The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1916-01-06
|. THE MOVING FINGER
BY HAROLD CARTER.

mo, sir. won't let you look at my
eyes, nor l won't have you round here
neither" snarled Pop" Hendon to
young Doctor Gray.
The young physician had only spent
three months in Greenville. but that
was quite long enough to convince him |
that Pop" Hendon was. as the neigh. |
bors said, the crankiest old man in |
Breton county.
Doctor Gray did not mind the old
fellows moods. Before he had gone
blind, FIVE years before, Hendon had
been good neighbor and citizen.
Since his blindness he had become
morose and suspicious. The worst
feature OF the situation, so far as the
doctor was concerned, was that Pop"
suspected the young mans love for
his only child Alice, and took a ma.
licious pleasure in taunting him about
II.
The young fellow, was not yet in
position to marry. Alice would have
waited for him; but she could not
leave her father. She was all he had.
The young doctor had last inter.
view with his sweetheart that after.
noon.
Dearest, will wait for you as long
as is necessary" she said. But 30
long as my father lives we must be
Just good friends and nothing more. II
he were not blind I would leave all
and come to YOU"
Gray understood. He kissed her
fondly and went back to his office. re.
solved to throw himself with all his
energy into his work and try to forget,
until the time came to claim her.
And SO a year passed by. Rarely,
when Gray had occasion to pass the
house, he would see the old man, i'm.
placable as ever, seated upon his
porch, spelling out the Braille words
with his right forefnger. He seemed
conscious Of the doctors presence, and
would look up and scowl heavily when
Gray went by.
One day Gray had an urgent call on
the telephone. 1t was from Alice.
Wont you come up at once" she
begged. Doctor Clifden is away and
father has had bad accident"
A medical man knows no enmities
where his profession Is concerned.
Half an hour later Gray was at the
house and being shown into the old
mans sick room.
Hendon had been knocked down by
an automobile while trying to cross
the street. He had taken malicious
delight In running away from his
daughter and had been struck fairly
by the machine. He was badly bruised :
but, what was worse, the tendons Of
his right hand had been crushed.
Gray saw at glance that, while the
hand could be made serviceable. Hen
don would never again be able tc
straighten the fingers completely
You're the young fellow who used
to be sweet on Alice, amt you?" he
snarled. 81 thought you'd drop her as
soon as you learned there wasn't any
money coming with her.
Let me see that hand, please" an
swered Gray.
A week later Pop" Hendon learned
the truth. His hand would be usefu
for all purposes except one; neve
again would he be able sufficiently t.
ilex the forednger so as TO feel the
raised type with the delicate nerv,
p, tissue underneath the first joint,
When the news was broken to hin
) the old mans agony was painful t,
witness. He lay still without speaking
: for days together, interspersing thes
periods of moroseness, however, wit
outbreaks of maniacal fury. At sue
times only Gray could restrain hir
i from tiinging himself out Of the wiz
dow. Somehow the young docto
d seemed to have acquired a certain II
o fluence over the morose old man.
1t was after one of these maniaca
6 spells that Gray addressed Hendor
. who was lying exhausted upon hi
bed.
Il "Mr. Hendon." he said, Il may a
we'll tell you that took the occasio
just now to examine your eyes,"
% Hendon lay on the bed In dogge
" silence. '''
Il II believe your trouble is nothin
- but cataract" he continued. II hay
" been to the doctors who examined yo
before and seen their records. VIII,
u they told you was that your case We
incurable at present, but might be q
IS leviated later"
S Yes. trying to fool me into spen
- ing more money on EN-" snarle
20 Pop" Hendon.
- mo. sir" answered Doctor Gray
n, cisively. "A cataract cannot be o
Grated upon until 1t has reached &c
10 tain stage Of hardness, about a We,
Oh after 1t begins. You were the victi
Of your own suspicious. You cou
so have been cured years ago. You CO
w be cured now"
- win you do it, Doc?" gasped o
oo Hendon, turning his face upon Gray
with a look of wistful hope in h
oo eyes.
w Two weeks later Pop" Hendo
Co seated In the dining room, waited t