The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-05-08
AUNT HETTY, GYyY
The Story Of Her MeIodeon, "
Her Patient, and the Sur NYI
prise He Gave Her. 5000
(w. T. ROSE, in Cleveland Plain Dealer AAAA
Cw. T. ROSE, in Cleveland Plain Dealer

along one side that you'd never no.
tlce, an he let me have. it cheaper on
that account" She softly laughed.
"Mebby the fact that l only had A
hundred an 'leven dollars had some
| thin to do with it, too" She paused
and sighed. 1T took me all of nine
years to save that much. It was
mostly quiltin money, with a little
from nursin' here and there. NV.
| how that agent laughed when shook
1t all out of the old yarn stockin'
where I'd put it for safe keepin',
Folks said it was a dreadful extraya-
gance, but l amt regretted it. OF
| course l don't play-much, but
| never get tired of tn old tune. an.
besides, I'm teachin' my niece Hetty
| a little lingering now an then. |
want her to have a musical educa-
ton, you know, an she can't begin
too young"
She suddenly arose. I'm so glad
you're feelin' better" she said. An
now l must see after my tea" And
she fluttered from the room.
Creston Gray looked 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 coun-
terpane. He certainly was better.
His appetite and his returning
strength both testified to this.
1t was two long weeks since he
had looked up in the grizzied face Of
old DR.. Handy and murmured, Are
you quite sure you can handle this"
And old DR.. Handy had wagged
his good gray beard and gruf1y an
swered, Nothing is sure in my pro-
fession, young man."
He was not a young man, this
Creston Gray, capitalist and club
man. But he bore his nine-and-thirty
years lightly. He was sound in Jung
! and limb, and this had greatly aided
his recovery.
Yet 1t was grievous hurt
He was hunting and his gun caught
in the underbrush. He had given it a
careless jerk, the DETECTED muzzle fell
in line with his shoulder as the piece
was discharged.
And here he was cooped up in a
tiny New Hampshire farmhouse, with
its owner as his nurse and had Fort
night of pain and delirium behind
him, and the prospect of two weeks
of convalescence ahead.
Thov hod hro,rh& b;r, Loro
they found him, and there was no
doubt he had fallen into the hands Of
Samaritans.
"She will take the best of care OF
you," the old doctor had assured him.
-She amt one of your diplomaed
and white capped disinfectant spillers.
She's plain and she's old-fashioned,
but If care and common sense can
pull you through she'll do it. And
you want me to keep right on with
your case, do you?"
"Yes, DOCTOR" Creston had feeDiy
responded. Il have confidence in you
for one thing, and l don't want the
news Of my accident to reach New
York. There is an invalid mother
there, and the shock might-might
hurt her. In my pocketbook you
will learn who l am and what my
town address is. You will use the
address If you think it necessary. 1
leave it all in your hands. 1 know
u-will--do-your-
His speech trailed of to murmur,
his eyes closed-the wound had
opened afresh.
But the old doctor brought him
back. Little by little he revived the
dying fame, inch by inch he drew him
away from the abyss. There were
nights when the strangers life hung
by thread that was frayed to the
point of invisibility.. but the old doc.
tor never faltered, never admitted
possible defeat. He knew the flick
ering breath was still there, the fee
BILE heart was still responding. That
was enough.