The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-12-25
CHAPTER VIII-Continued

Self-control; he began swift eA-
animation. Nancy's eyes blurred
with tears, but she heard buttons
yield, and the movement OF gar
ments, and saw Dams white fiesh'
and saw through misty eyes the
wound. t
'Does it hurt, darling?" she
pleaded. "Does it,"
Dan shook his head, his white lips
grinned. "Not e Bit" he sale weak
ly. "Tell Mr.. Jerrell-it's all right.
Accident"
Terrell, somewhere above them'
standing over them, cried: Dan,
/ swear tried not to. Something
Mary Ann flashed one glance to-
ward him, reassuring, comforting.
Then she watched Doctor Greed
ing. He met her eyes and shook ms
head in negation.
Her cheeks famed. She cried:
"You can help him! You can OPP
erate!"
The doctor protested: Hopeless!
I've nothing here to work with"
Mary Ann stood up. "We'n man.
age," she insisted. you've got to:
Quickly. We can't just-give up!"
He faced her. "Mary Ann" he
said gravely. eff we could act in
stantly, there might be a slim
chance; but as it is-to get him to
the mainland, to the hospital, to
move him. It's hopeless!"
He added: "And even if there
were time, it would need a miracle
to save hin!"
Mary Ann held his eyes with hers.
"You can do miracles" she said,
her tones vibrant, compelling. Il
know I've seen them. But it wasn't
anything l could see. Oh, I've seen
what you did with your hands, your
instruments. Everything you did!
But it wasn't what you did! 1t was
something inside you She caught
his arms, grasped them firmly.
"You must do miracle for Dan,"
she said. u t- a. .t. ~
She spoke quickly to Nancy.
"Your father will have to operate,
here, at once. In the house. With
plenty of light A table, some
where"
Nancy caught strength from Mary
Ann. She suggested steadily: "The
kitchen. There's big skylight, and
q long table,"
Mary Ann nodded. Perfect" She
turned to Terrell. She saw then
that he stood white and shamed
and sorrowful; and she went to him,
and rose on tiptoe to kiss him
touched his cheek reassuringly.
''Don't-worry. You must-help
us, Ira," she said. Get something
to carry Dan into the house-some-
thing so that he can lie fiat. will
telephone the nearest hospital.
Where is it, Nancy"
Nancy told her. Terrell, instantly
galvanized into activity, was al
ready running toward the house.
Mary Ann looked at Doctor Greed
ing. "You will need" she reflected,
''these things And she named
them, in swift catalogue. "Any-
thing else?" .e-..
Doctor Breeding said gently:
''No, that will do. Butts no
use, Mary Ann!''
The girl ignored his word. "I'll
have them send everything" she
said, moving toward the path; and
then, to Nancy: while I'm phon-
ing, get water boiling. Get Dan on
the table. Find some razor-blades
new ones, if you can-and put
them on to boil. And if you've some
blunt-ended scissors. Or any scis-
sors will do. And thread, and big
needles. And big spoons. Put ev-
erything on to boil. But first come
show me where the telephone is.
I'll call the hospital, and then I'll
search the house, see what can
find. There must be first aid
things
They went swiftly together toward
the house, and Doctor Breeding was
left alone here beside Dan.
The man stood looking down, his
eyes brooding. His universe was
chaos in this hour. The discovery
that Dan was not dead-though his
wound must almost certainly prove
fatal-had struck Doctor Breeding
with a shocking force.
Dan, the rock upon which all his
hopes and plans were shattered, Dan
whom he hated and whom he had
meant should die-was still alive!
And he had meant that Dan should
die by Jerrell's carelessness, so that
Mary Ann would abhor the man.
tYet-here a moment ago-Mary
Ann had kissed Terrell on the lips.
She loved her brother; she should
for his carelessness hate Terrell.
But instead, she had kissed him, in
comfort and in love.
Doctor Breeding could not recog-
nize the world so long familiar. He
felt himself under the glance of a
stern, condemning eye; he seemed
to hear mockery in the air, and a
derisive laughter.
He spoke, without knowing it,
aloud. HE must diel He can't
live;" he muttered.
nau IN the Ground az hie feat