Middletown transcript., 1912-04-13
ed fool Tav extended On me he'd

ed foot lay extended on Tne bed.
wait" said the girl, lifting herself
on her arm, and as she did so he lift
ed his head and answered her direct
gaze with his own. 'I am a woman,
absolutely alone, entirely at your
mercy; you are stronger than I, I
have no choice but to do what you
bid me. And in addition to the nat
ural weakness of my sex I am the
more helpless from this foot. What
do you intend to do with me? How
do you mean to treat me?"
1t was a bold, splendid question,
and it evoked the answer it merited.
"As God is my judge" said the man
quietly, "just as you ought to be
treated, as I would want another to
treat my mother, or my sister, or my
wife"-she noticed how curiously his
lips suddenly tightened at that word
eff had one. never harmed a wom-
an in my life," he continued more
earnestly, "only one, that is," he cor
rected himself, and once again she
marked that peculiar contraction Of
the lips. "And I could not help that"
he added.
'I trust you," said the girl at last.
after gazing at him long and hard as
if to search out the secrets Of his very
soul. "You have saved my life and
things dearer will be safe with you.
I have to trust you"
81 hope" came the quick comment,
that it is not only for that. 1 don't
want to be trusted upon compulsion."
You must have fought terribly for
my life in the food" was the answer.
'T can remember what it was now,
and you carried me over the rocks
and the mountains without faltering:
Only a man could do what you have
done. I trust you anyway"
"Thank you," said the man briefly
as he bent over the injured foot again.
The boot laced up the front, the
short skirt left all plainly visible.
With deft fingers he undid the sodden
knot and unlaced it, then stood hesi-
tatingly for moment.
81 don't like to cut your only pair
of Shoes" he said as he made a
slight motion to draw it off, and then
observing the spasm Of pain, stopped.
Needs must" he continued, taking
out his knife and Sitting the
leather
He did it very carefully so as not
to ruin the boot beyond repair, and
finally succeeded in getting it off
without giving her too much pain.
And she was not so tired or so miser-
able as to be unaware Of his gentle
ness. His manner, matter of fact.
business like, If he had been doctor
one would have called it professional,
distinctly pleased her in this trying
and unusual position. Her stocking
was stained with blood. The man rose
to his feet, took from a rude home
made chair a light Mexican blanket
and laid 1t considerably across the
girl.
"Now if you can manage to get off
your stocking yourself, will see what
can be DONE" he said, turning away.
It was the work Of a few seconds
for her to comply with his request.
Hanging the wet stocking carefully
over chair back, he drew back the
blanket a little and carefully inspect
ed the poor little foot. He saw at
once that it was not an ordinary
sprained ankle, but it seemed to him.
that her foot had been caught be-
tween two tossing logs, and had been
badly bruised. 1t was very painful,
but would not take so long to heal as
a sprain. The little foot, normally so
white, was now black and blue and
the skin had been roughly torn and
broken. He brought a basin Of cold
water and towel and washed off the
blood, the girl fighting down the pain
and successfully sitting any outcry.
Now" he said, you must put On
this gown and get into bed. BY the
time you are ready for it will have
some broth for you and then we will
bandage that foot. 1 shall not come
In here for some time, you will be
quite alone and safe"
He turned and left the room, shut
ting the door after him rs he went
out For a second time that day Enid
Maitland undressed herself and this
time nervously and in great haste.
She was almost too excited and ap-
prehensive to recall the painful cir
cumstances attendant upon her first
disrobing. She said she trusted the
man absolutely, yet she would not
have been human if she had not
looked most anxiously toward that
closed door. He made plenty of noise
In the other room, bustling about as
if to reassure her.
She could not rest the weight of
her body on her left foot, and getting
rid Of her wet clothes was q some
what slow process in spite of her
hurry, made more so by her extreme
nervousness. The gown he gave her
was far too big for her, but soft and
warm and exquisitely clean. It drap-
ed her slight figure completely. Leav-
ing her sodden garments where they
had fallen, for she was not equal to
anything else, she wrapped herself in
the folds Of the big gown and man
aged to get into bed. For all its rude
appearance it was a very comfortable
sleeping place; there were springs and
a good mattress. The unbleached
sheets were clean, although they had
been rough dried; there was a deli
cious sense Of comfort and rest in
her position. She had scarcely COM
posed herself when he knocked loud |
upon her door.
May I come in?" he asked.
When she bade him enter she saw
he had in his hand a saucepan full of |