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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14211 ***
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+Wanted — A Matchmaker
+
+by Paul Leicester Ford
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: “‘Why, Swot,’ cried Constance, ‘nobody is going to
+kill you’”]
+
+
+
+
+To
+Bond and Edith Thomas
+as a Record of Our Friendship
+
+
+
+
+Illustrations
+
+ “‘Why, Swot,’ cried Constance,’ nobody is going to kill you’”
+ “Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently”
+ “Constance took the seat at the bedside”
+ “‘I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,’ hurriedly began the doctor”
+ “The two were quickly seated on the floor”
+
+
+
+
+Wanted: A Match-Maker
+
+
+“You understand, Josie, that I wouldn’t for a moment wish Constance to
+marry without being in love, but—”
+
+Mrs. Durant hesitated long enough to convey the inference that she was
+unfeminine enough to place a value on her own words, and then, the
+pause having led to a change, or, at least, modification of what had
+almost found utterance, she continued, with a touch of petulance which
+suggested that the general principle had in the mind of the speaker a
+special application, “It is certainly a great pity that the modern girl
+should be so unimpressionable!”
+
+“I understand and sympathise with you perfectly, dear,” consolingly
+acceded Mrs. Ferguson. “And Constance has such advantages!”
+
+Quite unnoting that her friend replied to her thought rather than to
+her words, Mrs. Durant responded at once eagerly, yet defensively:
+“That is it. No one will deny that Muriel is quite Constance’s equal in
+mind, and, though perhaps I am not the one to say it, Doris surely
+excels her in looks. Don’t you think so, darling?” she added.
+
+“Unquestionably,” agreed the friend, with much the quality of firm
+promptness with which one would bolt a nauseous pill, or extrude an
+ailing oyster.
+
+“Yet merely because Constance has been out so much longer, and
+therefore is much more experienced, she self—she monopolises the
+attentions of the men; you know she does, Josie.”
+
+“Absolutely,” once more concurred Mrs. Ferguson; and this time, though
+she spoke less quickly, her tone carried greater conviction. “They
+are—well—she—she undoubtedly—that is, she contrives—somehow—to eclipse,
+or at least overshadow them.”
+
+“Exactly. I don’t like to think that she manages—but whether she does
+or not, the results are as bad as if she did; and thoughtlessness—if it
+is only that, which I can’t believe—is quite as blamable as—as more
+intentional scheming.”
+
+“Then of course,” said Mrs. Ferguson, “every one knows about her
+mother’s fortune—and men are so mercenary in these days.”
+
+“Oh, Josie, I don’t like to speak of that myself, but it is such a
+relief to have you say it. That is the whole trouble. What sort of a
+chance have my poor dears, who will inherit so little compared to her
+wealth, and that not till—till we are through with it—against
+Constance? I call it really shameful of her to keep on standing in
+their light!”
+
+“Have you—Couldn’t you let her see—drop a hint—of the unconscious
+injury she is—”
+
+“That is the cruelty of my position,” moaned Mrs. Durant. “I should not
+hesitate a moment, but the world is so ill-natured about stepmothers
+that one has to be over-careful, and with daughters of my own, I’m
+afraid people—perhaps my own husband—would think I was trying to
+sacrifice her to them.”
+
+“But have you no friend you could ask to—?”
+
+“Josie! Would you?” eagerly interrupted Mrs. Durant. “She will be
+influenced, I know, by anything you—”
+
+“Gracious, my dear, I never dreamed of—of you asking me! Why, I don’t
+know her in the least. I couldn’t, really.”
+
+“But for my sake? And you know her as well as—as any one else; for
+Constance has no intimates or—”
+
+“Don’t you see that’s it? I’d as soon think of—of—From me she would
+only take it as an impertinence.”
+
+“I don’t see why everybody stands so in awe of a girl of twenty-three,
+unless it’s because she’s rich,” querulously sighed Mrs. Durant.
+
+“I don’t think it’s that, Anne. It’s her proud face and reserved
+manner. And I believe those are the real reasons for her not marrying.
+However much men may admire her, they—they—Well, it’s your kittenish,
+cuddling kind of a girl they marry.”
+
+“No; you are entirely wrong. Doubtless it is her money, but Constance
+has had plenty of admirers, and if she were
+less self—if she considered the interests of the family—she would have
+married years ago. But she is wholly blind to her duty, and checks or
+rebuffs every man who attempts to show her devotion. And just because
+others take their places, she is puffed up into the belief that she is
+to go through life with an everlasting train of would-be suitors, and
+so enjoys her own triumph, with never a thought of my girls.”
+
+“Why not ask her father to speak to her?”
+
+“My dear! As if I hadn’t, a dozen times at the least,”
+
+“And what does he say?”
+
+“That Constance shows her sense by not caring for the men _I_ invite to
+the house! As if _I_ could help it! Of course with three girls in the
+house one must cultivate dancing-men, and it’s very unfair to blame me
+if they aren’t all one could wish.”
+
+“I thought Constance gave up going to dances last winter?”
+
+“She did, but still I must ask them to my dinners, for if I don’t they
+won’t show Muriel and Doris attention. Mr. Durant should realise that I
+only do it for their sakes; yet to listen to him you’d suppose it was
+my duty to close my doors to dancing-men, and spend my time seeking out
+the kind one never hears of—who certainly don’t know how to dance, and
+who would either not talk at my dinners, or would lecture upon one
+subject to the whole table—just because they are what he calls
+‘purposeful men.’”
+
+“He probably recognises that the society man is not a marrying species,
+while the other is.”
+
+“But there are several who would marry Constance in a minute if she’d
+only give any one of them the smallest encouragement; and that’s what I
+mean when I complain of her being so unimpressionable. Muriel and Doris
+like our set of men well enough, and I don’t see what right she has to
+be so over-particular.”
+
+Mrs. Ferguson rose and began the adjustment of her wrap, while saying,
+“It seems to me there is but one thing for you to do, Anne.”
+
+“What?” eagerly questioned Mrs. Durant.
+
+“Indulge in a little judicious matchmaking,” suggested the friend, as
+she held out her hand.
+
+“It’s utterly useless, Josie. I’ve tried again and again, and every
+time have only done harm.”
+
+“How?”
+
+“She won’t—she is so suspicious. Now, last winter, Weston Curtis was
+sending her flowers and—and, oh, all that sort of thing, and so I
+invited him to dinner several times, and always put him next Constance,
+and tried to help
+him in other ways, until she—well, what do you think that girl did?”
+
+Mrs. Ferguson’s interest led her to drop her outstretched hand.
+“Requested you not to?” she asked.
+
+“Not one word did she have the grace to say to me, Josie, but she wrote
+to him, and asked him not to send her any more flowers! Just think of
+it.”
+
+“Then that’s why he went to India.”
+
+“Yes. Of course if she had come and told me she didn’t care for him, I
+never would have kept on inviting him; but she is so secretive it is
+impossible to tell what she is thinking about. I never dreamed that she
+was conscious that I was trying to—to help her; and I have always been
+so discreet that I think she never would have been if Mr. Durant hadn’t
+begun to joke about it. Only guess, darling, what he said to me once
+right before her, just as I thought I
+was getting her interested in young Schenck!”
+
+“I can’t imagine.”
+
+“Oh, it was some of his Wall Street talk about promoters of trusts
+always securing options on the properties to be taken in, before
+attempting a consolidation, or something of that sort. I shouldn’t have
+known what he meant if the boys hadn’t laughed and looked at Constance.
+And then Jack made matters worse by saying that my interest would be
+satisfied with common stock, but Constance would only accept preferred
+for hers. Men do blurt things out so—and yet they assert that we women
+haven’t tongue discretion. No, dear, with them about it’s perfectly
+useless for me to do so much as lift a finger to marry Constance off,
+let alone her own naturally distrustful nature.”
+
+“Well, then, can’t you get some one to do it for you—some friend of
+hers?”
+
+“I don’t believe there is a person in the world who could influence
+Constance as regards marriage,” moaned Mrs. Durant. “Don’t think that I
+want to sacrifice her, dear; but she really isn’t happy
+herself—for—well—she is a stepdaughter, you know—and so can never quite
+be the same in the family life; and now that she has tired of society,
+she really doesn’t find enough to do to keep busy. Constance wanted to
+go into the Settlement work, but her father wouldn’t hear of it—and
+really, Josie, every one would be happier and better if she only would
+marry—”
+
+“I beg your pardon for interrupting you, mama. I thought you were
+alone,” came a voice from the doorway. “How do you do, Mrs. Ferguson?”
+
+“Oh!” ejaculated both ladies, as they looked up, to find standing in
+the doorway a handsome girl, with clear-cut patrician features, and an
+erect carriage
+which gave her an air of marked distinction.
+
+“I only stopped to ask about the errand you asked me to do when I went
+out,” explained the girl, quietly, as the two women hunted for
+something to say.
+
+“Oh. Yes. Thank you for remembering, darling,” stammered Mrs. Durant,
+finding her voice at last. “Won’t you please order a bunch of something
+sent to Miss Porter—and—and—I’ll be very much obliged if you’ll attend
+to it, Constance, my dear.”
+
+The girl merely nodded her head as she disappeared, but neither woman
+spoke till the front door was heard to close, when Mrs. Durant
+exclaimed, “How long had she been standing there?”
+
+“I don’t know.”
+
+“I hope she didn’t hear!”
+
+“I don’t think she could have, or she would have shown it more,”
+
+“That doesn’t mean anything. She
+never shows anything outwardly. And really, though I wouldn’t purposely
+have said it to her, I’m not sure that I hope she didn’t hear
+it—for—well, I do wish some one would give her just such advice.”
+
+“My dear, it isn’t a case for advice; it’s a case for match-making,”
+reiterated Mrs. Ferguson, as she once more held out her hand.
+
+Meanwhile Miss Durant thoughtfully went down the steps to her carriage,
+so abstracted from what she was doing that after the footman tucked the
+fur robe about her feet, he stood waiting for his orders; and finally,
+realising his mistress’s unconsciousness, touched his hat and asked,—
+
+“Where to, Miss Constance?”
+
+With a slight start the girl came back from her meditations, and, after
+a moment’s hesitation, gave a direction.
+Then, as the man mounted to his seat and the brougham started, the
+girl’s face, which had hitherto been pale, suddenly flushed, and she
+leaned back in the carriage, so that no one should see her wipe her
+eyes with her handkerchief.
+
+“I do wish,” she murmured, with a slight break in her voice, “that at
+least mama wouldn’t talk about it to outsiders. I—I’d marry to-morrow,
+just to escape it all—if—if—a loveless marriage wasn’t even worse.” The
+girl shivered slightly, and laid her head against the cushioned side,
+as if weary.
+
+She was still so busy with her thoughts that she failed to notice when
+the brougham stopped at the florist’s, and once more was only recalled
+to concrete concerns by the footman opening the door. The ordering of
+some flowers for a débutante evidently steadied her and allowed her to
+regain self-control, for she drove in succession to the jeweller’s
+to select a wedding gift, and to the dressmaker’s for a fitting, at
+each place giving the closest attention to the matter in hand. These
+nominal duties, but in truth pleasures, concluded, nominal pleasures,
+but in truth duties, succeeded them, and the carriage halted at four
+houses long enough to ascertain that the especial objects of Miss
+Durant’s visits “begged to be excused,” or were “not at home,” each of
+which pieces of information, or, to speak more correctly, the handing
+in by the footman, in response to the information, of her card or
+cards, drew forth an unmistakable sigh of relief from that young lady.
+Evidently Miss Durant was bored by people, and this to those
+experienced in the world should be proof that Miss Durant was, in fact,
+badly bored by herself.
+
+One consequence of her escape, however, was that the girl remained with
+an hour which must be got through with
+in some manner, and so, in a voice totally without desire or eagerness,
+she said, “The Park, Wallace;” and in the Park some fifty minutes were
+spent, her greatest variation from the monotony of the wonted and
+familiar roads being an occasional nod of the head to people driving or
+riding, with a glance at those with each, or at the costumes they wore.
+
+It was with a distinct note of anticipation in her voice, therefore,
+that Miss Durant finally ordered, “Home, now, Murdock;” and, if the
+truth were to be told, the chill in her hands and feet, due to the keen
+November cold, with a mental picture of the blazing wood fire of her
+own room, and of the cup of tea that would be drank in front of it, was
+producing almost the first pleasurable prospect of the day to her.
+
+Seemingly the coachman was as eager to be in-doors as his mistress, for
+he whipped up the horses, and the carriage
+was quickly crossing the plaza and speeding down the avenue. Though the
+street was crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, the growing darkness
+put an end to Miss Durant’s nods of recognition, and she leaned back,
+once more buried in her own thoughts.
