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About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1909)
L .. .... . I Aunt Diana : The Sunshine of the Family , 'Oh, Mabel, my poor dear!" And All eon knelt down by her. She had not noticed how helplessly the left arm hung down, and how Missie would not let her touch it. "It is all bruised and cut," she said, her forehead contracting heavily with ain. "The doctor must see it presently, when he has finished in the other room ; not now. Oh, Alison, where are you going? You shall not disturb them. What does it matter? I only " But here her fast whitening lips refused to utter her fear. "Let me go, darling," returned Alison, anxiously; "I will not disturb them, you may quite trust me." And without wait ing for Mabel's answer she slipped away. As she entered the dressing room, the stranger, a dark, grave-looking young man, came out of her fathers room. Ho listened to Alison's account, and promised to attend to her sister as soon as possi ble. "We must finish the examination," he said, dismissing her, "but I will come as soon as I can. I thought there was something wrong, but she deceived us by hiding her arm under her mantle. She was bruised, that was all, she told us. Keep her quiet, and I will be with you directly." Missie was leaning back in her chair, with her eyes closed, but as Alison en tered she opened them full on her sister, and the blank miserable look in them con vinced Alison that Bhe was dreading the worst. "Do not look so, Mabel darling,' she said, kissing her softly. "Indeed we do not know ; they have told me nothing. Dear papa is in God's bands; we must leave him "there, and hope for the best." A low groan broke from Mabel's lips. "Oh, It is easy for you ; even If the worst comes, you can bear it; you have nothing with which to reproach yourself. If he dies, I shall have killed him. How am I to go on living, and know that?" And here she burst out Into hoarse sobs. "Mabel, my poor dear, oh ! how am I to comfort you?" exclaimed Alison, unable to restrain ber own tears at the sight of her sister's anguish. "You can not comfort me," returned the unhappy girl. "What is the pain of my broken arm and my bruises compared to what I shall feel if he dies, and I am not able even to tell him that I am sorry for my deceit and disobedience? and I would not say so, because he was angry. Oh. papa, papa, and I lovpd you so!" And the poor child hid her face on Ali son's shoulder. It seemed a relief to her to pour out her feelings. He had been so angry, and 'she would not own herself in the wrong, and then the horrible acci dent had happened, and she thought at first her father waa killed. "When they aid he was alive, and they must bring him home, and see what could be done, I thought I would not add to the trouble, and so I managed to hide my broken arm." But here she broke off, as Mr. Cameron entered the room. "Papa?" she said, faintly, as he came up to her. "His consciousness is returning; we shall know more to-morrow. It is not the head, as we feared," he said, evas ively; "but now I must look at your arm, please. Your friend Dr. Greenwood will be here directly, and we will soon put it right." But, In spite of his cheer ful words. 'Toor child !" came pityingly from his lips as the blackened shoulder was revealed to his view. Missie must have suffered exquisite pain during the drive home. The arm -was broken, and the shoulder dislocated, and the bruised condition of the flesh filled Alison with horror. ' It was a painful ordeal for Alison, but she bore it as bravely as she could. Roger had remained with his father; Miss Leigh was -not in a condition to render any assistance; the sudden con fusion had brought on nocession of pain, and she could only lay her throbbing head on the pillow, and lie there in ut ter helplessness. There waa no one but herself to wait upon the doctors and re ceive tieir directions, the very exigency of Phe case made her helpful. Her one . thought was that she must not hinder their work ; there was little for her to do. At the first touch of ber wounded arm Mabel had fainted again. Alison could "not have borne to witness the poor child's sufferings. Perhaps Dr. Greenwood knew this, for he contrived some errand that detained her for a few minutes out of the room. When she returned the worst seemed over, but the faintness continued, and it was only slowly and by degrees that Alison, with Sarah's help, could as sist her to undress and lie down, after which a sedative was to be administered, as