The New era-leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1911-1912, 1911-11-24

when his heart failed him. Not helng
able to nerve himself for the ordeal
y was It regret for OTTAWA he hed
tated- Thea suddenly he relhembered
that In the unsettled state or his mind
be had forgotten to feed his stock. Hs
determined to return. take care Of thu
animals FOR the night. march resolute
" up to the widows. door, knock. en-
ter and make his proposition. This s.
the usual Z with resolutions. II
b much easier to be resclute with one
In the future than one present.
Mr.. Doyle returned to his barn, put
the horses beds into the stalls. a meas
ure OF oats into each OF their trUughs,
then went mp into the loft 10 throw
down the hay. Whether It was his
perturbed condition Of mind
ing his proposal and the probably con-
sequent separating himself for all time
from Octavia Sparks. the fact remains
that be stepped into an opening IN the
door Of the loft OF which he had many
years been aware and landed In q stall
below. He not only received an inter-
nal injury from the fall. but the horse
occupying the place. frightened at his
masters sudden entrance, came near
trampling the life out Of him before
he could drag himself out OF reach.
Then he tainted
After lying unconscious for q few
moments he anne to himself, feeling I
terrible pain In his chest. and found Il
dinlcult to breathe He was able to
arise and stagger to the house. where
he tainted again. A doctor was called.
who felt of his chest and found q RIB
broken. As zoe as possible a surgeon
produced who said that the nh
was SO badly fractured that II could
not be sat. II left as 1t was 1t would
destroy the lung on which 1t pressed.
In fact, it must be removed. Instead
OF having the patient taken to d hos
pital, he decided to perform the opera
ton at the house. |
Octavia Sparks was on her way to
the village store when Mrs. Butter
worth came along and said:
TIA sakes, Octavy. have v hearn
what's happened to Mr.. Doyle?"
mo. What is itT' cried Octavia, paL
ing.
aHe fell through the barn door and
broke a rib. The surgeons goin' to
take 1t out Of him"
The girl made no reply to this. but
aud hurried home. There she
learned that the surgeon was about /,
to perform the operation. Going over
10 DoyIe's house. she asked IL she
might be Of service. The surgeon told /;
her that he had not yet been able to
sssure q nurse and would be glad to !
have her serve In that capacity. !
While he and his assistant were max !
Ing their preparations she went to /;
Doyle's bedside and pressed his hand .
NMpatketically.
sFve had a sign" he said.
what kind Of q signgs
"A negative sign. l was about to
propose marriage to the Widow Per
kline when I got the fall. 1t Is no In.
tended that she be my helpmeet.r
The medical men returned. put the
patient on an improvised operating ta-
BILE, administered an anaesthetic and J
removed the broken rib. payle Was ,
then placed On hia bed and his return
h consciousness awaited by the 9TH J
M. Presently q low moan announced
is coming; then another and another.
When he opened hts eyes there was !
6ctavia kneelinG bsside him, his hand
plasped by hers.
.Occis,r he groaned, II wonder II
Adam passed through what hare
when the rib was removed from whies. :
@vs was made"
Then suddenly a light came into his
eye. and he spoke again.
you've always despised signs. 1
don't know about the others I'VE re-
retved. but those given me this even !
|ns are mighty powerful. l went to
propose to Widow Perkins and was
turned back by remembering that
hadn't fed the stock. The result was
this tall and being nigh tramped to
death By q horse. II that isn't q sure
gign that | wasn't to marry her I don't
know anything about signs. And now
that the surgeon has taken q rib ont o. |
me you pop up before me as Eve ap-
peared to Adam after he awakened
from the deep sleep In which the lob
was done. ] reckon | know what that
means"
What does It mean, Adj"
That II you don't marry me wen
both Of a. BE- Tying IN the face OF
providence"
At that moment the surgeon ad-
RANGED and forbade the patient to ex-
himself. Octavia withdrew while
The medical man looked over the NJ
tent. He found MIR. Doyle under the
influence Of m excitement that boded
no good. He directed that no o be
permitted to with him untfi
sufhcient time had passed to enable
him to recuuerntA. But fhla M ma