+
+At Forty-second Street she was sharply recalled from whatever her mind
+was dwelling upon by a sudden jar, due to the checking of the carriage,
+and simultaneously with it came the sound of crashing of glass and
+splintering of wood. So abrupt was the halt that Miss Durant was
+pitched forward, and as she put out her hand to save herself from being
+thrown into the bottom of the brougham, she caught a moment’s glimpse
+of a ragged boy close beside her window, and heard, even above the
+hurly-burly of the pack of carriages and street-crossers, his shrill
+cry,—
+
+“Extry _Woild_’r _Joinal_. Terrible—”
+
+There the words ended, for the distraught horses shied backwards and
+sideways, and the fore wheel, swung outwards by the sharp turn, struck
+the little fellow and threw him down. Miss Durant attempted a warning
+cry, but it was too late; and even as it rang out, the carriage gave a
+jolt and then a jar as it passed over the body. Instantly came a dozen
+warning shouts and shrieks and curses, and the horses reared and
+plunged wildly, with the new fright of something under their feet.
+
+White with terror, the girl caught at the handle, but she did no more
+than throw open the door, for, as if they sprang from the ground, a
+crowd of men were pressing about the brougham. All was confusion for a
+moment; then the tangle of vehicles seemed to open out and the mob of
+people, struggling and gesticulating, fell back before a policeman
+while another, aided by some one,
+caught the heads of the two horses, just as the footman drew out from
+under their feet into the cleared space something which looked like a
+bundle of rags and newspapers.
+
+Thinking of nothing save that limp little body, Miss Durant sprang out,
+and kneeling beside it, lifted the head gently into her lap, and
+smoothed back from the pallid face the unkempt hair. “He isn’t dead,
+Wallace?” she gasped out.
+
+“I don’t think he is, Miss Constance, though he looks like he was bad
+hurt. An’, indeed, Miss Constance, it wasn’t Murdock’s fault. The coupé
+backed right into our pole without—”
+
+“Here,” interrupted a man’s voice from the circle of spectators, “give
+him this;” and some one handed to the girl the cup of a flask half full
+of brandy. Dipping her fingers into it, she rubbed them across the
+mouth and forehead; then, raising the head with one of her
+arms, she parted the lips and poured a few drops between them.
+
+“Now, mum,” suggested the policeman. “Just you let go of it, and we’ll
+lift it to where it can stay till the ambulance gets here.”
+
+“Oh, don’t,” begged Miss Durant. “He shouldn’t be moved until—”
+
+“Like as not it’ll take ten minutes to get it here, and we can’t let
+the street stay blocked like this.”
+
+“Ten minutes!” exclaimed the girl. “Isn’t it possible—We must get help
+sooner, or he—” She broke in upon her own words, “Lift him into my
+carriage, and I’ll take him to the hospital.”
+
+“Can’t let you, miss,” spoke up a police sergeant, who meantime had
+forced his way through the crowd. “Your coachman’s got to stay and
+answer for this.”
+
+“He shall, but not now,” protested Miss Durant. “I will be responsible
+for
+him. Wallace, give them one of my cards from the case in the carriage.”
+
+
+[Illustration: “Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently”]
+
+
+The officer took the bit of pasteboard and looked at it. “That’s all
+right, miss,” he said. “Here, Casey, together now and easy.”
+
+The two big men in uniform lifted the urchin as if he were without
+weight, and laid him as gently as might be on the seat of the brougham.
+This done, the roundsman dropped the small front seat, helped Miss
+Durant in, and once she was seated upon it, took his place beside her.
+The sergeant closed the door, gave an order to the coachman, and,
+wheeling about, the carriage turned up the avenue, followed by the eyes
+of the crowd and by a trail of the more curious.
+
+“Better give it another swig, mum,” counselled her companion; and the
+girl, going on her knees, raised the head, and administered a second
+swallow of the brandy. She did not resume her seat,
+but kept her arm about the boy, in an attempt to render his position
+easier. It was a wizened, pinched little face she gazed down at, and
+now the mouth was drawn as if there was physical suffering, even in the
+unconsciousness. Neither head nor hands had apparently ever known soap,
+but the dirt only gave picturesqueness, and, indeed, to Miss Durant an
+added pathos; and the tears came into her eyes as she noted that under
+the ragged coat was only a flimsy cotton shirt, so bereft of buttons
+that the whole chest was exposed to the cold which but a little while
+before the girl, clad in furs and sheltered by the carriage, had yet
+found so nipping. She raised her free hand and laid it gently on the
+exposed breast, and slightly shivered as she felt how little warmth
+there was.
+
+“Please put the fur rug over him,” she requested; and her companion
+pulled it
+from under their feet, and laid it over the coiled-up legs and body.
+
+The weight, or the second dose of the stimulant, had an effect, for
+Miss Durant felt the body quiver, and then the eyes unclosed. At first
+they apparently saw nothing, but slowly the dulness left them, and
+they, and seemingly the whole face, sharpened into comprehension, and
+then, as they fastened on the blue coat of the policeman, into the
+keenest apprehension.
+
+“Say,” he moaned, “I didn’t do nuttin’, dis time, honest.”
+
+“I ain’t takin’ you to the station-house,” denied the officer,
+colouring and looking sideways at his companion.
+
+“You were run over, and we are carrying you to where a doctor can see
+how much you are hurt,” said the gently.
+
+The eyes of the boy turned to hers, and the face lost some of its
+fright and
+suspicion. “Is dat on de level?” he asked, after a moment’s scrutiny.
+“Youse oin’t runnin’ me in?”
+
+“No,” answered Miss Durant. “We are taking you to the hospital.”
+
+“De horspital!” exclaimed the little chap, his eyes brightening. “Is
+Ise in de rattler?”
+
+“The what?” asked Constance.
+
+“De rattler,” repeated the questioner, “de ding-dong.”
+
+“No, you ain’t in no ambulance,” spoke up the officer. “You’re in this
+young lady’s carriage.”
+
+The look of hope and pride faded out of the boy’s face. “Ise oin’t
+playin’ in no sorter luck dese days,” he sighed. Suddenly the
+expression of alarm reappeared in his face. “Wheer’s me papes?”
+
+“They’re all right. Don’t you work yourself up over them,” said the
+roundsman, heartily.
+
+“Youse didn’t let de udder newsies swipe dem, did youse?” the lad
+appealed anxiously.
+
+“I’ll pay you for every one you lost,” offered Constance. “How many did
+you have?”
+
+The ragamuffin stared at her for a moment, his face an essence of
+disbelief.
+
+“Ah, hell!” he ejaculated. “Wot’s dis song an’ dance youse givin’ us?”
+
+“Really, I will,” insisted the girl. She reached back of her and took
+her purse from the rack, and as well as she could with her one hand
+opened it.
+
+The sight of the bills and coin brought doubt to the sceptic. “Say,” he
+demanded, his eyes burning with avidity, “does youse mean dat? Dere
+oin’t no crawl in dis?”
+
+“No. How much were they worth?”
+
+The boy hesitated, and scanned her face, as if he were measuring the
+girl more than he was his loss. “Dere wuz
+twinty _Joinals_” he said, speaking slowly, and his eyes watching her
+as a cat might a mouse, “an’—an’—twinty _Woilds_—an’—an’ tirty
+_Telegrams_— an’—an’—” He drew a fresh breath, as if needing strength,
+shot an apprehensive glance at the roundsman, and went on hurriedly, in
+a lower voice, “an’ tirty-five _Posts_—”
+
+“Ah, g’long with you,” broke in the policeman, disgustedly. “He didn’t
+have mor’n twenty in all, that I know.”
+
+“Hope I may die if Ise didn’t have all dem papes, boss,” protested the
+boy.
+
+“You deserve to be run in, that’s what you do,” asserted the officer of
+the law, angrily.
+
+“Oh, don’t threaten him,” begged Miss Durant.
+
+“Don’t you be fooled by him, mum. He ain’t the kind as sells _Posts_,
+an’ if he was, he wouldn’t have more’n five.”
+
+“It’s de gospel trute Ise chuckin’ at youse dis time,” asserted the
+youngster.
+
+“Gospel Ananias—!” began the officer.
+
+“Never mind,” interrupted Miss Durant. “Would ten dollars pay for them
+all?”
+
+“Ah, I know’d youse wuz tryin’ to stuff me,” dejectedly exclaimed the
+boy; then, in an evident attempt to save his respect for his own
+acuteness, he added: “But youse didn’t. I seed de goime youse wuz
+settin’ up right from de start.”
+
+Out of the purse Constance, with some difficulty, drew a crisp
+ten-dollar bill, the boy watching the one-handed operation half
+doubtingly and half eagerly; and when it was finally achieved, at the
+first movement of her hand toward him, his arm shot out, and the money
+was snatched, more than taken. With the quick motion, however, the look
+of eagerness and joy changed to one of agony; he gave a
+sharp cry, and, despite the grime, the cheeks whitened perceptibly.
+
+“Oh, please stay quiet,” implored Miss Durant. “You mustn’t move.”
+
+“Hully gee, but dat hurted!” gasped the youngster, yet clinging to the
+new wealth. He lay quiet for a few breaths; then, as if he feared the
+sight of the bill might in time tempt a change of mind in the giver, he
+stole the hand to his trousers pocket and endeavoured to smuggle the
+money into it, his teeth set, but his lips trembling, with the pain the
+movement cost him.
+
+Not understanding the fear in the boy’s mind, Constance put her free
+hand down and tried to assist him; but the instant he felt her fingers,
+his tightened violently. “Youse guv it me,” he wailed. “Didn’t she guv
+it me?” he appealed desperately to the policeman.
+
+“I’m only trying to help put it in your pocket,” explained the girl.
+
+“Ah, chase youseself!” exclaimed the doubter, contemptuously. “Dat
+don’t go wid me. Nah!”
+
+“What doesn’t go?” bewilderedly questioned Miss Durant.
+
+“Wotcher tink youse up aginst? Suttin’ easy? Well, I guess not! Youse
+don’t get youse pickers in me pocket on dat racket.”
+
+“She ain’t goin’ to take none of your money!” asserted the policeman,
+indignantly. “Can’t you tell a real lady when you see her?”
+
+“Den let her quit tryin’ to go tru me,” protested the anxious
+capitalist; and Constance desisted from her misinterpreted attempt,
+with a laugh which died as the little fellow, at last successful in his
+endeavour to secrete the money, moaned again at the pain it cost him.
+
+“Shall we never get there?” she demanded impatiently, and, as if an
+answer were granted her, the carriage slowed,
+and turning, passed into a porte-cochère, in which the shoes of the
+horses rang out sharply, and halted.
+
+“Stay quiet a bit, mum,” advised the policeman, as he got out; and
+Constance remained, still supporting the urchin, until two men with a
+stretcher appeared, upon which they lifted the little sufferer, who
+screamed with pain that even this gentlest of handling cost him.
+
+Her heart wrung with sympathy for him, Miss Durant followed after them
+into the reception-ward. At the door she hesitated, in doubt as to
+whether it was right or proper for her to follow, till the sight of a
+nurse reassured her, and she entered; but her boldness carried her no
+farther than to stand quietly while the orderlies set down the litter.
+Without a moment’s delay the nurse knelt beside the boy, and with her
+scissors began slitting up the sleeves of the tattered coat.
+
+“Hey! Wotcher up to?” demanded the waif, suspiciously.
+
+“I’m getting you ready for the doctor,” said the nurse, soothingly.
+“It’s all right.”
+
+“Toin’t nuttin’ of de sort,” moaned the boy. “Youse spoilin’ me cloes,
+an’ if youse wuzn’t a loidy, you’d get youse face poked in, dat’s wot
+would happen to youse.”
+
+Constance came forward and laid her hand on the little fellow’s cheek.
+“Don’t mind,” she said, “and I’ll give you a new suit of clothes.”
+
+“Wen?” came the quick question.
+
+“To-morrow.”
+
+“Does youse mean dat? Honest? Dere oin’t no string to dis?”
+
+“Honest,” echoed the girl, heartily.
+
+Reassured, the boy lay quietly while the nurse completed the
+dismemberment of the ragged coat, the apology for a shirt, and the bit
+of twine which served in lieu
+of suspenders. But the moment she began on the trousers, the wail was
+renewed.
+
+“Quit, I say, or I’ll soak de two of youse; see if I don’t. Ah, won’t
+youse—” The words became inarticulate howls which the prayers and
+assurances of the two women could not lessen.
+
+“Now, then, stop this noise and tell me what is the matter,” ordered a
+masculine voice; and turning from the boy, Constance found a tall,
+strong-featured man with tired-looking eyes standing at the other side
+of the litter.
+
+Hopeful that the diversion might mean assistance, the waif’s howls once
+more became lingual. “Dey’s tryin’ to swipe me money, boss,” he whined.
+“Hope I may die if deys oin’t.”
+
+“And where is your money?” asked the doctor.
+
+“Wotcher want to know for?” demanded the urchin, with recurrent
+suspicion in his face.
+
+“It’s in the pocket of his trousers, Dr. Armstrong,” said the nurse.
