HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Herald, 1909-10-22, Page 9Farr
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"My dear Miss Vane, your arm is
broken. I am afraid you will have a
great deal to suffer. How long have
you been lying here?"
"More than two hours," she said.
"It is terrible to think of. But there
are boats often passing; why did you
not call out?" ,
"Call out?" she said. "I never
• thought of such a thing."
"It would have been only natural to
ask for help."
"It would have seemed easier to me
to lie still and die," she replied, and a
sudden hot flush cane over her pale
face.
"These are terrible proud words," I
said, laughingly. "There is no humilia-
tion, when the are hurt and wounded, in
eying to a fellow -creature for help,"
"I would•rather creep away to suffer
and die alone," she returned. "I do not
like pity—it is , weak. I could endure
anything rather than be pitied."
"My poor child, when you are as old
as I ani you will know how sweet the
pity of those who love us is."
"Did you like people to pity you when
your husband died—to say, 'Alt! poor
thing, it is very shocking—very terri-
ble!' and shake their heads about you?
se "Yes, I think that it soothed me."
"Ah!" -she said, calmly, "then you
have not a brave soul." I laughed
aloud; I could not help it.
"I know someone who Inas a very
proud soul; but we will talk about that
another day. Your arm is badly bruis-
ed and broken; what is best to be
done?"
"If you would help me a little I could
walk home."
"No; you do not know the torture it
would give you. I saw some Wren at
'work in the fields close by; I will send
one of them for my carriage—we are
not very far from Neville's Cross—and
then the can drive you horse by the
high road" She did not object. I left her
sitting there, so white, so still, so proud
a.nd'defiatit, that she lopked more like a
marble statue than a living, breathing
woman.
A man who declared himself to be a
swift runner I chose for my errand. I
sat by Miss Vane's side until he return-
ed, but we said little. From the fixed,
set expression of her face I felt sure
that the pain was just as much as she
could bear. When the carriage came
she sunk with an air of exhaustion on
to the soft -cushioned seat.
"Does your arm pain you very much?"
I asked.
"No—not more than I can bear," she
replied.
"I believe you are too proud to com-
plain," I said, and again a hot flush
suffused her pallid face. Never once did
the proud spirit yield; no murmur cross-
ed her lips, although the motion of the
onrriage must have caused her intense
anguish.
Jane Lewis stood in the porch when
the carriage drove up. She made me a
distant courtesy, as though we were the
greatest strangers; but I saw something
like relief in her eyes as they met mine.
"Miss Vane has lied an aoident," I said;
"sire has broken her arm."
"Shall I be ill for some time with it;"
asked the girl—and there was a tone of
impatience in her musfeat von*.
"Yes," I replied, "a broken bone takes
some weeks to restore it."
"Then, Lewis," she said, imperiously,
"I will go to my own room"
Afterward she looked at me, and, al-
though her good -breeding prevented her
saying the words, I knew that she would
have been pleased had I taken my de-
parture; but I had resolved upon what I
should do. She held out her hand to me
with a eh , half -wistful look. "I am
very grateful to you, Mrs. Neville," she
said, `for your kindness."
"That is a polite form of dism.issa.l,
Miss Vane, but I shall not accept it.
I have no wish to inconvenience you,
but I most certainly intend to take care
of you. When your arm is, well, I will
go away and forget you—I will do any-
thing you like; but I refuse, absolutely
and decidedly, to leave you now.' She
looked confused and embarrassed- "Try
to forget, nay dear, that I am a stran-
ger," I went on; "think of me as one
anxious to help you. Believe me, I will
respect your privacy. Let me—I ask it
as a favor—help yon just now, when
Meet Perfect it de
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EVERYWHERE
yon stand so desperately in need of
help."
She grew agitated; her lips trembled.
Moat women would have indulged in an
outburst of tears; she waited until the
last trace of emotion had disappeared,
and then she said: "As you are so kind,
I cannot of course but be grateful to
you."
And then. with Lewis' assistance, I
took her to her own root. I had no
time then to note the splendor and mag.
e ificence of everything. Miss 'Pane csr•
t.t iely either had no idea of the value
of money, or had such an abundance of
it that she did not know what to de
with it. I could not help admiring her
16r;;tude, No matter 11ew great the
pain it did not wring one cry from her.
Great drops stood on her brow: her like
were white with anguish, but no word
escaped her lips.
"T ou must have a doctor at once," I
said, as she lay on the bed, "with'eut
any further loss of time."
"A doctor? No, Mrs. Neville, 1
would rather not."
"It is imperative. Every moment adds
to the danger of the delay. I have no
idea how to set a broken limb, or I
would spare you the need"
"Let it remain broken," she said. "I
would rather that than see a doctor."
"You must see one; it would be a lit-
tle short of murder for me to let you
remain in this way much longer. The
only question is, what doctor shall we
summon?"
She lay ugite still for some fete min-
utes, and then said: "If you send for
anyone, let it be for Sir John Emmett"
"I dare not wait, Miss Vane. Yore -
arm must be attended _to at once. 1
must send to Daintree;