the pain of the bruises and the misery of her mind would effectually hinder sleep. As soon as she could leave her In Sarah's charge, Alison stole into her fath er's dressing room. Dr. Greenwood came to her at once. "My dear," he said, taking her hand, for he 'had known her from an Infant, "this is a sad business, but, thank God, things are not so bad as they seemed at first. Your father must have received a blow; he was stunned, bat consciousness has returned, and he has spoken. What we fear now Is something different. He seems unable to move; but this may be due to the shock and temporary exhaustion. There are symptoms that make us hope ful that the full extent of mischief may Mat be realised. We shall know uora in a few days; Dut he will require the greatest care. To-morrow I shall send in a nurse from the Infirmary. Do yon think you and your brother can manage to-tiieht?" "Oh, yes," returned Alison, with a painful catch In her breath ; it seemed to her as though she were passing through some hideous nightmare; the very horror seemed to numb ber sensibilities. She understood that night how people could live through terrible scenes; the very in tensity, of pain deadened the anguish. Dr. Greenwood thought her' a very brave girl. She listened quietly to his di rections, but he took her band once, and felt her pulse, and then he kindly bade her take some food and wine before she went into her father's room, and as Roger came out that moment he repeated the charge to him. "Come, Allie," said Boger, taking her arm. "Dr. Greenwood will stay with father until we. come back." And he led her away. Alison noticed with some surprise that there was a sort of meal laid in the din ing room; she had forgotten the early supper had been placed there a couple of hours ago in preparation for her father. Roger carved some chicken and brought it to her. "You must try and eat, Allie, and I will do the same," he said, with some at tempt at cheerfulness. "We have a long night before us, and we must husband our strength." Alison felt the force of his argument; nevertheless, the food remained on her plate. "Roger, how bad you look!" she said, suddenly; "but I do not wonder at it. Oh! what a dreadful evening, we have had ; and I can not imagine how it hap pened." "Dr. Cameron was there, and he told me," returned Roger, shading his face from the light, as though it hurt him. "It was not a collision; something must have given way the coupling chain, they think and they were going down a steep incline at express speed. Dr. Cameron says some of the carriages went over the embankment, and were completely wreck ed ; one or two were turned entirely over. He was In the same compartment with father and Mabel. They felt a jolting sensation, and the next moment they were thrown from their seats, the carriage side was completely smashed, and they were all flung In a heap. Dr. Cameron was on the top, and was happily unhurt, with the exception of a few bruises; father was underneath him ; Mabel -struggled up somehow unhurt, and came to father, and no one kmw she was much hurt." "Oh, Roger, how terrible!" "Yes, it does not do to talk of it. and hardly to think of it. Now, Allie, if you have finished, we will go upstairs. By the way, where is Miss Leigh?" "Oh, I ought to have gone to her," ex claimed Alison. "How dreadful for her to lie there, and not to be able to help us! She has been suffering from one of her sick headaches, and, of course, all this will make it worse. Wait for me a moment, dear. I will just speak to her." "Is that you, Alison?" asked the gov erness, iu a feeble voice, as the girl came to her bedside. "I know all about it, dear, Eliza has told me. Toor children, poor children! and I can not help you." "Roger is good and thoughtful; we shall manage nicely to-night, and Snrah will watch Mabel. You must not trou ble, dear Miss Leigh ; to-morrow you will be better and then we shall be sure of your help." "You must not stay now. Thank yon for coming, my dear, but you must go to your father." And Alison was tbank fal to be dismissed. In another moment she was leaning over her father. He unclosed his eyes as he heard her light footsteps, and a faint smile came to his lips. "How is your sister?" he whispered. "Dear papa," she returned, tenderly, "how happy Mabel will be to know you asked after her! She is lying quite quiet ly, the sedative is lulling her, but she is not asleep." "Poor child!" was all his reply, and then he closed his eyes again, but as Ali son withdrew into the shadow of the cur tain