+
+Without the slightest attempt to reassure the boy, the doctor forced
+loose the boy’s hold on the pocket, and inserting his hand, drew out
+the ten-dollar bill and a medley of small coins.
+
+“Now,” he said, “I’ve taken your money, so they can’t. Understand?”
+
+The urchin began to snivel.
+
+“Ah, you have no right to be so cruel to him,” protested Miss Durant.
+“It’s perfectly natural. Just think how we would feel if we didn’t
+understand.”
+
+The doctor fumbled for his eye-glasses, but not finding them quickly
+enough, squinted his eyelids in an endeavour to see the speaker. “And
+who are you?” he demanded.
+
+“Why, I am—that is—I am Miss Durant, and—” stuttered the girl.
+
+Not giving her time to finish her speech, Dr. Armstrong asked, “Why are
+you here?” while searching for his glasses.
+
+“I did not mean to intrude,” explained Constance, flushing, “only it
+was my fault, and it hurts me to see him suffer more than seems
+necessary.”
+
+Abandoning the search for his glasses, and apparently unheeding of her
+explanation, the doctor began a hasty examination of the now naked boy,
+passing his hand over trunk and limbs with a firm touch that paid no
+heed to the child’s outcries, though each turned the onlooker faint and
+cold.
+
+Her anxiety presently overcoming the sense of rebuke, the overwrought
+girl asked, “He will live, won’t he?”
+
+The man straightened up from his examination. “Except for some
+contusion,” he replied, “it apparently is only a leg and a couple of
+ribs broken.” His voice and manner conveyed the idea that legs and ribs
+were but canes and corsets.
+“Take him into the accident ward,” he directed to the orderlies, “and
+I’ll attend to him presently.”
+
+“I will not have this boy neglected,” Constance said, excitedly and
+warmly. “Furthermore, I insist that he receive instant treatment, and
+not wait _your_ convenience.”
+
+Once again Dr. Armstrong began feeling for his glasses, as he asked,
+“Are you connected with this hospital, Miss Durant?”
+
+“No, but it was my carriage ran over him, and—”
+
+“And is it because you ran over the boy, Miss Durant,” he interrupted,
+“that you think it is your right to come here and issue instructions
+for our treatment of him?”
+
+“It is every one’s right to see that assistance is given to an injured
+person as quickly as possible,” retorted the girl, though flushing,
+“and to protest if human
+suffering, perhaps life itself, is made to wait the convenience of one
+who is paid to save both.”
+
+Finally discovering and adjusting his glasses, Dr. Armstrong eyed Miss
+Durant with a quality of imperturbability at once irritating and
+embarrassing. “I beg your pardon for the hasty remark I just made,” he
+apologised. “Not having my second sight at command, I did not realise I
+was speaking to so young a girl, and therefore I allowed myself to be
+offended, which was foolish. If you choose to go with the patient, I
+trust you will satisfy yourself that no one in this hospital is lacking
+in duty or kindness.”
+
+With a feeling much akin to that she had formerly suffered at the
+conclusion of her youthful spankings, Constance followed hurriedly
+after the orderlies, only too thankful that a reason had been given her
+permitting an escape from those steady eyes and amused accents, which
+she was still feeling when the litter was set down beside an empty bed.
+
+“Has dat slob tooken me money for keeps?” whimpered the boy the moment
+the orderlies had departed.
+
+“No, no,” Constance assured him, her hand in his.
+
+“Den w’y’d he pinch it so quick?”
+
+“He’s going to take care of it for you, that’s all.”
+
+“Will he guv me a wroten pape sayin’ dat?”
+
+“See,” said the girl, only eager to relieve his anxiety, “here is my
+purse, and there is a great deal more money in it than you had, and
+I’ll leave it with you, and if he doesn’t return you your money, why,
+you shall have mine.”
+
+“Youse cert’in dere’s more den Ise had?”
+
+“Certain. Look, here are two tens and three fives and a one, besides
+some change.”
+
+“Dat’s all hunky!” joyfully ejaculated the urchin. “Now, den, wheer kin
+we sneak it so he don’t git his hooks on it?”
+
+“This is to be your bed, and let’s hide it under the pillow,” suggested
+Constance, feeling as if she were playing a game. “Then you can feel of
+it whenever you want.”
+
+“Dat’s de way to steal a base off ’im,” acceded the waif. “We’ll show
+dese guys wese oin’t no bunch of easy grapes.”
+
+Scarcely was the purse concealed when a nurse appeared with a pail of
+water and rolls of some cloth, and after her came the doctor.
+
+“Now, my boy,” he said, with a kindness and gentleness in his voice
+which surprised Constance, “I’ve got to hurt you a little, and let’s
+see how brave you can be.” He took hold of the left leg the ankle and
+stretched it, at the same
+time manipulating the calf with the fingers of his other hand.
+
+The boy gave a cry of pain, and clutched Constance’s arm, squeezing it
+so as to almost make her scream; but she set her teeth determinedly and
+took his other hand in hers.
+
+At a word the nurse grasped the limb and held it as it was placed,
+while the doctor took one of the rolls, and, dipping it in the water,
+unrolled it round and round the leg, with a rapidity and deftness which
+had, to Constance, a quality of fascination in it. A second wet bandage
+was wound over the first, then a dry one, and the leg was gently laid
+back on the litter. “Take his temperature,” ordered the doctor, as he
+began to apply strips of adhesive plaster to the injured ribs; and
+though it required some persuasion by the nurse and Constance, the
+invalid finally was persuaded to let the little glass lie under his
+tongue. His
+task completed, Dr. Armstrong withdrew the tube and glanced at it.
+
+“Dat medicine oin’t got much taste, boss,” announced the urchin,
+cheerfully, “but it soytenly done me lots of good.”
+
+The doctor looked up at Constance with a pleasant smile. “There’s both
+the sense and the nonsense of the Christian Science idiocy,” he said;
+and half in response to his smile and half in nervous relief, Constance
+laughed merrily.
+
+“I am glad for anything that makes him feel better,” she replied; then,
+colouring once more, she added, “and will you let me express my regret
+for my impulsive words a little while ago, and my thanks to you for
+relieving the suffering for which I am, to a certain extent,
+responsible?”
+
+“There is no necessity for either, Miss Durant, though I am grateful
+for both,” he replied.
+
+“Will there be much suffering?”
+
+“Probably no more than ordinarily occurs in such simple fractures,”
+said the doctor; “and we’ll certainly do our best that there shall not
+be.”
+
+“And may I see him to-morrow?”
+
+“Certainly, if you come between eleven and one.”
+
+“Thank you,” said Constance. “And one last favour. Will you tell me the
+way to my carriage?”
+
+“If you will permit me, I’ll see you to it,” offered Dr. Armstrong.
+
+With an acknowledgment of the head, Constance turned and took the boy’s
+hand and said a good-bye.
+
+“Do you suppose all newsboys are so dreadfully sharp and suspicious?”
+she asked of her guide, as they began to descend the stairs, more
+because she was conscious that he was eyeing her with steady scrutiny
+than for any other reason.
+
+“I suppose the life is closer to that of the wild beast than anything
+we have in so-called civilisation. Even a criminal has his pals, but,
+like the forest animal, everyone—even his own kind—is an enemy to the
+street waif.”
+
+“It must be terrible to suspect and fear even kindness,” sighed the
+girl, with a slight shudder. “I shall try to teach him what it means.”
+
+“There does not appear to be any carriage here, Miss Durant,” announced
+her escort.
+
+“Surely there must be. The men can’t have been so stupid as not to
+wait!”
+
+The doctor tapped on the window of the lodge. “Didn’t this lady’s
+carriage remain here?” he asked, when the porter had opened it.
+
+“It stayed till the policeman came down, doctor. He ordered it to go to
+the police-station, and got in it.”
+
+“I forgot that my coachman must answer for the accident. Is there a
+cab-stand near here?”
+
+Dr. Armstrong looked into her eyes, with an amusement which yet did not
+entirely obliterate the look of admiration, of which the girl was
+becoming more and more conscious. “The denizens of Avenue A have
+several cab-stands, of course,” he replied, “but they prefer to keep
+them over on Fifth Avenue.”
+
+“It was a foolish question, I suppose” coldly retorted Constance, quite
+as moved thereto by the scrutiny as by the words, “but I did not even
+notice where the carriage was driving when we came here. Can you tell
+me the nearest car line which will take me to Washington Square?”
+
+“As it is five blocks away, and the neighbourhood is not of the nicest,
+I shall take the liberty of walking with you to it.”
+
+“Really, I would rather not. I haven’t the slightest fear,” protested
+the girl, eager to escape both the observation and the obligation.
+
+“But I have,” calmly said her companion, as if his wish were the only
+thing to be considered.
+
+For a moment Miss Durant vacillated, then, with a very slight
+inclination of her head, conveying the smallest quantity of consent and
+acknowledgment she could express, she walked out of the porte-cochere.
+
+The doctor put himself beside her, and; they turned down the street,
+but not one word did she say. “If he will force his society upon me, I
+will at least show him my dislike of it,” was her thought.
+
+Obviously Dr. Armstrong was not disturbed by Miss Durant’s programme,
+for the whole distance was walked in silence; and even when they halted
+on the corner, he said nothing, though the girl was conscious that his
+eyes still studied her face.
+
+“I will not be the first to speak,” she vowed to herself; but minute
+after minute
+passed without the slightest attempt or apparent wish on his part, and
+finally she asked, “Are you sure this line is running?”
+
+Her attendant pointed up the street. “That yellow light is your car. I
+don’t know why the intervals are so long this evening. Usually—”
+
+He was interrupted by the girl suddenly clutching at her dress, and
+then giving an exclamation of real consternation.
+
+“What is it?” he questioned.
+
+“Why, I—nothing—that is, I think—I prefer to walk home, after all,” she
+stammered.
+
+“You mustn’t do that. It’s over two miles, and through a really rough
+district.”
+
+“I choose to, none the less,” answered Constance, starting across the
+street.
+
+“Then you will have to submit to my safeguard for some time longer,
+Miss Durant,” asserted the doctor, as he overtook her.
+
+Constance stopped. “Dr. Armstrong,” she said, “I trust you will not
+insist on accompanying me farther, when I tell you I haven’t the
+slightest fear of anything.”
+
+“You have no fear, Miss Durant,” he answered, “because you are too
+young and inexperienced to even know the possibilities. This is no part
+of the city for you to walk alone in after dark. Your wisest course is
+to take a car, but if you prefer not, you had best let me go with you.”
+
+“I choose not to take a car,” replied the girl, warmly, “and you have
+no right to accompany me against my wish.”
+
+Dr. Armstrong raised his hat. “I beg your pardon. I did not realize
+that my presence was not desired,” he said.
+
+Angry at both herself and him, Constance merely bowed, and walked on.
+“I don’t see why men have to torment
+me so,” she thought, as she hurried along. “His face was really
+interesting, and if he only wouldn’t begin like—He never would have
+behaved so if—if I weren’t—” Miss Durant checked even her thoughts from
+the word “beautiful,” and allowed the words “well dressed” to explain
+her magnetism to the other sex. Then, as if to salve her conscience of
+her own hypocrisy, she added, “It really is an advantage to a girl, if
+she doesn’t want to be bothered by men, to be born plain.”
+
+The truth of her thought was brought home to her with unexpected
+suddenness, for as she passed a strip of sidewalk made light by the
+glare from a saloon brilliant with gas, a man just coming out of its
+door stared boldly, and then joined her.
+
+“Ahem!” he said.
+
+The girl quickened her pace, but the intruder only lengthened his.
+
+“Cold night, isn’t it, darling?” he remarked, and tried to take her
+arm.
+
+Constance shrank away from the familiarity with a loathing and fear
+which, as her persecutor followed, drove her to the curb.
+
+“How dare you?” she burst out, finding he was not to be avoided.
+
+“Now don’t be silly, and—”
+
+There the sentence ended, for the man was jerked backwards by the
+collar, and then shot forward, with a shove, full length into the
+gutter.
+
+“I feared you would need assistance, Miss Durant, and so took the
+liberty of following you at a distance,” explained Dr. Armstrong, as
+the cur picked himself up and slunk away.
+
+“You are very— Thank you deeply for your kindness, Dr. Armstrong,”
+gasped the girl, her voice trembling. “I ought to have been guided by
+your advice and taken the car, but the truth
+is, I suddenly remembered - that is, I happened to be without any
+money, and was ashamed to ask you for a loan. Now, if you’ll lend me
+five cents, I shall be most grateful.”
+
+“It is said to be a feminine trait never to think of contingencies,”
+remarked the doctor, “and I think, Miss Durant, that your suggested
+five cents has a tendency in that direction. I will walk with you to
+Lexington Avenue, which is now your nearest line, and if you still
+persist then in refusing my escort, I shall insist that you become my
+debtor for at least a dollar.”
