FIGHTING HER WAY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9707, 1 February 1910, Page 2

FIGHTING HER WAY.

CHAPTER Vll.—Continued. His already excited imagination pictured this dainty creature as me victim of that loathsome disease, aiiQ an inmate of the disgusting hospital wards, where her sufferings must be aggravated by the sight of her companions in misery. Wrought upon by such reflections, he forgot to look up his mail, and instead of going to his room, he hurried to the first station on the elevated railroad on his way to see Doctor A icot and learn something of his unhappy patient. CHAPTER VIII. DOC'IOR HOWARD MAKES ANOTHER MOVE TO CHECKMATE.

The feelings with which Doctor Alcot learned on his return to the reception hospial of the manner in which his patient had been removed during his absence can better bs imagined than described. He bad succeeded in obtaining the permission he sought from the proper authorities to retain Miss Castlebar at the Ciry Hospital for a few hours longer, until the development of her malady should prove it to be smallpox beyond any question. Although strongly per suaded that her symptoms were unmistakaole, be had, nevertheless, ob served one or two doubtful indications that encouraged him to hope that the elder physician's diagnosis might be premature, and that some other form of violent eruption might corroborate this hope. This statement of his indecision about the case had determined the persons to whom he applied to grant the delay he asked before transferring the case to Blackwell's Island.

Filled with Indignation against Doctor Howard for Ibis needless precipitation, and, as he felt, indecent disregard of the young lady's health, and delicacy Fred Alcot immediately followed her to the Island Hospital, i where he found her in high fever j and quite delirious. The physician in charge being a personal acquaintance of his, Doctor Alcot had no trouble in obtaining for the girl a private chamDer, and the best nurse in the hospital, and, by professional courtesy, the privilege of visiting and prescribing in consultation ior his interesting patient. 'I must be candid with you, doctor,' said the hospital physician the next day, 'and tell you that, in my opinion Miss Castlebar's case is nat-small-pox. ' 'What, then, is to hinder it from assuming that form in this infected place?' demanded Doctor Alcot with great concern.

'There is not, and has not for over a month, been a case in the hospital, otherwise I should not have allowed this patient to enter. The wards have been so thoroughly purified and ventilated that I think there is not the least danger of her taking the disease if she has not already got it. The room she now occupies has never contained a case of smallpox is on the right side of the building to get the purest atmosphere, and is two stories above the wards that were last occupied by smallpox patients/ With this reassuring counsel the young doctor was compelled to content himself, and In ro event would a removal of his patient have been at all prudent. The weather had grown stormy, and a heavy snow had fallen. The best that could be thought of was to let her remain where she was.

For two he would not go near his guardian, so deep was his anger against him. At the expiration of the second day he received a note asking him to dine with the Howards in Thirty-seventh Street. The note was from Jeanie Howard, and stated that; she had "matters of importance" for his consideration.

Miss Howard was a pretty little blonde, with innocent, Kittenish ways, and little or no character to brag of but a good disposition, and the admirable virtue —at least, in Fred's opinio:) it was a virtue —of being thoroughly devoted to him. He believed her affection was purely a deep, sisterly sentiment, strengthened, perhaps, by the fact that he was twice as kind and considerate toward fter as brothers usually are to their sisters. i

'What important matter am I required to pass judgment on, Jeannie?' asked Fred, after kissing the girl's band with the brotherly playfulness he often used toward her; then casting aside his overcoat, added: 'I suppose the canary hat> the "pip, or Don the influenza, as usual, and you want me to doctor them.' 'Not a bit, Fred, and do be serious for once >n your life. I am very miserable about mamma.' 'ls she worse, dear?' inquired Fred, with genuine anxiety.

Gentle Mrs Howard had been a truly motherly friend to him during the years of his sojourn in his guardian's family, and when he most needed the tender consideration that makes a young man hesitate before following the impetuous inclinations common to thoughtless youth, lest he should give pain to a woman whose affection he prizes, whose character he reverences. Mrs Howard was an

BY ROSS ASHLEIGH. Author of "Eleanor's Luck," "The Widow's Wager." "Pui >i Gold," Etc, etc.

invalid far gone in consumption, that insidious enemy that creeps too often into the homes of the rich, as well as the hovels of the poor, to steal the treasure of health. But so gradual had been her decline that her nearest friends, even her husband and chil i, failed to realise how much of hejj life had been eaten away by the secret canker. 'Oh, yes, dear Fred, she is much worse,' cried Jeanie, now sobbiijg softly on Fred's shoulder. 'ls she in bed? Can I see her, Jeanie?' 'Directly; but first let me tell you what I want. Papa says he is sure a trip to Florida will revive, and may prolong for several years her dear life; but he cannot go with us. He could not leave either his chair at the college, nor his practice, which is all the source of income he has. And mamma will not hear to going so far away with only me to make the journey with Dear Fred, would you mind taking us to Florida, and getting us settled there until spring?' The proposition, so simple and so natural, coming as it did from his almost sister, and in behalf of one to whom he owed so much love and kindness, would at another time have been met with a prompt and willing response. There was no apparent reason why he —a rich, young man, without responsibilities, and to whom is profession was merely a pursuit of pleasure—should not devote as much time as was required to these two women who turned to_, him in their trouble. Yet thinking of Christine, who was still too ill to be considered out of danger, his heart sank like lead in his breast. But could he hesitate between these two, so closely linked to his love, and with such strong claim on it, and the stranger whose real need of him was almost nothing, whose condition in no wise demanded his presence or service? In that swift instant of irresolution his heart owned its secret to his reason. He loved this poor flower girl; he suffered bitterly at the idea I of leaving her to the care of less tender hands.

Looking up into Fred's pale face. Jeannie detected a strange pain in his large, blue eyes, a reluctance in his silence that chilled and wounded her. She took her hands from his arm, and said, with gentle dignity:— ; 'Have I presumed too far upon your lovu for mamma, Fred? Have I asked something of you that you cannot, or are not willing to do?" 'lndeed you have not, my little Jeannie," he said impulsively, con-science-smitten at his seeming lack of sympathy and generosity. He added, taking both of her hands: 'You must know that there is nothing in the range of possibility I would not do for the dear mother, or for you. if I was slow to say this, it was not because I did not feel it. was thinking of a very sick patient I would have to leave in a very critical state.'

'Oh, papa would, of course, attend in person to any case yon are specially anxious about, and his partner would look after your patients in general till you return.' 'Let me see, mamma,' he said, evading a direct reply to Jeanie's argument, that was given additional force by the tearful eloquence of her anxiou* eyes. Jeanie led the way to Mrs Howard's morning room, where the invalid sat in a reclining cftair, looking far weaker than Fred would have thought possible in so short a time as bad elapsed since he saw her last. The poor woman had been afflicted with a serious and exhausting hemorrhage trom the lungs that carried with it a large supply of the slender reserve of strength which years of suffering had left her. 'Jeanie has made her proposal about Florida to you, my dear?' asked Mrs Howard anxiously, for she clung to life tenaciously for her darling's sake./ She could not endure, without agony, the thought of leav* ing Jeanie to the cold companionship of a self-contained, busy, hardnatured man like Doctor Howard.

'Yes, she has told me, and I shall be ever so happy to take you South dear friend, tfou know there is nothing I could do for you that would not make me glad and grateful.' 'Of cburse I know that, Fred; only. I feared ic might not suit you to leave so suddenly, but if I am to benefit'by the change I must go at once while I yet have the strength for the journey. 1 grow feebler every day, almost every hour.' 'You ahall go v.henever you liketomorrow, if you can be ready so soon.' TO BE CONTTNUBD