Katherine's Sheaves Part 41

With a half audible imprecation, the baffled intruder sprang upon the railing and vaulted over.

But his foot becoming entangled in the vines trailing there caused him to fall heavily to the ground, where, after one sharp cry of agony, he lay silent and motionless.

In less time than it takes to record it, Sadie was kneeling beside him, while her friends followed closely after.

"I will call the coachman. We must get him into the house immediately," said Katherine, who was intent only upon giving instant succor to the injured man.

"No," vetoed Dr. Stanley, authoritatively, "he must not be taken in here. You may call help, however, and I will have him carried to my room, where I will ascertain how seriously he is injured, then we can decide what further disposition to make of him."

The coachman and hostler were summoned, and the unconscious man was borne to the Hunt cottage and laid upon Phillip Stanley's bed.

Here an examination revealed that the left leg had been broken above the knee; but, before an hour had pa.s.sed, this was skillfully set and the patient made as comfortable as possible for the night.

Dr. Stanley would not permit his sister to be inconvenienced in any way by this addition to their family, but took it upon himself to minister to the sufferer's requirements, which he did with all the ease and skill of a trained nurse.

During the first day or two the young man preserved a sullen silence; but as his attendant manifested only good will and invariably treated him with the utmost courtesy and kindness, his reserve gradually wore away and he became more communicative.

"This has proved a pretty unlucky trip for me," he observed, on the third morning after the accident, and thus introducing a subject which Dr. Stanley had studiously avoided.

"Possibly; but you are coming on all right. You have had no fever, no pain," the physician replied.

"No, and I don't understand that part of it at all," remarked his patient, thoughtfully. "I have always supposed it was a terrible experience to have a broken bone set."

"Well, Willard, I have a confession to make to you about that,"

his companion returned; "you were in such a state of collapse Tuesday night I felt you were unfit to decide any question for yourself, and, as I had no anaesthetics at hand, I asked Mrs.

Minturn to give you a Christian Science treatment while I performed my duties, and since then I have been trying to work, under her direction, to keep the claims of inflammation and fever from manifesting themselves."

"Christian Science!" repeated the patient, with a short laugh.

"Well, I've heard that it would do great things, but I never took any stock in it; it seemed like so much twaddle to me. You are sure you're not guying me, doctor?"

"Indeed, I am not; you can rely on what I have told you."

"All right; the method doesn't signify, so long as I was spared the pain."

"Then, are you willing to keep on under the same treatment?"

inquired his companion.

"I'll be blamed! I believe you're turning Scientist yourself!"

exclaimed Willard, with a broad grin. "But it makes no difference to me what you do, so I get results. You're a first-cla.s.s doctor, and would be sure to know if anything was going wrong. But-- confound the luck!--I don't want to be laid up here for three months," he concluded, impatiently.

"There will be no need of that. I think by the end of another week you can be put upon a Pullman and go home," was the encouraging response.

"Home!" was the bitter retort. "You know I can't go there, Stanley."

"Well, you are going to be well taken care of, anyway. I shall attend to that," said Dr. Stanley, kindly.

"Doc, you're O. K. You've been mighty good to me, first and last,"

the patient observed, and flus.h.i.+ng with sudden feeling. "I suppose you know what brought me down here," he added, after a moment of silence.

"Yes, I know something about it. You followed Miss Minot here."

"Why shouldn't I follow her?" was the hot reply. "She had promised to marry me."

"I understand that promise had been revoked."

"She had no right to revoke it after leading me on--"

"Leading you on!" sternly interrupted Phillip Stanley. "Willard, don't add to your other sins by laying that at the girl's door, when I've known of your boasts that before the year was out you 'would have a wife and the handling of a cool three hundred thousand dollars.'"

"Who told you that?" demanded the young man, with a guilty flush and a shame-faced air.

"It does not matter who told me; I have it on good authority."

"But, Stanley, I am fond of her. I really am."

"Suppose Alfred Bent was fond of your sister, Minnie, in the same way, would you like to have him marry her?"

The fellow shrank as under a lash and his eyes blazed.

"By thunder--no!" he vehemently returned.

"But Alfred Bent has been your inseparable crony during the last two years that you have wasted, and there is very little to choose between you. So ask yourself if you are fit to marry a girl like Miss Minot; what right you have to ruin her life and squander her money."

"I say, doc, you are piling it on thick," Willard here interposed, in an injured tone.

"Yes, I know it sounds harsh, Ned," said the physician, bending a grave though kindly look on him, "but, in my profession, you know we sometimes have to probe and adopt severe measures before a cure can be effected. You also know, from past experience, that kindness was the only motive that prompted me in what I have done and still prompts me in what I am doing; so, now having come to an enforced pause in your career, I want you to improve it by doing some serious thinking. You are a fellow of more than ordinary natural ability, Ned, and have it in your power to gain an enviable position in the world if you would turn your talents in the right direction."

"You flatter me," was the sarcastic interruption.

"I have been telling you some very plain truths, and it is only fair to give credit also where it is due," said his companion, in a friendly tone. "I am sure that underneath your seeming recklessness you have not always felt comfortable or satisfied with yourself. You are the only son of a fine father, who has given you every advantage. Your mother is one of the 'salt of the earth'; but her hair has been growing very white during the last two years, and Minnie--well, my heart has often ached for her as I have noted the sad drooping of her eyes and the grieved quiver of her lips when she has spoken to me of you."

"Stanley, have you any brandy in the house?" suddenly demanded Willard, trying to speak in his ordinary tone; but his companion saw that he was white to his lips, and concluded that he had "probed" far enough for the present.

"You are not to have stimulants while you are under treatment,"

was the quiet but decisive reply.

"But, doc, I can't stand it. I really can't. Look!" and he held up a hand that shook like a leaf.

"You will be better of that shortly, my boy. I'll take care of it," was the kind reply. "But"--confidentially--"while we are talking of it, wouldn't you be glad to have that habit broken--to be free?"

The poor fellow drew in a quick, sharp breath; then, in a hard, metallic tone, he said:

"I've thought a score of times I would be free; that I'd end it once for all--take a last drink, you know, with a dose of strychnine in it." Then, tossing back the hair from his forehead, he added, with an effort to be facetious: "I wonder how your science would work on that? I say, Stanley, are you really turning Christian Scientist?"

Before his companion could reply, a maid appeared in the doorway, bearing a tray on which a tempting lunch was arranged. Dr. Stanley drew a table beside the bed and deftly placed things so that his patient could easily reach them; then, at his request, went below to join his sister and Dorothy at their repast.

The subjects of their recent conversation were not resumed, but, though the physician was in some doubt regarding the impression made on the young man's mind, it was evident that he cherished no resentment. He did not ask for liquor again, either, though there were times when a certain look in his eyes warned his watchful attendant that the old craving was making itself felt and caused him to flee to his "little book" and work vigorously on this first venture, which, with Mrs. Minturn's a.s.sistance, he was making in Christian Science.

One day, having made his charge comfortable and supplied him with an entertaining book to read, Dr. Stanley sought the companions.h.i.+p of his sister and Dorothy, on the broad piazza, where they now almost lived when the weather was fine.