+
+“I really need not take you any further than the car, thank you, Dr.
+Armstrong, for I can get a cab at Twenty-third Street.”
+
+It was a short walk to the car line,—too short, indeed, for Miss Durant
+to express her sense of obligation as she wished,—and she tried, even
+as she was
+mounting the steps, to say a last word, but the car swept her away with
+the sentence half spoken; and with a want of dignity that was not
+customary in her, she staggered to a seat. Then as she tendered a
+dollar bill to the conductor, she remarked to herself,—
+
+“Now, that’s a man I’d like for a friend, if only he wouldn’t be
+foolish.”
+
+At eleven on the following morning, Miss Durant’s carriage once more
+stopped at the hospital door; and, bearing a burden of flowers, and
+followed by the footman carrying a large basket, Constance entered the
+ward, and made her way to the waif’s bedside.
+
+“Good-morning,” she said to Dr. Armstrong, who stood beside the next
+patient. “How is our invalid doing?”
+
+“Good-morning,” responded the doctor, taking the hand she held out. “I
+think—”
+
+“We’s takin’ life dead easy, dat’s wot wese is,” came the prompt
+interruption from the pillow, in a voice at once youthful yet worn.
+“Say, dis oin’t no lead pipe cinch, oh, no!”
+
+It was a very different face the girl found, for soap and water had
+worked wonders with it, and the scissors and brush had reduced the
+tangled shag of hair to order. Yet the ferret eyes and the alert,
+over-sharp expression were unchanged.
+
+“I’ve brought you some flowers and goodies,” said Miss Durant. “I don’t
+know how much of it will be good for him,” she went on to the doctor,
+apologetically, “but I hope some will do.” Putting the flowers on the
+bed, from the basket she produced in succession two bottles of port, a
+mould of wine jelly, a jar of orange marmalade, a box of wafers, and a
+dish of grapes, apples, and bananas.
+
+“Gee! Won’t Ise have a hell of a gorge!” joyfully burst out the
+invalid.
+
+“We’ll see about that,” remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. “He can have
+all the other things you’ve brought, in reason, Miss Durant, except the
+wine. That must wait till we see how much fever he develops to-day,”
+
+“He is doing well?”
+
+“So far, yes.”
+
+“That is a great relief to me. And, Dr. Armstrong, in returning your
+loan to me, will you let me say once again how grateful I am to you for
+all your kindness, for which I thanked you so inadequately last night?
+I deserved all that came to me, and can only wonder how you ever
+resisted saying, ‘I told you so.’”
+
+“I have been too often wrong in my own diagnosing to find any
+satisfaction or triumph in the mistakes of others,” said the doctor, as
+he took the bill the
+girl held out to him, and, let it be confessed, the fingers that held
+it, “nor can I regret anything which gave me an opportunity to serve
+you.”
+
+The speaker put an emphasis on the last word, and eyed Miss Durant in a
+way that led her to hastily withdraw her fingers, and turn away from
+his unconcealed admiration. It was to find the keen eyes of the urchin
+observing them with the closest attention; and as she realised it, she
+coloured, half in embarrassment and half in irritation.
+
+“How is your leg?” she asked, in an attempt to divert the boy’s
+attention and to conceal her own feeling.
+
+“Say. Did youse know dey done it up in plaster, so dat it’s stiff as a
+bat?” responded the youngster, eagerly. “Wish de udder kids could see
+it, for dey’ll never believe it w’en Ise tells ’em. I’ll show it to
+youse if youse want?” he offered, in his joy over the novelty.
+
+“I saw it put on,” said Constance. “Don’t you remember?”
+
+“Why, cert! Ise remembers now dat—” A sudden change came over the boy’s
+face. “Wheer’s dem cloes youse promised me?” he demanded.
+
+“Oh, I entirely forgot—”
+
+“Ah, forgit youse mudder! Youse a peach, oin’t youse?” contemptuously
+broke in the child.
+
+Miss Durant and Dr. Armstrong both burst out laughing.
+
+“Youse t’ink youse a smarty, but Ise know’d de hull time it wuz only a
+big bluff dat youse wuz tryin’ to play on me, an’ it didn’t go wid me,
+nah!” went on the youngster, in an aggrieved tone.
+
+“Isn’t he perfectly incorrigible?” sighed Constance.
+
+“Ise oin’t,” denied the boy, indignantly. “Deyse only had me up onct.”
+
+With the question the girl had turned to Dr. Armstrong; then, finding
+his eyes
+still intently studying her, she once more gave her attention to the
+waif.
+
+“Really, I did forget them,” she asserted. “You shall have a new suit
+long before you need it.”
+
+“Cert’in dat oin’t no fake extry youse shoutin’?”
+
+“Truly. How old are you?”
+
+“Wotcher want to know for?” suspiciously asked the boy.
+
+“So I can buy a suit for that age.”
+
+“Dat goes. Ise ate.”
+
+“And what’s your name?”
+
+“Swot.”
+
+“What?” exclaimed the girl.
+
+“Nah. Swot,” he corrected.
+
+“How do you spell it?”
+
+“Dun’no’. Dat’s wot de newsies calls me, ’cause of wot Ise says to de
+preacher man.”
+
+“And what was that?”
+
+“It wuz one of dem religious mugs wot comes Sunday to de Mulberry Park,
+see, an’ dat day he wuz gassin’ to us kids ’bout lettin’ a guy as had
+hit youse onct doin’ it ag’in; an’ w’en he’d pumped hisself empty, he
+says to me, says he, ‘If a bad boy fetched youse a lick on youse cheek,
+wot would youse do to ’im?’ An’ Ise says, ‘I’d swot ’im in de gob, or
+punch ’im in de slats,’ says I; an’ so de swipes calls me by dat noime.
+Honest, now, oin’t dat kinder talk jus’ sickenin’?”
+
+“But you must have another name,” suggested Miss Durant, declining to
+commit herself on that question.
+
+“Sure.”
+
+“And what is that?”
+
+“McGarrigle.”
+
+“And have you no father or mother?”
+
+“Nah.”
+
+“Or brothers or sisters?”
+
+“Nah. Ise oin’t got nuttin’.”
+
+“Where do you live?”
+
+“Ah, rubber!” disgustedly remarked
+Swot. “Say, dis oin’t no police court, see?”
+
+During all these questions, and to a certain extent their cause,
+Constance had been quite conscious that the doctor was still watching
+her, and now she once more turned to him, to say, with an inflection of
+disapproval,—
+
+“When I spoke to you just now, Dr. Armstrong, I did not mean to
+interrupt you in your duties, and you must not let me detain you from
+them.”
+
+“I had made my morning rounds long before you came, Miss Durant,”
+equably answered the doctor, “and had merely come back for a moment to
+take a look at one of the patients.”
+
+“I feared you were neglecting—were allowing my arrival to interfere
+with more important matters,” replied Miss Durant, frigidly. “I never
+knew a denser man,” she added to herself, again seeking to ignore his
+presence by giving her attention to Swot. “I should have brought a book
+with me to-day, to read aloud to you, but I had no idea what kind of a
+story would interest you. If you know of one, I’ll get it and come
+to-morrow.”
+
+“Gee, Ise in it dis time wid bote feet, oin’t Ise? Say, will youse git
+one of de Old Sleuts? Deys de peachiest books dat wuz ever wroten.”
+
+“I will, if my bookshop has one, or can get it for me in time.”
+
+“There is little chance of your getting it there, Miss Durant,”
+interposed Dr. Armstrong; “but there is a place not far from here where
+stories of that character are kept; and if it will save you any
+trouble, I’ll gladly get one of them for you.”
+
+“I have already overtaxed your kindness,” replied Constance, “and so
+will not trouble you in this.”
+
+“It would be no trouble.”
+
+“Thank you, but I shall enjoy the search myself.”
+
+“Say,” broke in the urchin. “Youse ought to let de doc do it. Don’t
+youse see dat he wants to, ’cause he’s stuck on youse?”
+
+“Then I’ll come to-morrow and read to you, Swot,” hastily remarked Miss
+Durant, pulling her veil over her face. “Good-bye.” Without heeding the
+boy’s “Dat’s fine,” or giving Dr. Armstrong a word of farewell, she
+went hurrying along the ward, and then downstairs, to her carriage. Yet
+once within its shelter, the girl leaned back and laughed merrily.
+“It’s perfectly absurd for him to behave so before all the nurses and
+patients, and he ought to know better. It is to be hoped _that_ was a
+sufficiently broad hint for his comprehension, and that henceforth he
+won’t do it.”
+
+Yet it must be confessed that the boy’s remark frequently recurred that
+day to
+Miss Durant; and if it had no other result, it caused her to devote an
+amount of thought to Dr. Armstrong quite out of proportion to the
+length of the acquaintance.
+
+Whatever the inward effect, Miss Durant could discover no outward
+evidence that Swot’s bombshell had moved Dr. Armstrong a particle more
+than her less pointed attempts to bring to him a realisation that he
+was behaving in a manner displeasing to her. When she entered the ward
+the next morning, the doctor was again there, and this time at the
+waif’s bedside, making avoidance of him out of the question. So with a
+“this-is-my-busy-day” manner, she gave him the briefest of greetings,
+and then turned to the boy.
+
+“I’ve brought you some more goodies, Swot, and I found the story,” she
+announced triumphantly.
+
+“Say, youse a winner, dat’s wot youse is; oin’t she, doc? Wot’s de
+noime?”
+
+Constance held up to him the red and yellow covered tale. “_The
+Cracksman’s Spoil, or Young Sleuth’s Double Artifice”_ she read out
+proudly.
+
+“Ah, g’way! Dat oin’t no good. Say, dey didn’t do a t’ing to youse, did
+dey?”
+
+“What do you mean?”
+
+“Dey sold youse fresh, dat’s wot dey did. De Young Sleut books oin’t no
+good. Dey’s nuttin’ but a fake extry.”
+
+“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Constance, crestfallenly. “It took me the whole
+afternoon to find it, but I did think it was what you wanted.”
+
+“I was sceptical of your being able to get even an approach to newsboy
+literature, Miss Durant,” said Dr. Armstrong, “and so squandered the
+large sum of a dime myself. I think this is the genuine article, isn’t
+it?” he asked, as he handed
+to the boy a pamphlet labelled _Old Sleuth on the Trail_.
+
+“Dat’s de real t’ing,” jubilantly acceded Swot. “Say, oin’t de women
+doisies for havin’ bases stole off ’em? Didn’t Ise give youse de warm
+tip to let de doc git it?”
+
+“You should thank him for saving you from my stupid blunder,” answered
+the girl, artfully avoiding all possibility of personal obligation.
+“Would you like me to read it to you now?”
+
+“Wouldn’t Ise, just!”
+
+Still ignoring Dr. Armstrong, Constance took the seat at the bedside,
+and opening the book, launched into the wildest sea of blood-letting
+and crime. Yet thrillingly as it began, she was not oblivious to the
+fact that for some minutes the doctor stood watching her, and she was
+quite conscious of when he finally moved away, noiselessly as he went.
+Once he was gone, she was
+more at her ease; yet clearly her conscience troubled her a little, for
+in her carriage she again gave expression to some thought by remarking
+aloud, “It was rude, of course, but if he will behave so, it really
+isn’t my fault.”
+
+
+[Illustration: “Constance took the seat at the bedside”]
+
+
+The gory tale, in true serial style, was “continued” the next and
+succeeding mornings, to the enthralment of the listener and the
+amusement of the reader, the latter finding in her occupation as well a
+convenient reason for avoiding or putting a limit to the doctor’s
+undisguised endeavours to share, if not, indeed, to monopolise, her
+attention. Even serials, however, have an end, and on the morning of
+the sixth reading the impossibly shrewd detective successfully put out
+of existence, or safely incarcerated each one of the numerous
+scoundrels who had hitherto triumphed over the law, and Constance
+closed the book.
+
+“Hully gee!” sighed Swot, contentedly.
+“Say, dat Old Sleut, he’s up to de limit, oin’t he? It don’t matter wot
+dey does, he works it so’s de hull push comes his way, don’t he?”
+
+“He certainly was very far-seeing,” Constance conceded; “but what a
+pity it is that he—that he wasn’t in some finer calling.”
+
+“Finer wot?”
+
+“How much nobler it would have been if, instead of taking life, he had
+been saving it—like Dr. Armstrong, for instance,” she added, to bring
+her idea within the comprehension of the boy.
+
+“Ah, dat’s de talk for religious mugs an’ goils,” contemptuously
+exclaimed the waif, “but it guv’s me de sore ear. It don’t go wid me,
+not one little bit.”
+
+“Aren’t you grateful to Dr. Armstrong for all he’s done for you?”
+
+“Bet youse life,” assented Swot; “but Ise oin’t goin’ to be no doctor,
+nah! Ise goin’ to git on de force, dat’s de racket Ise outer. Say, will
+youse read me anudder of dem stories?”
