The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7972, 8 November 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

o CUPID AM) THK DOCTUR. 'Well, you Ac got moved in," said the landlord, standing in the door awl looking over the debris with a comprehensive grin. "It seems icnny tor a lonely man. with jusl another man to keep him company, lu be living iu this house. and right ovci on that slope a lonely woman, with just another woman to keep lid company, to be living in that house." It bad taktn tin- landlord some tfmc to see hu coincidence. Had h.' not purposely concealed the fact that the nearest house was inhabited hy a lonely woman. 1 ui John Nelson looked up keenly, scenting danger. "Who is she '?'' he asktd, jiausini with kniie in hand. He had been about to cut a rope on a trunk. "She's a lady doctor, and her name is Lansing," said the landlord, slouching against the door, with his lands deep in his pockots. "She had a good practice in town, they tell me, but her health wasn't good, an;l s.ie caaie out here about time niniilhs ago. You'll find it convenient to oa\c a doctor near," he added. Lady doctor—how he lined the term! How he hated the shoitskirted, Diannish women lie knew who were always keening thems lve-s before the public ! Join moved Ins table further from the window on thtilth d a y, and laboured ovi-r his work, more than ever irritated ili.it i; should haw become a positive labour to put pen to pal'er. As l.e wrote he heard the climpclump of Simon's Ikh 1 . A sudden Sil.uc" inlcriMnd. e>llowed l.y a fervent "Iri it !" (torn Sinejti. He came in, holding out a hand Covered with bio' d. "(!o>d heavens ! What have you done to yourself '.'" ciie-il John, ve-i----t:ng up m alarm. "Can't you see'.' Cut my hand, said Simon, looking at the wound reflectively. "Why, I thought you w. re Lining" said John desperately. "Well, wasn't I 7" aske-d Simon "That's the way I came to cm ,t I did it with the hoe" John seiuel .something white and Wei'-nd it hastily round l!*•- woiu.di.l hand, aftci which he reach, d for he, had. "IScfore I go ior help," hj- sjid. curii;u.ly, "jou might suggest how ever you happened to cut' v.iur hand —your hand, mind—with a ii e :" "I should think cm.Udv initi.i have known thai," leloile'd Sin:,,:i. "I did it hoeing" Then Joh.i went oui, 11>in.-, top- - ture to himself th. a'tiniilc Sum n must have taken in or lei in curio.-. hand with a hoe. He was so int.ni on this speculation that lie (•i-.i...i himsell half way to the cott.ge ■ n the opposite slope b.ioiv ii ■ r!aii»-.i:i that he was hurrying straight lo ill.-re-sidenee of the Woman eloc'.or. lie paused where h j (. Was, and looked guiltily around to see t: air,o M ha<l delccle'd him in this gn,> s adaedoiiinent of all his principle -.. No human Oriug was in mlIi!. I.ti' a i.,hill, balancing on .1 twiir behnd him, certainly di'l have h's h ad on one side in a very Inowii,- nann-i. Join walked Un sle-ps \'• ■ \ swift ly in the diriction of town Hut stay ! Town vv.is i,.,- mih.s distant—the woman *octoi -..1- m ' more than a hundred vatl- -e.ui. where he steaid. I'eibaps n would he I as we'll to 'all her in. aftei all, ami pay her, and let In go. lie fr.de, ibai-k up the slope. On the porch Was an old lady with while hair, watching the antics of a grey pony which another woman was putting into the shafts of a dog cart. John saw at once that the old lady was the doctor, ..nil appio.echid h< r a little .-,tiflly. "You are a physician. I have 1.-.