, to the fanciful little workbox made
of cones and acorns. Maddy was asleep,
and sitting down beside her he asked that
the shawl which had been pinned across
the window might be removed so that he
could see her, and thus judge better of
her condition.
Feel her pulse, doctor; they are fast
er most than you can count" Grandma
Markham whispered; and thus entreated,
the doctor took the soft hand in his own,
its touch sending through his frame a
thrill such as the touch of no other hand
had ever sent.
Somehow the act reassured him. All
fear of Maddy vanished, leaving behind
only an intense desire to help, if posi-
BILE, the young girl whose fingers seemed
to cling around his own as he felt for
and found the rapid pulse.
IF she would awaken" he said laying
the hand softly down and placing his
other upon her forehead, where the great
sweat drops lay. Guy was a fool and
| was a brute" the doctor muttered, as
he folded up the bits of paper whose con-
tents he hoped might do much toward
saving Maddy's life.
When next morning the doctor came,
there was a look of deep anxiety upon
his face as he watched the alarming
symptoms of his delirious patient, who
talked necessarily, not of the examination
now, but of the mortgage and the fore
closure begging the doctor to see that the
house was not sold to tell them she was
earning thirty-six dollars by teaching
school. that Beauty would be sold to save
th1ir dear old home. All this was strange
at first to the doctor, but the rather vol
uble Mrs. Green, who had come to Grand
ma Markham's relief, enlightened him,
dwelling with a kind of malicious pleas
ure upon the fact that Maddy's earnings
had she been permitted to get a "stiffi-
cut" were to be appropriated toward pay
ing the debt.
If the doctor had hated himself the pre-
vious day when he rode from the red cot
tage gate, he hated himself doubly now
as he went dashing down the road. de-
termined to resign his Office Of school in
spector that very day. And he did.
Summoning around him those who had
been most active in electing him, he re-
fused to oficiate again, assuring them
that If any more candidates came he
should either turn them from his door or
give them a certificate without asking a
question.
Put anybody you like in my place."
be said; anybody but Guy Remington"
There was no probability of this, as
Guy lived in another town, and could
not have oficiated had he wished But
the doctor was too much excited to rea-
son upon anything save Madeline Clyde's |
case. That he perfectly understood; and |
+