tears of thankfulness came to her eyes ; there was no bitterness in her fath er's heart against poor Mnbel. "As a Hnth his children." the words cnme to her mind, ah!, "so might their Heavenly Father have pity on tnem. CHAPTER XVI. The dreary night watching was a new experience in Alison's life, for she had, been too young at the time of her moth er's last illness to share in the long and tedious nursing; the silence and inaction made the hours drag heavily. Roger, fa tigued with his day's work, was sleeping heavily with his head against the wall. Alison pitied his weary position, and fetched a pillow from the other room and put it gently behind his head. ' Once or twice she went across the pas sage to look at Missie. She was glad to find her sleeping. Sarah was at her post, sitting blot upright and nodding. Now and then her father spoke a few words ; once he asked what the doctors had said. Alison was thankful that they had not Informed him of their fears. "They do not seem to know, papa," she returned, gently; "they think you have a great shock, and you are suffer ing from nervous exhaustion. They will tell better by and by." "There seems something wrong with my limbs," he muttered uneasily; "you are sure you do not know what they think?" "Quite sure, dear papa," she replied, so earnestly that be could not disbelieve her, "but I hope and trust," her lips quivering a little, "that you may soon be better." . "Yon are a good girl, Alison ; your mother always said so, 'and If I am spared " He sighed heavily, and tam ed bis face away; and Alison, remember inx the doctor's Injunction, dared not sajr any more, lest It should increase his sal tation ; she only took his hand and softly laid her cheek against it, as though she would show by this action a child's love and devotion. Her touch seemed to quiet him. and by and by he dozed a little. Morning came at Inst, and Roger roused himself with difficulty. Alison felt weak and jaded; the strain was beginning to tell even on her vigor ous vitality. She was glad the night's inaction was over, but she felt too weary for the day's work. But Roger had not forgotten her; he came back presently with a refreshed loot on his face, and told her that breakfast was all ready In the dressing room. "A strong cup of coffee has made me a different man," he said, cheerfully; "you must try my recipe. Allie." And Alison found the benefit of his prescrip tion. Her hands were soon full of business, Dr. Greenwood came early, bringing the new nurse with him, nnd Alison had to make arrangements for the stranger's comfort. She seemed a pleasant, capable woman, with a neat figure, and a bright face that prepossessed Alison in her fa vor. She took possession at once of her patient, after a feeble protest on his part that he objected to nurses, but after the first few minutes he ceased to grumble. Dr. Greenwood soon convinced him that Roger was loo !'' young for such a responsiblity ; besides, the chief care of her sister must devolve on her. Missie's sleep had not refreshed her as they hope; the pain of her bruises was making her feverish. She could not turn in her bed without suffering, and her anxiety for her father ndrh'd to her dis comfor' Alison tried to console her, nnd Miss Leigh, who was sufficiently recov ered to sit in her room, spoke reassur ing words !o her; but it was evident that Missie could take no comfort ; only when Alison was alone with her, miserable, sclf-necus tic words cnnie to her lips. "Indeed, dinrest, there is no need for you to spenk so," Alison said to ber once, with a strong yearning to console her. "Dear para asked after you the first mo ment he saw me. You should have heard how tenderly he said Toor child !' " "That is because my arm is broken,, and he knows I am suffering such pain. If any one hated me they would pity me now," returned Missie, in a stifled voice "No, no; you must not take it in that way." exclaimed Alison, quite shocked, as she smoothed Missie's fair hair. She looked so pale and pretty, and the blue eyes had such a pathetic look in them. Alison had parted the soft fringe, and the soft curly ends lay quite smooth and showed the broad white forehead. A dif ferent Mabel lay there, with the poor wounded arm folded on her breast, and all the little vanities laid aside. As Alison stood looking at her, Missie rais ed her uninjured nrm with a sudden movement toward Alison, and in another moment the sisters were clasping each other close. "Oh, my poor dear, my poor dear!" whispered Alison, in the softest, most