Middletown transcript., 1909-03-27
AUNT He TTY !.
The mar dlscreetly smiled.
BIZ w. B. ROSE

The man discreetly smiled.
And whore did you get it2 he
asked.
| bought it from u man that
came round selling them from a
wagon, He charged me d hun
dred and eleven dollars for it.
The price was Il hundred and
twenty, but there was a scratch
along one side that you'd never
notice, and be let me have it
cheaper ON that account. She
softly laughed. Mebby the fact
that | only had u hundred and
eleven dollars had something to
do with it, too. She paused and
sighed. 1t took me all Of nine
years to save that much. 1t was
mostly quiltin' money, With q
little from nursing here and there.
My, how that agent laughed
when shook it all out Of the old
yarn stocking where Id put it for
safe keeping! Folks said it was
a dreadful extravagance, but |
ain't regretted it. Of course 1
don't pIay-muoh, but | never
get tired Of the old tune, and be-
sides. I'm teachin' my niece
Hetty a little lingering now and
then. want her to have a mu.
sical education, you know, and
she can't begin too young.
She suddenly arose. I'm so
glad you're feeling better, she
said. And now I must see after
my tea. And she tiuttered from
the room.
Creston Gray locked after her
with an amused. smile. Her
presence in some impalpable way
seemed to cheer him.
He must be getting better. He
lifted the white hand from the
counterpane. He certainly was
better. HIS appetite and his re-
turning strength both testified to
this.
It was two long weeks since he
had looked up in the grizzled face
of old DR.. Handy and murmured,
Are you quite sure you can han
die this?
And old DR.. Handy had wagged
his good gray beard and grufly
answered, Nothing is sure in my
profession, young man
He was not a young man, this
Creston Gray, capitalist and
clubman. But he bore his nine
and-tLirty years lightly. He was
sound in lung and limb, and this
had greatly aided his recovery.
Yet it was a grevious hurt.
He was hunting and his gun
in the underbrush. He |
had given it careless jerk, the
muzzle fell in line with
his shonlderas as the piece was dis
And here he was cooped up in
. tiny New Hampshire farmhouse
with Us owner as his nurse and
had fortnight of pain and de-
lrinm behind him, and the pro.
'pect of two weeks of GONZALES.
:pnce ahead.
They had brought him here
when they found him, and there
vas no doubt be had fallen into
he hands of Samaritans.
She will take the best Of care
# you, the old doctor had as
ured him. She ain one of your
Iiplomated and white capped dis
dfectaut spjllers. She's plain
nd she's fashioned, but if
are and common sense can pull
on through she'll do it. And
ou want me to keep right on
nth your case, do you?
Yes, doctor, Creston had fee. !;
ly responded. | have conf
ence in you for one thing, and
don't want the news of my &C.
dent to reach New York. There !.
an invalid mother there, and :,
le shock might-might hurt her. :
. my pocketbook you will learn /
no am and what my town ad-
'ess is. You will nse the ad
'ess il you think it necessary
leave it all in your hands. |
low you - will do - your -
,st. v
His speech trailed off to a mur- :,
ur, his eyes closed the wound i
ID opened afresh. :,
But the old doctor brought him !,
ok. Little by little he revived -
g dying flame, inch by inch he !,
ew him away from the abyss.
lere were nights when the &,
rangers life hung BY a thread
1t was frayed TO the point Of
disability, but the old dOctor h
yer faltered, never admitted y
ssible defeat He knew the I.