-e-n told." he said. "Hy s rvaut. it the house over yonder, has cut, his land badly, and I should he ;!nl n ' "1 am not the' docmi," tin- old lady said pheasant h. "My line, there. Miss Lansing, if :|se doctor, and she's just telling ready \odimoui now." John's lightning glan-e .ismiik! lum Ibat the doctor was voting She was gazing" at him calmly over the back of llm pony as she fast en,-3 ihe last strap. "I)e>n'l ceime 100 close." she cauiHrtied. "Nixie elotsii't like men | Take care !" ; Nixie lead lajtl hack her ears ,\nd ' rrachrd a double set of long teeth ' wickedly in his dueciiui. Uy a SUl |. ' den and, he felt, wigivuful move- ! mem. lie saved himself, and ih,. yoting lady «,. B l on piacl'icallv : "Wait tiil 1 get 1,0 | u ii ~„,'| , ;jV medicine case l , a- d jinn I'll dice you back. You Iv.lH.nl. I believe [ thought I saw y„n rambling about jusl down ihe slope vendet. Is it not so ?" Jehu's face tiiinevL d \<-i v uncomfortable re« Sl,e ran li.isfilv into the house. There wjs some thing \ev. tfue>yant and girlish ..bout !i.tV..-ps. John found himself i!'iuiiii;,g ;| ic propriety of br.ngmg a ereatiiie like ibis lo look a; Simon's hand. ] "His hand's cm ptettv lxi'iY—it's ! blitdius a gooil deal." he m.-nliemed, I

when she came back. "Do you think I voti an—aie equal to a thing like' 1 llral .'" She leioked at liim in a Very disconcerting way. "l>ou't he stllv," was her only npty Silly : John Nelson, author, mounted hiitublv into tin- trap beside bet", ati;l the doctor drove- Uiey r. lie in MleitC almost to the gate. Then sheaskeil: •'Did you bin'* up the wminil V" "I—l—yes, I believe 1 did—in a We\," said John, ransacking bis memory. "1 am sure 1 put somciliiinj round it." They Wenl in together, to lind Si--1110:1 sitting where John had left lum, with a large linen ulileclotli wadilrd round his hand and forming a huge bundle-, which Simon was gazing upon as 11 iaseinated. John went outside to esi-.ipe the scornful look which th.- woman ilnclor cast upon him as sh.> detached Simon from the tablecloth, out she called him back imperatively an I "i----de'.ed aim about with merciless dircctmss. John, the scotnei of "new women," ioun i himself waiting upon eipe e,( tl,,' sisteiheiod with greater and still nie-aie-r u-adim-ss. She did not lo'»k at him except when site was giving him an older, and "lie '. was desperately litnt on finding what Was the c:,lotu of her i'\Js. i "Now. if you will hj'iig some clean ■watei." she sa.d, with a faint smile, "1 will try and get this slain from the thiol." (They Were; surely blue, but i( was a very elatk blueI—almost 1 —almost vieilel.) I "I couldn't think oi allowing you ' to do that," be saiel lit inly. "1 will look after it myself." [ "Then that is all, I think," .she said, picking up the medicine case, j (1li"y were neater'.'irown.) "Don't 1011 ibink it would he well ! for you to leeok in again this evening—or in the morning ■;" suggested John warmiy. He was deeply intercsled in Simon. .Suppose he should lose the use 01 his hand. How awful that wouiil he ! ! "flii, it is baldly so set iems .s that." said ihe elocior, moving 10-1 1 wards the door. I (Yes, a clear blown: that was ii.i . { "Then I will take the liberty "' .coming over this evening, ami letting you know how he is by that I time," said John, willing to make' ■ any sacrilice in the interests of lh.i unfortunate Simei. Tii • doctor was in the nap ; th. dear r>rown eyes we're looking elown on him with an imi>eisoiial look he di<l not like. ! "1 Wouldn't iieglecf ibat 110 r, if 1 Wire yiu," said the docior. "If vou boulel the stain will stay ; and tl'lo, .liiims ale unpbasani afterwards." j Nixie snapped at limi, as a paiiiti; ii'ii.diCtion. and tlie doctor drove : away. j Jedin went sleewlv hack into the .house. II„ felt, his pulse as he went. 1 "It is certainly quick," he to!.; .himself. "I .shouldn't, winder if 1 i were liking ih- ,ii;liie-:-/;,.." I A meimeiil's telbetio'i assured hint i however, that he would not have it; I flucn/a—that lie never had influen/a|lh"it his lical( li was always i!i.,gi;sl- . j idily gooel. fie came into th.. r'0,,1, j wuh a bueke-i of water and .1 loop. "Tell you what, Simon," he s.in"! . "you're io have a time wuh tb..t llmml. enhsi you lake the greatest cie of it. Vol kre;> it ■.