+
+“Gladly, if I can find the right kind this time.”
+
+The boy raised his head to look about the ward. “Hey, doc,” called his
+cracked treble.
+
+“Hush, don’t!” protested the girl.
+
+“W’y not?”
+
+Before she could frame a reason, the doctor was at the bedside. “What
+is it?” he asked.
+
+“Say, wese got tru wid dis story, an’ Miss Constance says she’ll read
+me anudder, but dey’ll set de goime up on her, sure, she bein’ a goil;
+so will youse buy de real t’ing?”
+
+“That I will.”
+
+“Dat’s hunky.” Then he appealed to Constance. “Say, will youse pay for
+it?” he requested.
+
+“And why should she?” inquired Dr. Armstrong.
+
+“’Cause she’s got de dough, an Ise heard de nurse loidies talkin’ ’bout
+youse, an’ dey said dat youse wuz poor.”
+
+It was the doctor’s turn to colour, and flush he did.
+
+“Swot and I will both be very grateful, Dr. Armstrong, if you will get
+us another of the Old Sleuth books,” spoke up Miss Durant, hastily.
+
+“Won’t youse guv ’im de price?” reiterated the urchin.
+
+“Then we’ll expect it to-morrow morning,” went on the girl; and for the
+first time in days she held out her hand to Dr. Armstrong, “And thank
+you in advance for your kindness. Good-morning.”
+
+“Rats!” she heard, as she walked away. “I didn’t tink she’d do de grand
+sneak like dat, doc, jus’ ’cause I tried to touch her for de cash.”
+
+Constance slowed one step, then resumed her former pace. “He surely— Of
+course he’ll understand why I hurried away,” she murmured.
+
+Blind as he might be, Dr. Armstrong was not blind to the geniality of
+Miss Durant’s greeting the next morning, or the warmth of her thanks
+for the cheap-looking dime novel. She chatted pleasantly with him some
+moments before beginning on the new tale; and even when she at last
+opened the book, there was a subtle difference in the way she did it
+that made it include instead of exclude him from a share in the
+reading. And this was equally true of the succeeding days.
+
+The new doings of Old Sleuth did not achieve the success that the
+previous ones had. The invalid suddenly developed both restlessness and
+inattention, with such a tendency to frequent interruptions as to make
+reading well-nigh impossible.
+
+“Really, Swot,” Constance was driven
+to threaten one morning, when he had broken in on the narrative for the
+seventh time with questions which proved that he was giving no heed to
+the book, “unless you lie quieter, and don’t interrupt so often, I
+shall not go on reading.”
+
+“Dat goes,” acceded the little fellow; yet before she had so much as
+finished a page he asked, “Say, did youse ever play craps?”
+
+“No,” she answered, with a touch of severity.
+
+“It’s a jim dandy goime, Ise tells youse. Like me to learn youse?”
+
+“No,” replied the girl, as she closed the book.
+
+“Goils never oin’t no good,” remarked Swot, discontentedly.
+
+Really irritated, Miss Durant rose and adjusted her boa. “Swot,” she
+said, “you are the most ungrateful boy I ever knew, and I’m not merely
+not going to read any more to-day, but I have a good
+mind not to come to-morrow, just to punish you.”
+
+“Ah, chase youseself!” was the response. “Youse can’t pass dat gold
+brick on me, well, I guess!”
+
+“What are you talking about?” indignantly asked Constance.
+
+“Tink Ise oin’t onter youse curves? Tink Ise don’t hear wot de nurse
+loidies says? Gee! Ise know w’y youse so fond of comin’ here.”
+
+“Why do I come here?” asked Constance, in a voice full of warning.
+
+The tone was wasted on the boy.
+
+“’Cause youse dead gone on de doc.”
+
+“I am sorry you don’t know better than to talk like that, Swot,” said
+the girl, quietly, “because I wanted to be good to you, and now you
+have put an end to my being able to be. You will have to get some one
+else to read to you after this. Good-bye.” She passed her hand kindly
+over his forehead, and
+turned to find that Dr. Armstrong was standing close behind her, and
+must have overheard more or less of what had been said. Without a word,
+and looking straight before her, Constance walked away.
+
+Once out of the hospital, her conscience was not altogether easy; and
+though she kept away the next day, she sent her footman with the usual
+gift of fruits and other edibles; and this she did again on the morning
+following.
+
+“Of course he didn’t mean to be so atrociously impertinent,” she
+sighed, in truth missing what had come to be such an amusing and novel
+way of using up some of each twenty-four hours. “But I can’t, in
+self-respect, go to him any more.”
+
+These explanations were confided to her double in the mirror, as she
+eyed the effect of a new gown, donned for a dinner; and while she still
+studied the
+eminently satisfactory total, she was interrupted by a knock at the
+door, and her maid brought her a card the footman handed in.
+
+Constance took it, looked astonished, then frowned slightly, and
+finally glanced again in the mirror. Without a word, she took her
+gloves and fan from the maid, and descended to the drawing-room.
+
+“Good-evening, Dr. Armstrong,” she said, coolly.
+
+“I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,” awkwardly and
+hurriedly began the doctor, “because nothing else would satisfy Swot
+McGarrigle. I trust you will understand that I—He—he is to undergo an
+operation, and—well, I told him it was impossible, but he still begged
+me so to ask you, that I hadn’t the heart to refuse him.”
+
+
+[Illustration: “‘I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss
+Durant,’ hurriedly began the doctor”]
+
+
+“An operation!” cried Constance.
+
+“Don’t be alarmed. It’s really nothing serious. He—Perhaps you may have
+noticed how restless and miserable he has been lately. It is due, we
+have decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been lacerated,
+and so I am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now
+pretty keen.”
+
+“Oh, I’m so sorry,” exclaimed the girl, regretfully. “I didn’t dream of
+it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn’t come any more.”
+
+“He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very
+hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came.”
+
+“Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him.”
+
+“If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are
+really grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings,
+and, besides, could not express them, even if they had the
+words, which they don’t. But if you could hear the little chap sing
+your praises to the nurses and to me, you would not think him
+heartless. ‘My loidy’ is his favourite description of you.”
+
+“He wants to see me?” questioned the girl, eagerly.
+
+“Yes. Like most of the poorer class, Miss Durant,” explained the
+doctor, “he has a great dread of the knife. To make him less frantic, I
+promised that I would come to you with his wish; and though I would not
+for a moment have you present at the actual operation, if you could
+yield so far as to come to him for a few minutes, and assure him that
+we are going to do it for his own good, I think it will make him more
+submissive.”
+
+“When do you want me?” asked Miss Durant.
+
+“It is—I am to operate as soon as I can get back to the hospital, Miss
+Durant.
+It has been regrettably postponed as it is.”
+
+The girl stood hesitating for a moment. “But what am I to do about my
+dinner?”
+
+Dr. Armstrong’s eyes travelled over her from head to foot, taking in
+the charming gown of satin and lace, the strings of pearls about her
+exquisite throat and wrists, and all the other details which made up
+such a beautiful picture. “I forgot,” he said, quietly, “that society
+duties now take precedence over all others.” Then, with an instant
+change of manner, he went on: “You do yourself an injustice, I think,
+Miss Durant, in even questioning what you are going to do. You know you
+are coming to the boy.”
+
+For the briefest instant the girl returned his intent look, trying to
+fathom what enabled him to speak with such absolute surety; then she
+said, “Let us
+lose no time,” as she turned back into the hall and hurried out of the
+front door, not even attending to the doctor’s protest about her going
+without a wrap; and she only said to him at the carriage door, “You
+will drive with me, of course, Dr. Armstrong?” Then to the footman,
+“Tell Murdock, the hospital, Maxwell, but you are to go at once to Mrs.
+Purdy, and say I shall be prevented from coming to her to-night by a
+call that was not to be disregarded,”
+
+“It was madness of you, Miss Durant, to come out without a cloak, and I
+insist on your wearing this,” said the doctor, the moment the carriage
+had started, as he removed his own overcoat.
+
+“Oh, I forgot—but I mustn’t take it from you, Dr. Armstrong.”
+
+“Have no thought of me. I am twice as warmly clad as you, and am better
+protected than usual.”
+
+Despite her protest he placed it about
+Constance’s shoulders and buttoned it up. “You know,” he said, “the
+society girl with her bare throat and arms is at once the marvel and
+the despair of us doctors, for every dinner or ball ought to have its
+death-list from pneumonia; but it never—”
+
+“Will it be a very painful operation?” asked the girl.
+
+“Not at all; and the anaesthetic prevents consciousness. If Swot were a
+little older, I should not have had to trouble you. It is a curious
+fact that boys, as a rule, face operations more bravely than any other
+class of patient we have.”
+
+“I wonder why that is?” queried Constance.
+
+“It is due to the same ambition which makes cigarette-smokers of them—a
+desire to be thought manly.”
+
+Once the carriage reached the hospital, Constance followed the doctor
+up the
+stairs and through the corridor. “Let me relieve you of the coat, Miss
+Durant,” he advised, and took it from her and passed it over to one of
+the orderlies. Then, opening a door, he made way for her to enter.
+
+
+[Illustration: “The two were quickly seated on the floot”]
+
+
+Constance passed into a medium-sized room, which a first glance showed
+her to be completely lined with marble; but there her investigations
+ceased, for her eyes rested on the glass table upon which lay the
+little fellow, while beside him stood a young doctor and a nurse. At
+the sound of her footsteps the boy turned his head till he caught sight
+of her, when, after an instant’s stare, he surprised the girl by hiding
+his eyes and beginning to cry.
+
+“Ise knowed all along youse wuz goin’ to kill me,” he sobbed.
+
+“Why, Swot,” cried Constance, going to his side. “Nobody is going to
+kill you.”
+
+The hands were removed from the eyes, and still full of tears, they
+blinkingly stared a moment at the girl.
+
+“Hully gee! Is dat youse?” he ejaculated. “Ise tought youse wuz de
+angel come for me.”
+
+“You may go many years in society, Miss Durant, without winning another
+compliment so genuine,” remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. “Nor is it
+surprising that he was misled,” he added.
+
+Constance smiled in return as she answered, “And it only proves how the
+value of a compliment is not in its truthfulness, but in its being
+truth to the one who speaks it.”
+
+“Say, youse won’t let dem do nuttin’ bad to me, will youse?” implored
+the boy.
+
+“They are only going to help you, Swot,” the girl assured him, as she
+took his hand.
+
+“Den w’y do dey want to put me to sleep for?”
+
+“To spare you suffering,”
+
+“Dis oin’t no knock-out drops, or dat sorter goime? Honest?”
+
+“No. I won’t let them do you any harm.”
+
+“Will youse watch dem all de time dey’s doin’ tings to me?”
+
+“Yes. And if you’ll be quiet and take it nicely, I’ll bring you a
+present to-morrow.”
+
+“Dat’s grand! Wot’ll youse guv me? Say, don’t do dat,” he protested, as
+the nurse applied the sponge and cone to his face.
+
+“Lie still, Swot,” said Constance, soothingly, “and tell me what you
+would best like me to give you. Shall it be a box of building-blocks—or
+some soldiers—or a fire-engine—or—”
+
+“Nah. Ise don’t want nuttin’ but one ting—an’ dat’s—wot wuz Ise
+tinkin’—Ise forgits wot it wuz—lemme see—Wot’s de matter? Wheer is
+youse all?—” The little frame relaxed and lay quiet.
+
+“That is all you can do for us, Miss Durant,” said Dr. Armstrong.
+
+“May I not stay, as I promised him I would?” begged Constance.
+
+“Can you bear the sight of blood?”
+
+“I don’t know—but see—I’ll turn my back.” Suiting the action to the
+word, the girl faced so that, still holding Swot’s hand, she was
+looking away from the injured leg.
+
+A succession of low-spoken orders to his assistants was the doctor’s
+way of telling her that he left her to do as she chose, She stood
+quietly for a few minutes, but presently her desire to know the
+progress of the operation, and her anxiety over the outcome, proved too
+strong for her, and she turned her head to take a furtive glance. She
+did not
+look away again, but with a strange mixture of fascination and
+squeamishness, she watched as the bleeding was stanched with sponges,
+each artery tied, and each muscle drawn aside, until finally the nerve
+was reached and removed; and she could not but feel both wonder and
+admiration as she noted how Dr. Armstrong’s hands, at other times
+seemingly so much in his way, now did their work so skilfully and
+rapidly. Not till the operation was over, and the resulting wound was
+being sprayed with antiseptics, did the girl realize how cold and faint
+she felt, or how she was trembling. Dropping the hand of the boy, she
+caught at the operating-table, and then the room turned black.
+
+“It’s really nothing,” she asserted. “I only felt dizzy for an instant.
+Why! Where am I?”
+
+“You fainted away, Miss Durant, and we brought you here,” explained the
+nurse, once again applying the salts. The woman rose and went to the
+door. “She is conscious now, Dr. Armstrong.”