pitying voice. Missie kissed her hastily, and then seemed as though she would push her away, only Alison held her still. "No, I don't deserve It please don't be so good to me. I have been altogether horrid ever since you came home." "Never mind all that now, dear." "Yes, but I must mind it," turning rest lessly away and then uttering a low groan. "Oh, this pain, Alison ! Shall I ever be able to move again without it? I did not want you to come home; I thought you would be in my way, and that made me cross. I was Jealous of you, and I did not want the others to care for you. Roger was never fond of me as he was of you. nnd I wanted him to be fond of me. And oh ! how horrid and small it all seems now 1" finished poor Missie, reading her past conduct under a new light. In the dark hours when one's strength is low, conscience sometimes flings a vivid torch into the Tecesses of one's being, bringing hidden faults to light. "Dear Mabel, we will forget all that now," returned Alison, gently ; "we will try and love each other more." "Oh, it is easy for you to love people," retorted Missie, almost pettishly; "every one is so fond of you. and you are never cross and disngreenble as I am. Roger makes you his companion, and Rudel is less rough when you are in the room, and now papa will love you best." "Hush, dear ; what nonsense !" "It Is not nonsense," she returned, in a despairing tone. "I have forfeited his love. lie will never forgive me now. He told me that he hated deceit; that he should never be able to think the same of me. He said I should never see Eva again if be could help It. Oh, he was so angry, so unlike himself! I suppose my obstinacy vexed him, for I would not say" 1 was sorry. He took hold of my arm and almost shook me to make me speak, but I think I wag like that maq who had a dumb spirit." (To be continued.) The Natural Inference. "Ma, didn't the heutheus have a god for everything?" ; "Yes, my child." "Well, who was the god that ruled over kitchens?" "I don't remember, but I think It was the great god Pan." San Fran cisco Bulletin. The Next Qneatlon. "The Impudent thing wanted me to marry him." "When Is the wedding going to be?" Nashville American. . , Bright Thought, Judge Why did you steal the books! Shifty Shank I wanted ter start t school. ' MANY TAILORS DECEIVED. More than 1,000 Excloalve Sample Get Into the WronsT Hands A piece of cardboard covered with square samples of woolen cloths for men's and women's suitings might not seem to the average man a valuable nrtlcle, yet elaborate schemes to get bold of such sample cards are planned nnd sometimes carried through, accord ing to the New York Sun. A couple arrived recently at the best of the Philadelphia hotels and set out to visit all the lending tailors. The mon wanted a winter outfit of a com prehensive character, while the woman was just as Interested in accumulating n winter wardrobe of the tnllor-mada variety. Occupying large rooms In tue hotel, there was no reason to believe that the two were anything other than they represented themselves. So when they gave the number of their suite In the hotel the samples wre forthcoming. After several days had passed with out the expected orders the tailors be gan to send to the hotel for Informa tion. The answer returned was that the two had given up their rooms and left the day before. No samples were to bo found. The number of Inquiries became so large that they were referred by the hotelf! there was no reason to believe More than 1,000 samples of cloth nnd been sent by the tailors to the couple. Investigation showed their purpose rl?'Ti 1n the Prond street station tvctc found two wooden packngos they nnd checked there, filled with Bnmple cards from which the cloth had been torn awny. The couple had succeeded In acquir ing possession of the host snmples of the firms that deal in the high-class ex clusive patterns. Of course, they will sell their patterns to the chenper firms that endeavor to reproduce them. Even a bolder effort to got the ex clusive snmples Is reported from Chi cago. There two men rented a store In which to open a tailoring business of a high-priced character and sent to the manufacturers for their samples. The samples were sent, but no orders ever came. Later Inquiry from the manufactur ers showed that the firm hnd got no further In Its career thnn taking the store for a month. Its object was plnin when some of the best designs were turned out by the chenp mills. BRYCE GIVEN HONOR. 