■rippe up now. till I tell you it's time i, take the lamlage oli' ' "Hut the work '" saui 5i...,.;, gbonidy. -| ft-;-,., | lll; ,| { ,, u ,„-, and I might as well : ike my '... ■ in my band ai.d start h.e;,'; lo:i"'. i: I'-Ul Ilo."ill,i|,(i. .](|||i Would do ;.\ l!i.- work. Simon muM stay mil Ii taken care of. With what' cheerful. ue-ss John allowed his p ( . a ; , ~;•.) [and the fits l„ fill |, :s ;,,., tt ; ,-;,. h ! cooked swept and waited up 11 [Smieui-even ge.iug to ll.e extent ~ ciiimg |,i„ food for him." j Simon grew fat and slothful, waicl.- - laboiiis ~r his emplour Ihe only rnr.-at;..:i John allow, d 1.111.5. li' Was ge.im i,, the ~'pp.os.i, slope in ih,. e":in:ii;s ; and , vei, thai mii.li' l.a'.e hen, called a dutv. siiicthe went fur the purpose of ' le'l n"This make-, hm:,;-. s.-ieu tin,.: you hjie r-i,me t.. ieii ' ahum Si lioid." : ai i 111.- do-tor at la:-, wiiii e uje.iiu of laughte-r in ih, hsowii eves "Your ait.ulitn nt n. thai mail of voin-. ]-, re.illv path - tie.' "Well. 1 !",-el thai I've i;,', !o laki J din iheirfuily. "He was hart " m my str.ie-e. you know. C'tmsci|iiintlv I \l.\\,- a sense . f n-.|loilslinlit;. ." "St: n o e ih..l iu> i.aiai .s m, sj..v. 11 l--.ii.iei.' said lb.- i1..e:,.i- i:,;:.II ;l;. See was t xc-.il u,,iv [ r. 11-. 1 • li-* 1 lib;;.',:. \o o.'ie woalu ,'w 1 I aa'.c iaf.eu !;,-r - 1 a • n.-sv woman, •villi tlut ,s.,t win:.- tiling at hi .bloat, ..ml 11.0.,e p,- ( tf. j.iiil.n.., ami curls alHiu! bet ioiehe a ;|. " .1 is sii.inge. b.ii I ih nk it really is improving, >ail .lubn. ". sl.ll have to nit hi.- fond, vuu M.'.U. I .lit I l.ope he v..-!, I |o„- "i„e 'v of his hand. •Jolia paused and his bean arose •'ed >'"":> 1:. siation in io, ihri.ai. rue 1.1i.i-., !., I.>ie i„. 1,,,.; ~ jm . „, the slope especially („ say Milll-'lli.n'; •11 impoi ;..iiie :., ii„. m.iiiiiiii di,ctoi. and 1 veiv tm,, h.s heart, played liim :bis ciawn 1 nek. Oi cmise sh ■ would ,:,.; ti M- uj, j,,., p,„f,,, 5 „.n : it was at ibat point that Sum,,, oiati.l a final Il.veish.ll. He hiiililiiil) stood heioie them in lie" mo -nil Jit. hold.i.g oji a hanlagid hjii-l as ibouj.ii he were uomg io licgit. an oi.eiton "i can't stand this n„ long, I—not I even lo pi, aw you." he saiel'to John j 11. a most pnsoiial manner. "You I know my liii.d'„ i|ii!ie w.li ; and Ji j knows it too. tin s!u- lm .i iUI . m ]|,. load a weed; .il.o. and .1.,. took ~d 'be -ag., and ;..:., ,i. | : ,, „«„ .-,.(,. Aial whit s the Use pieieiulitig "' 1 ask v„i, tthai's tit.- u.-e ' li Votl wain io many h,-, v.lr. don't [,,,-, -a; o. and :,:.,p l.ralin!; about "thiiusli ■' .'.livh-.w. I ~in t : oin- lo vveai any more taj-s .11 ley j.-iid." Simon shook lit., skins rguratividv ai.i departed. •I h'i 1,aih.,l , m a hand, ant i'.,um( li.r baud, aiildte-w n toward him. ""-' I am .1 11 .w w, mat:, and I ku.w yoi 1, j: ,. ,|, ~, a! | - ~.,. , <((1 .!' jli ,be..!d ,1. loi.i 1,,-foi,. i,-,.| ,-,,„,, ,„,, I 1"'"' '" live. 1 am a p.oiis.sion-1 woman, lemi nil-i-r " "Why should I ,-aiv i,„- ,|,at •' i„.

whispered. "You don't bale my profession ? You don t ask m,. to give it up ?" "1 ask nothing—hut your love.'' She gave a little bappv crv, and laid her b, ad on his shiiiibler. Down the sleipe and up the othVr slope smindiil a disjointed whisile, I vv'n.'ili marked Simon's ptogtess through the night. The bandage:'was off bis hand.