+
+As the doctor entered Constance tried to rise, but a motion of his hand
+checked her. “Sit still a little yet, Miss Durant,” he ordered
+peremptorily. From a cupboard he produced a plate of crackers and a
+glass of milk, and brought them to her.
+
+“I really don’t want anything,” declared the girl.
+
+“You are to eat something at once,” insisted Dr. Armstrong, in a very
+domineering manner.
+
+He held the glass to her lips, and Constance, after a look at his face,
+took a swallow of the milk, and then a piece of cracker he broke off.
+
+“How silly of me to behave so,” she said, as she munched.
+
+“The folly was mine in letting you
+stay in the room when you had had no dinner. That was enough to knock
+up any one,” answered the doctor. “Here.” Once again the glass was held
+to her lips, and once again, after a look at his face, Constance drank,
+and then accepted a second bit of cracker from his fingers.
+
+“Do you keep these especially for faint-minded women?” she asked,
+trying to make a joke of the incident.
+
+“This is my particular sanctum, Miss Durant; and as I have a
+reprehensible habit of night-work, I keep them as a kind of sleeping
+potion.”
+
+Constance glanced about the room with more interest, and as she noticed
+the simplicity and the bareness, Swot’s remark concerning the doctor’s
+poverty came back to her. Only many books and innumerable glass
+bottles, a microscope, and other still more mysterious instruments,
+seemed to save it from the
+tenement-house, if not, indeed, the prison, aspect.
+
+“Are you wondering how it is possible for any one to live in such a
+way?” asked the doctor, as his eyes followed hers about the room.
+
+“If you will have my thought,” answered Constance, “it was that I am in
+the cave of the modern hermit, who, instead of seeking solitude,
+because of the sins of mankind, seeks it that he may do them good.”
+
+“We have each had a compliment to-night,” replied Dr. Armstrong, his
+face lighting up.
+
+The look in his eyes brought something into the girl’s thoughts, and
+with a slight effort she rose. “I think I am well enough now to relieve
+you of my intrusion,” she said.
+
+“You will not be allowed to leave the hermit’s cell till you have
+finished the cracker and the milk,” affirmed the man.
+“I only regret that I can’t keep up the character by offering you
+locusts and wild honey.”
+
+“At least don’t think it necessary to stay here with me,” said Miss
+Durant, as she dutifully began to eat and drink again. “If—oh—the
+operation—How is Swot?”
+
+“Back in the ward, though not yet conscious.”
+
+“And the operation?”
+
+“Absolutely successful.”
+
+“Despite my interruption?”
+
+“Another marvel to us M.D.’s is the way so sensitive a thing as a woman
+will hold herself in hand by sheer nerve force when it is necessary.
+You did not faint till the operation was completed.”
+
+“Now may I go?” asked the girl, with a touch of archness, as she held
+up the glass and the plate, both empty.
+
+“Yes, if you will let me share your carriage. Having led you into this
+predicament,
+the least I feel I can do is to see you safely out of it.”
+
+“Now the hermit is metamorphosing himself into a knight,” laughed
+Constance, merrily, “with a distressed damsel on his hands. I really
+need not put you to the trouble, but I shall be glad if you will take
+me home.”
+
+Once again the doctor put his overcoat about her, and they descended
+the stairs and entered the brougham.
+
+“Tell me the purpose of all those instruments I saw in your room,” she
+asked as they started.
+
+“They are principally for the investigation of bacteria. Not being
+ambitious to spend my life doctoring whooping-cough and indigestion, I
+am striving to make a scientist of myself.”
+
+“Then that is why you prefer hospital work?”
+
+“No. I happen to have been born
+with my own living to make in the world, and when I had worked my way
+through the medical school, I only too gladly became ‘Interne’ here,
+not because it is what I wish to do, but because I need the salary.”
+
+“Yet it seems such a noble work.”
+
+“Don’t think I depreciate it, but what I am doing is only remedial What
+I hope to do is to prevent.”
+
+“How is it possible?”
+
+“For four years my every free hour has been given to studying what is
+now called tuberculosis, and my dream is to demonstrate that it is in
+fact the parent disease—a breaking down—disintegration—of the bodily
+substance—the tissue, or cell—and to give to the world a specific.”
+
+“How splendid!” exclaimed Constance. “And you believe you can?”
+
+“Every day makes me more sure that both demonstration and specific are
+possible
+—but it is unlikely that I shall be the one to do it.”
+
+“I do not see why?”
+
+“Because there are many others studying the disease who are free from
+the necessity of supporting themselves, and so can give far more time
+and money to the investigation than is possible for me. Even the
+scientist must be rich in these days, Miss Durant, if he is to win the
+great prizes.”
+
+“Won’t you tell me something about yourself?” requested Constance,
+impulsively.
+
+“There really is nothing worth while yet. I was left an orphan young,
+in the care of an uncle who was able to do no better for me than to get
+me a place in a drug-store. By doing the night-work it was possible to
+take the course at the medical college; and as I made a good record,
+this position was offered to me.”
+
+“It—you could make it interesting if you tried.”
+
+“I’m afraid I am not a realist, Miss Durant. I dream of a future that
+shall be famous by the misery and death I save the world from, but my
+past is absolutely eventless.”
+
+As he ended, the carriage drew up at the house, and the doctor helped
+her out.
+
+“You will take Dr. Armstrong back to the hospital, Murdock,” she
+ordered.
+
+“Thank you, but I really prefer a walk before going to _my_ social
+intimates, the bacilli,” answered the doctor, as he went up the steps
+with her. Then, after he had rung the bell, he held out his hand and
+said: “Miss Durant, I need scarcely say, after what I have just told
+you, that my social training has been slight—so slight that I was quite
+unaware that the old adage, ‘Even a cat may look at a king,’ was no
+longer a fact until I overheard
+what was said the other day. My last wish is to keep you from coming to
+the hospital, and in expressing my regret at having been the cause of
+embarrassment to you, I wish to add a pledge that henceforth, if you
+will resume your visits, you and Swot shall be free from my intrusion.
+Good-night,” he ended, as he started down the steps.
+
+“But I never—really I have no right to exclude—nor do I wish—”
+protested the girl; and then, as the servant opened the front door,
+even this halting attempt at an explanation ceased. She echoed a
+“Good-night,” adding, “and thank you for all your kindness,” and very
+much startled and disturbed the footman, as she passed into the
+hallway, by audibly remarking, “Idiot!”
+
+She went upstairs slowly, as if thinking, and once in her room, seated
+herself at her desk and commenced a note. Before she had written a page
+she tore the
+paper in two and began anew. Twice she repeated this proceeding; then
+rose in evident irritation, and, walking to her fire, stood looking
+down into the flame. “I’ll think out what I had better do when I’m not
+so tired,” she finally remarked, as she rang for her maid. But once in
+bed, her thoughts, or the previous strain, kept her long hours awake;
+and when at last she dropped into unconsciousness her slumber was made
+miserable by dreams mixing in utter confusion operating-room and
+dinner, guests and microbes—dreams in which she was alternately
+striving to explain something to Dr. Armstrong, who could not be
+brought to understand, or to conceal something he was determined to
+discover. Finally she found herself stretched on the dinner-table, the
+doctor, knife in hand, standing over her, with the avowed intention of
+opening her heart to learn some secret, and it was her helpless
+protests
+and struggles which brought consciousness to her—to discover that she
+had slept far into the morning.
+
+With the one thought of a visit to the hospital during the permitted
+hours, she made a hasty toilet, followed by an equally speedy
+breakfast, and was actually on her way downstairs when she recalled her
+promise of a gift. A glance at her watch told her that there was not
+time to go to the shops, and hurrying back to her room, she glanced
+around for something among the knick-knacks scattered about. Finding
+nothing that she could conceive of as bringing pleasure to the waif,
+she took from a drawer of her desk a photograph of herself, and
+descended to the carriage.
+
+She had reason to be thankful for her recollection, as, once her
+greetings, and questions to the nurse about the patient’s condition
+were made, Swot demanded,
+
+“Wheer’s dat present dat youse promised me?”
+
+“I did not have time this morning to get something especially for you,”
+she explained, handing him the portrait, “so for want of anything
+better, I’ve brought you my picture.”
+
+The urchin took the gift and looked at both sides. “Wotinell’s dat good
+for?” he demanded contemptuously.
+
+“I thought—hoped it might please you, as showing you that I had
+forgiven—that I liked you.”
+
+“Ah, git on de floor an’ look at youseself,” disgustedly remarked Swot.
+“Dat talk don’t cut no ice wid me. W’y didn’t youse ask wot Ise wants?”
+
+“And what would you like?”
+
+“Will youse guv me a pistol?”
+
+“Why, what would you do with it?”
+
+“I’d trow a scare into de big newsies w’en dey starts to chase me off
+de good beats.”
+
+“Really, Swot, I don’t think I ought to give you anything so dangerous.
+You are very young to—”
+
+“Ah! Youse a goil, an’ deyse born frightened. Bet youse life, if youse
+ask de doc, he won’t tink it nuttin’ to be scared of.”
+
+“He isn’t here this morning,” remarked Constance, for some reason
+looking fixedly at the glove she was removing as she spoke.
+
+The urchin raised his head and peered about. “Dat’s funny!” he
+exclaimed. “It’s de first time he oin’t bin here w’en youse wuz at de
+bat.”
+
+“Has he seen you this morning?”
+
+“Why, cert!”
+
+The girl opened the dime novel and found the page at which the
+interruption had occurred, hesitated an instant, and remarked, “The
+next time he comes you might say that I would like to see him for a
+moment—to ask if I had better give
+you a pistol.” This said, she hastily began on the book. Thrillingly as
+the pursuits and pursuit of the criminal classes were pictured,
+however, there came several breaks in the reading; and had any keenly
+observant person been watching Miss Durant, he would have noticed that
+these pauses invariably happened whenever some one entered the ward.
+
+It was made evident to her that she and Swot gave value to entirely
+different parts of her message to the doctor; for, no sooner did she
+reach the waif’s bedside the next morning than the invalid announced,—
+
+“Say, Ise done my best to jolly de doc, but he stuck to it dat youse
+oughtn’t to guv me no pistol.”
+
+“Didn’t you tell him what I asked you to say?” demanded Constance,
+anxiously.
+
+“Soytenly. Ise says to ’im dat youse wanted to know wot he tought, an’
+he
+went back on me. Ise didn’t tink he’d trun me down like dat!”
+
+“I might better have written him,” murmured Miss Durant, thoughtfully.
+She sat for some time silently pondering, till the waif asked,—
+
+“Say, youse goin’ to guv me dat present just de same, oin’t youse?”
+
+“Yes, I’ll give you a present,” acceded the girl, opening the book. “I
+think, Swot,” she continued, “that we’ll have to trouble Dr. Armstrong
+for another Old Sleuth, as we shall probably finish this to-day. And
+tell him this time it is my turn to pay for it,” From her purse she
+produced a dime, started to give it to the boy, hastily drew back her
+hand, and replacing the coin, substituted for it a dollar bill. Then
+she began reading rapidly—so rapidly that the end of the story was
+attained some twenty minutes before the visitors’ time had expired.
+
+“Say,” was her greeting on the following day, as Swot held up another
+lurid-looking tale and the dollar bill, “Ise told de doc youse wuzn’t
+willin’ dat he, bein’ poor, should bleed de cash dis time, an’ dat
+youse guv me dis to—”
+
+“You didn’t put it that way, Swot?” demanded Miss Durant.
+
+“Wot way?”
+
+“That I said he was poor.”
+
+“Soytenly.”
+
+“Oh, Swot, how could you?”
+
+“Wot’s de matter?”
+
+“I never said that! Was he—was he—What did he say?”
+
+“Nuttin’ much, ’cept dat I wuz to guv youse back de dough, for de books
+wuz on ’im.”
+
+“I’m afraid you have pained him, Swot, and you certainly have pained
+me. Did he seem hurt or offended?”
+
+“Nop.”
+
+“I wish you would tell him I shall be greatly obliged if he will come
+to the ward to-morrow, for I wish to see him. Now don’t alter this
+message, please, Swot.”
+
+That her Mercury did her bidding more effectively was proved by her
+finding the doctor at the bedside when she arrived the next day.
+
+“Swot told me that you wished to see me, Miss Durant,” he said.
+
+“Yes, and I’m very much obliged to you for waiting. I—How soon will it
+be possible for him to be up?”
+
+“He is doing so famously that we’ll have him out of bed by Monday, I
+hope.”
+
+“I promised him a present, and I want to have a Christmas tree for him,
+if he can come to it.”
+
+“Wot’s dat?” came the quick question from the bed.
+
+“If you don’t know, I’m going to let it be a surprise to you, Swot. Do
+you think he will be well enough to come to my house? Of course I’ll
+send my carriage.”
+
+“If he continues to improve, he certainly will be.”