7 THE RIGHT HON. JAMES BRYCE. James Bryce, British Ambassador to the United States, was recently elected president of the Amerlcun Political Science Association, succeeding Fred erick N. Judson of St Louis. ItrmreU. Oh, if we had only saved those coupons our tobacconist gave us dur ing the year,, hourded up our sonp wrappers; kept our tea tickets; hung onto our trading stamps, we might even now be doing our Chrlstmns shopping with the aid of a premium list, and who can tell what valuable pieces of cut glass, silverware, furniture and bric-a-brac we might have been able to distribute on Dec. 25th? Already we have seen an elegant lithographed fish set that we could have had for 500 coupons, a swell picture of a bunch of grapes, fit for any one's dining room, for only seventy-five tea tickets, and our soap wrappers would have purchased for us a berry spoon that would look as though It had been bought In a real Jewelry store. Verily, we are a thoughtless nnd a short-sighted cuss. Detroit Free Press. Parent' llalra and Heir. I It Is possible to predict from the hair of parents the form of their children's hair. Two blue eyed, straight haired parents will have only blue eyed, straignt natreu cmiaren. Two wavy haired parents may have straight, wavy or curly haired children, but the chances or cuny nair are slight Two curly haired parents may have chil dren with either straight, wavy or curly hair, but the proportion of curly haired offspring will probably be large. American Naturalist. After a woman has talked about so long her husband la anxious to turn off tne gas. w A F J H a I, ff-i A BREAKDOWN AND POUR TEMPERAMENTS. The Phlegmatic. The Sanguine. The Melancholy. The Angry. LtiRtlge Blatter. ONLY ONE OF HIS KIND. Former Railroader In Novr a "Trav eling Man" for a Buffalo Hotel. L. C. Clarke, the "only one of hla kind," Is In New York. Mr. Clarke was formerly a passen ger brnkemau on the Now York Central. Now he Is something different nnd there Is no name for him yet. Ills vocation is an entirely new one. The liveliest hotel In Buffalo fur nishes free electric cab service for Ita guests to and from depots, wharves or wherever else they may lnnd or wish to depart from, aud also around the city. Now it has added Mr. Clnrk, saya the New York Morning Telegraph. It is Mr. Clarke's business to travel, mostly to New York, but Pittsburg, Cleveland, Chicago and several other big cities are Iu his line. All he haa to do Is drop Iu on transportation agents, hotel clerks and folks like that and get acquainted. If uny person Is leaving a New York hotel and going to Buffalo It Is Mr. t'lnrke's business to know It. He get8 acquainted, tells him all about the hotel he represents and assures him of pet sonal attention if he will only come. Mr. Clarke's efforts hnve resulted In from fifteen to fifty people going to the house that employs him every day since he has been on the job. lie does not know what to call himself, but It was suggested that he be christened "the smiling front," he is certainly there with thnt good-natured smile of his. "It's easy," Mr. Clarke said, when asked how he worked. "When a guest comes with my card ho always hunts me up. Of course J look after him, see he Is satisfied nnd that he has a good time while In Buffalo. I never thought of going out as traveling repre sentative of a hotel before, but I like It. It certainly Is something new. They'll all be doing It soon." He Gnemied Hllflit. A crowd of small boys were gathered about the entrance of a circus tent In one of the small cities In New Hamp shire one day, trying to get n glimpse of the Interior. A man standing near watched them for a few moments, then walking up to the ticket taker he snld: ,"Lct all these boys In, nnd count them as they pass." The man did as requested, nnd when the last one had gone he turned and snld : "Twenty-eight." "Good !" said the man. "I guessed Just right," and walked off. Comfort. "Don't talk to me about sensible clothes," nimount'cd the pretty girl, "I am' never comfortable unless I know I look nice, nnd sensible clothes are not pretty. I yielded to persuasion- this Bummer nnd bought a ptttr of so-called common sense slippers with low heela and broad toes simply hideous! And do you know something? My feet were never so- uncomfortable in my life." A niir PI (Terence. "Why did you take this Job? Th other mun offered you $10 to start with, too." "The other mnn offered me '$10 wages' to start with ; this man offered me '$10 salary.'" The Catholic Standard and Times. Many a homely woman derives a lot of satisfaction from the belief that sho to clever.