+
+“Say, is dat de ting dey has for de mugs wot goes to Sunday-school, an’
+dat dey has a party for?”
+
+“Yes, only this tree will be only for you, Swot,”
+
+“Youse oin’t goin’ to have no udder swipes but me?”
+
+“No.”
+
+“Den who’ll git all de presents wot’s on de tree?” inquired Swot,
+suggestively.
+
+“Guess!” laughed Constance.
+
+“Will dey all be for me?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Hully gee! But dat’s grand! Ise in it up to de limit, doc, oin’t Ise?”
+exclaimed the waif, turning to the doctor.
+
+Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded his head, but something in his face or
+manner seemed to give a change to the boy’s thoughts, for, after eyeing
+him intently, he said to Constance,—
+
+“Oin’t youse goin’ to invite de doc?”
+
+Miss Durant coloured as she said, with a touch of eagerness yet
+shyness, “Dr. Armstrong, I intended to ask you, and it will give me a
+great deal of pleasure if you will come to Swot’s and my festival.” And
+when the doctor seemed to hesitate, she added, “Please!” in a way that
+would have very much surprised any man of her own circle.
+
+“Thank you, Miss Durant; I’ll gladly come, if you are sure I sha’n’t be
+an interloper.”
+
+“Not at all,” responded the girl. “On the contrary, it would be sadly
+incomplete without you—”
+
+“Say,” broke in the youngster, “growed-up folks don’t git tings off de
+tree, does dey?”
+
+Both Constance and the doctor laughed at the obvious fear in the boy’s
+mind.
+
+“No, Swot,” the man replied; “and I’ve had my Christmas gift from Miss
+Durant already.”
+
+“Wot wuz dat?”
+
+“Ask her,” replied Dr. Armstrong, as he walked away.
+
+“Wot have youse guv ’im?”
+
+Constance laughed, and blushed still more deeply, as, after a slight
+pause, she replied, “It’s my turn, Swot, to say ‘rubber’?” This said,
+she stooped impulsively and kissed the boy’s forehead. “You are a dear,
+Swot,” she asserted, warmly.
+
+With the mooting of the Christmas tree, the interest in Old Sleuth
+markedly declined, being succeeded by innumerable
+surmises of the rapidly convalescing boy as to the probable nature and
+number of the gifts it would bear. In this he was not discouraged by
+Miss Durant, who, once the readings were discontinued, brought a bit of
+fancy-work for occupation.
+
+“Wot’s dat?” he inquired, the first time she produced it.
+
+“A case for handkerchiefs.”
+
+“For me?”
+
+“Did you ever have a handkerchief?”
+
+“Nop. An’ I’d radder have suttin’ else.”
+
+“Can you keep a secret, Swot?”
+
+“Bet youse life.”
+
+“This is for Dr. Armstrong.”
+
+Swot regarded it with new interest. “Youse goin’ to s’prise ’im?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Den youse must sneak it quick w’en he comes in.”
+
+“Haven’t you noticed that he doesn’t come here any longer, Swot?”
+quietly responded the girl, her head bowed over the work.
+
+“Oin’t dat luck!”
+
+“Why?” asked Constance, looking up in surprise.
+
+“’Cause youse can work on de present,” explained Swot. “Say,” he
+demanded after a pause, “if dere’s anyting on de tree dat Ise don’t
+cares for, can Ise give it to de doc?”
+
+“Certainly. Or better still, if you’ll find out what he would like,
+I’ll let you make him a present.”
+
+“Youse payin’ for it?” anxiously questioned the boy.
+
+“Of course.”
+
+“Dat’s Jim Dandy!”
+
+Miss Durant recurred to this offer twice in the succeeding week, but to
+her surprise, found Swot’s apparent enthusiasm over the gift had
+entirely cooled, and his one object was a seeming desire to avoid all
+discussion of it.
+
+“Don’t you want to give him something, or haven’t you found out what he
+wants?” she was driven to ask.
+
+“Oh, dat’s all right. Don’t youse tire youself ’bout dat,” was his
+mysterious reply. Nor could she extract anything more satisfactory.
+
+It was a very different Swot McGarrigle who was helped into Miss
+Durant’s carriage by the doctor on Christmas eve from the one who had
+been lifted out at the hospital some six weeks before. The wizened face
+had filled out into roundness, and the long-promised new clothes,
+donned for the first time in honor of the event, even more transformed
+him; so changed him, in fact, that Constance hesitated for an instant
+in her welcome, in doubt if it were he.
+
+“I have the tree in my own room, because I wanted all the fun to
+ourselves,” she explained, as she led the way upstairs, “and downstairs
+we should almost certainly be interrupted by callers, or something. But
+before you go, Dr. Armstrong, I want you to meet my family, and of
+course they all want to see Swot.”
+
+It was not a large nor particularly brilliant tree, but to Swot it was
+everything that was beautiful. At first he was afraid to approach, but
+after a little Constance persuaded him into a walk around it, and
+finally tempted him, by an artful mention of what was in one of the
+larger packages at the base, to treat it more familiarly. Once the ice
+was broken, the two were quickly seated on the floor, Constance cutting
+strings, and Swot giving shouts of delight at each new treasure.
+Presently, in especial joy over some prize, the boy turned to show
+it to the doctor, to discover that he was standing well back, watching,
+rather than sharing, in the pleasure of the two; and, as the little
+chap discovered the aloofness, he leaned over and whispered something
+to the girl.
+
+“I want to, but can’t get the courage yet,” whispered back Constance.
+“I don’t know what is the matter with me, Swot,” she added, blushing.
+
+“Like me to guv it to ’im?”
+
+“Oh, will you, Swot?” she eagerly demanded. “It’s the parcel in
+tissue-paper on my desk over there.”
+
+The waif rose to his feet and trotted to the place indicated. He gave a
+quick glance back at Miss Durant, and seeing that she was leaning over
+a bundle, he softly unfolded the tissue-paper, slipped something from
+his newly possessed breast pocket into the handkerchief-case, and
+refolded the paper. He crossed the room to where the doctor was
+standing,
+and handed him the parcel, with the remark, “Dat’s for youse, from Miss
+Constance an’ me, doc.” Then scurrying back to the side of the girl, he
+confided to her, “Ise guv de doc a present, too.”
+
+“What was it?” asked Constance, still not looking up.
+
+“Go an’ ask ’im,” chuckled Swot.
+
+Turned away as she might be, she was not unconscious of the doctor’s
+movements, and she was somewhat puzzled when, instead of coming to her
+with thanks, he crossed the room to a bay-window, where he was hidden
+by the tree from both of them. From that point he still further
+astonished her by the request,—
+
+“Can you—will you please come here for a moment, Miss Durant?”
+
+Constance rose and walked to where he stood. “I hope you like my gift?”
+she asked.
+
+“You could have given me nothing I have so wanted—nothing I shall
+treasure more,” said the man, speaking low and fervently. “But did you
+realise what this would mean to me?” As he spoke, he raised his hand,
+and Constance saw, not the handkerchief-case, but a photograph of
+herself.
+
+“Oh!” she gasped. “Where—I didn’t—that was a picture I gave to Swot.
+The case is my gift,”
+
+The doctor’s hand dropped, and all the hope and fire went from his
+eyes. “I beg your pardon for being so foolish, Miss Durant. I—I lost my
+senses for a moment—or I would have known that you never—that the other
+was your gift.” He stooped to pick it up from the floor where he had
+dropped it. “Thank you very deeply for your kindness, and—and try to
+forget my folly.”
+
+“I—I—couldn’t understand why Swot suddenly—why he—I never dreamed of
+his doing it,” faltered the girl.
+
+“His and my knowledge of social conventions are about on a par,”
+responded the man, with a set look to his mouth. “Shall I give it back
+to him or to you?”
+
+Constance drew a deep breath. “It wasn’t—my—gift—but—but—I don’t mind
+your keeping it if you wish.”
+
+“You mean—?” cried Dr. Armstrong, incredulously.
+
+“Oh,” said the girl, hurriedly, “isn’t that enough, now? Please, oh,
+please—wait—for a little.”
+
+The doctor caught her hand and kissed it. “Till death, if you ask it!”
+he said.
+
+Five minutes later Swot abstracted himself sufficiently from his gifts
+to
+peep around the tree and ecstatically inquire,—
+
+“Say, oin’t dis de doisiest Christmas dat ever wuz?”
+
+“Yes,” echoed the two in the bay-window.
+
+“Did youse like me present, doc?”
+
+“Yes,” reiterated the doctor, with something in his voice that gave the
+word tenfold meaning.
+
+“Ise tought youse ’ud freeze to it, an’ it wuzn’t no sorter good to
+me.”
+
+Constance laughed happily. “Still, I’m very glad I gave it to you,
+Swot,” she said, with a glance of the eyes, half shy and half arch, at
+the man beside her.
+
+“Did youse like Miss Constance’s present too, doc?”
+
+“Yes,” replied the doctor, “especially the one you haven’t seen, Swot.”
+
+“Wot wuz dat?”
+
+“A something called hope—which is the finest thing in the world.”
+
+“No. There is one thing better,” said Miss Durant.
+
+“What is it?”
+
+“Love!” whispered Constance, softly.
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14211 ***
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+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" />
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wanted—A Match Maker, by Paul Leicester Ford</title>
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+<body>
+<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14211 ***</div>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:55%;">
+<img src="images/cover.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="[Illustration]" />
+</div>
+
+<h1>Wanted &mdash; A Matchmaker</h1>
+
+<h2 class="no-break">by Paul Leicester Ford</h2>
+
+<hr />
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus01"></a>
+<img src="images/image1.jpg" width="320" height="447" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, Swot,&rsquo; cried Constance,
+&lsquo;nobody is going to kill you&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<hr />
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<p class="center">
+To<br />
+Bond and Edith Thomas<br />
+as a Record of Our Friendship
+</p>
+
+<hr />
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2>Illustrations</h2>
+
+<table summary="" style="">
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus01">&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, Swot,&rsquo; cried Constance,&rsquo; nobody is going to kill you&rsquo;&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus02">&ldquo;Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus03">&ldquo;Constance took the seat at the bedside&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus04">&ldquo;&lsquo;I have come here&mdash;I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,&rsquo; hurriedly began the doctor&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus05">&ldquo;The two were quickly seated on the floor&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+</table>
+
+<hr />
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2>Wanted: A Match-Maker</h2>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You understand, Josie, that I wouldn&rsquo;t for a moment wish Constance
+to marry without being in love, but&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Mrs. Durant hesitated long enough to convey the inference that she was
+unfeminine enough to place a value on her own words, and then, the pause having
+led to a change, or, at least, modification of what had almost found utterance,
+she continued, with a touch of petulance which suggested that the general
+principle had in the mind of the speaker a special application, &ldquo;It is
+certainly a great pity that the modern girl should be so
+unimpressionable!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I understand and sympathise with you perfectly, dear,&rdquo; consolingly
+acceded Mrs. Ferguson. &ldquo;And Constance has such advantages!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quite unnoting that her friend replied to her thought rather than to her words,
+Mrs. Durant responded at once eagerly, yet defensively: &ldquo;That is it. No
+one will deny that Muriel is quite Constance&rsquo;s equal in mind, and, though
+perhaps I am not the one to say it, Doris surely excels her in looks.
+Don&rsquo;t you think so, darling?&rdquo; she added.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Unquestionably,&rdquo; agreed the friend, with much the quality of firm
+promptness with which one would bolt a nauseous pill, or extrude an ailing
+oyster.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yet merely because Constance has been out so much longer, and therefore
+is much more experienced, she self&mdash;she monopolises the attentions of the
+men; you know she does, Josie.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Absolutely,&rdquo; once more concurred Mrs. Ferguson; and this time,
+though she spoke less quickly, her tone carried greater conviction. &ldquo;They
+are&mdash;well&mdash;she&mdash;she undoubtedly&mdash;that is, she
+contrives&mdash;somehow&mdash;to eclipse, or at least overshadow them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Exactly. I don&rsquo;t like to think that she manages&mdash;but whether
+she does or not, the results are as bad as if she did; and
+thoughtlessness&mdash;if it is only that, which I can&rsquo;t believe&mdash;is
+quite as blamable as&mdash;as more intentional scheming.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then of course,&rdquo; said Mrs. Ferguson, &ldquo;every one knows about
+her mother&rsquo;s fortune&mdash;and men are so mercenary in these days.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, Josie, I don&rsquo;t like to speak of that myself, but it is such a
+relief to have you say it. That is the whole trouble. What sort of a chance
+have my poor dears, who will inherit so little compared to her wealth, and that
+not till&mdash;till we are through with it&mdash;against Constance? I call it
+really shameful of her to keep on standing in their light!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have you&mdash;Couldn&rsquo;t you let her see&mdash;drop a hint&mdash;of
+the unconscious injury she is&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is the cruelty of my position,&rdquo; moaned Mrs. Durant. &ldquo;I
+should not hesitate a moment, but the world is so ill-natured about stepmothers
+that one has to be over-careful, and with daughters of my own, I&rsquo;m afraid
+people&mdash;perhaps my own husband&mdash;would think I was trying to sacrifice
+her to them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But have you no friend you could ask to&mdash;?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Josie! Would you?&rdquo; eagerly interrupted Mrs. Durant. &ldquo;She
+will be influenced, I know, by anything you&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gracious, my dear, I never dreamed of&mdash;of you asking me! Why, I
+don&rsquo;t
+
+know her in the least. I couldn&rsquo;t, really.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But for my sake? And you know her as well as&mdash;as any one else; for
+Constance has no intimates or&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you see that&rsquo;s it? I&rsquo;d as soon think
+of&mdash;of&mdash;From me she would only take it as an impertinence.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see why everybody stands so in awe of a girl of
+twenty-three, unless it&rsquo;s because she&rsquo;s rich,&rdquo; querulously
+sighed Mrs. Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s that, Anne. It&rsquo;s her proud face and
+reserved manner. And I believe those are the real reasons for her not marrying.
+However much men may admire her, they&mdash;they&mdash;Well, it&rsquo;s your
+kittenish, cuddling kind of a girl they marry.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No; you are entirely wrong. Doubtless it is her money, but Constance has
+had plenty of admirers, and if she were
+
+less self&mdash;if she considered the interests of the family&mdash;she would
+have married years ago. But she is wholly blind to her duty, and checks or
+rebuffs every man who attempts to show her devotion. And just because others
+take their places, she is puffed up into the belief that she is to go through
+life with an everlasting train of would-be suitors, and so enjoys her own
+triumph, with never a thought of my girls.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why not ask her father to speak to her?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My dear! As if I hadn&rsquo;t, a dozen times at the least,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what does he say?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That Constance shows her sense by not caring for the men <i>I</i> invite
+to the house! As if <i>I</i> could help it! Of course with three girls in the
+house one must cultivate dancing-men, and it&rsquo;s very unfair to blame me if
+they aren&rsquo;t all one could wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thought Constance gave up going to dances last winter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She did, but still I must ask them to my dinners, for if I don&rsquo;t
+they won&rsquo;t show Muriel and Doris attention. Mr. Durant should realise
+that I only do it for their sakes; yet to listen to him you&rsquo;d suppose it
+was my duty to close my doors to dancing-men, and spend my time seeking out the
+kind one never hears of&mdash;who certainly don&rsquo;t know how to dance, and
+who would either not talk at my dinners, or would lecture upon one subject to
+the whole table&mdash;just because they are what he calls &lsquo;purposeful
+men.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He probably recognises that the society man is not a marrying species,
+while the other is.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But there are several who would marry Constance in a minute if
+she&rsquo;d only give any one of them the smallest encouragement; and
+that&rsquo;s what I mean when I complain of her being so unimpressionable.
+Muriel and Doris like our set of men well enough, and I don&rsquo;t see what
+right she has to be so over-particular.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Mrs. Ferguson rose and began the adjustment of her wrap, while saying,
+&ldquo;It seems to me there is but one thing for you to do, Anne.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What?&rdquo; eagerly questioned Mrs. Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Indulge in a little judicious matchmaking,&rdquo; suggested the friend,
+as she held out her hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s utterly useless, Josie. I&rsquo;ve tried again and again, and
+every time have only done harm.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t&mdash;she is so suspicious. Now, last winter, Weston
+Curtis was sending her flowers and&mdash;and, oh, all that sort of thing, and
+so I invited him to dinner several times, and always put him next Constance,
+and tried to help
+
+him in other ways, until she&mdash;well, what do you think that girl
+did?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Mrs. Ferguson&rsquo;s interest led her to drop her outstretched hand.
+&ldquo;Requested you not to?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not one word did she have the grace to say to me, Josie, but she wrote
+to him, and asked him not to send her any more flowers! Just think of
+it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then that&rsquo;s why he went to India.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. Of course if she had come and told me she didn&rsquo;t care for
+him, I never would have kept on inviting him; but she is so secretive it is
+impossible to tell what she is thinking about. I never dreamed that she was
+conscious that I was trying to&mdash;to help her; and I have always been so
+discreet that I think she never would have been if Mr. Durant hadn&rsquo;t
+begun to joke about it. Only guess, darling, what he said to me once right
+before her, just as I thought I
+
+was getting her interested in young Schenck!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t imagine.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, it was some of his Wall Street talk about promoters of trusts always
+securing options on the properties to be taken in, before attempting a
+consolidation, or something of that sort. I shouldn&rsquo;t have known what he
+meant if the boys hadn&rsquo;t laughed and looked at Constance. And then Jack
+made matters worse by saying that my interest would be satisfied with common
+stock, but Constance would only accept preferred for hers. Men do blurt things
+out so&mdash;and yet they assert that we women haven&rsquo;t tongue discretion.
+No, dear, with them about it&rsquo;s perfectly useless for me to do so much as
+lift a finger to marry Constance off, let alone her own naturally distrustful
+nature.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, then, can&rsquo;t you get some one to do it for you&mdash;some
+friend of hers?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe there is a person in the world who could influence
+Constance as regards marriage,&rdquo; moaned Mrs. Durant. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t
+think that I want to sacrifice her, dear; but she really isn&rsquo;t happy
+herself&mdash;for&mdash;well&mdash;she is a stepdaughter, you know&mdash;and so
+can never quite be the same in the family life; and now that she has tired of
+society, she really doesn&rsquo;t find enough to do to keep busy. Constance
+wanted to go into the Settlement work, but her father wouldn&rsquo;t hear of
+it&mdash;and really, Josie, every one would be happier and better if she only
+would marry&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I beg your pardon for interrupting you, mama. I thought you were
+alone,&rdquo; came a voice from the doorway. &ldquo;How do you do, Mrs.
+Ferguson?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; ejaculated both ladies, as they looked up, to find standing
+in the doorway a handsome girl, with clear-cut patrician features, and an erect
+carriage
+
+which gave her an air of marked distinction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I only stopped to ask about the errand you asked me to do when I went
+out,&rdquo; explained the girl, quietly, as the two women hunted for something
+to say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh. Yes. Thank you for remembering, darling,&rdquo; stammered Mrs.
+Durant, finding her voice at last. &ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you please order a bunch
+of something sent to Miss Porter&mdash;and&mdash;and&mdash;I&rsquo;ll be very
+much obliged if you&rsquo;ll attend to it, Constance, my dear.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl merely nodded her head as she disappeared, but neither woman spoke
+till the front door was heard to close, when Mrs. Durant exclaimed, &ldquo;How
+long had she been standing there?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I hope she didn&rsquo;t hear!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think she could have, or she would have shown it
+more,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t mean anything. She
+
+never shows anything outwardly. And really, though I wouldn&rsquo;t purposely
+have said it to her, I&rsquo;m not sure that I hope she didn&rsquo;t hear
+it&mdash;for&mdash;well, I do wish some one would give her just such
+advice.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My dear, it isn&rsquo;t a case for advice; it&rsquo;s a case for
+match-making,&rdquo; reiterated Mrs. Ferguson, as she once more held out her
+hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Meanwhile Miss Durant thoughtfully went down the steps to her carriage, so
+abstracted from what she was doing that after the footman tucked the fur robe
+about her feet, he stood waiting for his orders; and finally, realising his
+mistress&rsquo;s unconsciousness, touched his hat and asked,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where to, Miss Constance?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a slight start the girl came back from her meditations, and, after a
+moment&rsquo;s hesitation, gave a direction.
+
+Then, as the man mounted to his seat and the brougham started, the girl&rsquo;s
+face, which had hitherto been pale, suddenly flushed, and she leaned back in
+the carriage, so that no one should see her wipe her eyes with her
+handkerchief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do wish,&rdquo; she murmured, with a slight break in her voice,
+&ldquo;that at least mama wouldn&rsquo;t talk about it to outsiders.
+I&mdash;I&rsquo;d marry to-morrow, just to escape it
+all&mdash;if&mdash;if&mdash;a loveless marriage wasn&rsquo;t even worse.&rdquo;
+The girl shivered slightly, and laid her head against the cushioned side, as if
+weary.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She was still so busy with her thoughts that she failed to notice when the
+brougham stopped at the florist&rsquo;s, and once more was only recalled to
+concrete concerns by the footman opening the door. The ordering of some flowers
+for a débutante evidently steadied her and allowed her to regain self-control,
+for she drove in succession to the jeweller&rsquo;s
+
+to select a wedding gift, and to the dressmaker&rsquo;s for a fitting, at each
+place giving the closest attention to the matter in hand. These nominal duties,
+but in truth pleasures, concluded, nominal pleasures, but in truth duties,
+succeeded them, and the carriage halted at four houses long enough to ascertain
+that the especial objects of Miss Durant&rsquo;s visits &ldquo;begged to be
+excused,&rdquo; or were &ldquo;not at home,&rdquo; each of which pieces of
+information, or, to speak more correctly, the handing in by the footman, in
+response to the information, of her card or cards, drew forth an unmistakable
+sigh of relief from that young lady. Evidently Miss Durant was bored by people,
+and this to those experienced in the world should be proof that Miss Durant
+was, in fact, badly bored by herself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+One consequence of her escape, however, was that the girl remained with an hour
+which must be got through with
+
+in some manner, and so, in a voice totally without desire or eagerness, she
+said, &ldquo;The Park, Wallace;&rdquo; and in the Park some fifty minutes were
+spent, her greatest variation from the monotony of the wonted and familiar
+roads being an occasional nod of the head to people driving or riding, with a
+glance at those with each, or at the costumes they wore.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was with a distinct note of anticipation in her voice, therefore, that Miss
+Durant finally ordered, &ldquo;Home, now, Murdock;&rdquo; and, if the truth
+were to be told, the chill in her hands and feet, due to the keen November
+cold, with a mental picture of the blazing wood fire of her own room, and of
+the cup of tea that would be drank in front of it, was producing almost the
+first pleasurable prospect of the day to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Seemingly the coachman was as eager to be in-doors as his mistress, for he
+whipped up the horses, and the carriage
+
+was quickly crossing the plaza and speeding down the avenue. Though the street
+was crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, the growing darkness put an end to
+Miss Durant&rsquo;s nods of recognition, and she leaned back, once more buried
+in her own thoughts.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At Forty-second Street she was sharply recalled from whatever her mind was
+dwelling upon by a sudden jar, due to the checking of the carriage, and
+simultaneously with it came the sound of crashing of glass and splintering of
+wood. So abrupt was the halt that Miss Durant was pitched forward, and as she
+put out her hand to save herself from being thrown into the bottom of the
+brougham, she caught a moment&rsquo;s glimpse of a ragged boy close beside her
+window, and heard, even above the hurly-burly of the pack of carriages and
+street-crossers, his shrill cry,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Extry <i>Woild</i>&rsquo;r <i>Joinal</i>. Terrible&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There the words ended, for the distraught horses shied backwards and sideways,
+and the fore wheel, swung outwards by the sharp turn, struck the little fellow
+and threw him down. Miss Durant attempted a warning cry, but it was too late;
+and even as it rang out, the carriage gave a jolt and then a jar as it passed
+over the body. Instantly came a dozen warning shouts and shrieks and curses,
+and the horses reared and plunged wildly, with the new fright of something
+under their feet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+White with terror, the girl caught at the handle, but she did no more than
+throw open the door, for, as if they sprang from the ground, a crowd of men
+were pressing about the brougham. All was confusion for a moment; then the
+tangle of vehicles seemed to open out and the mob of people, struggling and
+gesticulating, fell back before a policeman while another, aided by some one,
+
+caught the heads of the two horses, just as the footman drew out from under
+their feet into the cleared space something which looked like a bundle of rags
+and newspapers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Thinking of nothing save that limp little body, Miss Durant sprang out, and
+kneeling beside it, lifted the head gently into her lap, and smoothed back from
+the pallid face the unkempt hair. &ldquo;He isn&rsquo;t dead, Wallace?&rdquo;
+she gasped out.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he is, Miss Constance, though he looks like he was
+bad hurt. An&rsquo;, indeed, Miss Constance, it wasn&rsquo;t Murdock&rsquo;s
+fault. The coupé backed right into our pole without&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Here,&rdquo; interrupted a man&rsquo;s voice from the circle of
+spectators, &ldquo;give him this;&rdquo; and some one handed to the girl the
+cup of a flask half full of brandy. Dipping her fingers into it, she rubbed
+them across the mouth and forehead; then, raising the head with one of her
+
+arms, she parted the lips and poured a few drops between them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, mum,&rdquo; suggested the policeman. &ldquo;Just you let go of it,
+and we&rsquo;ll lift it to where it can stay till the ambulance gets
+here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; begged Miss Durant. &ldquo;He shouldn&rsquo;t be
+moved until&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Like as not it&rsquo;ll take ten minutes to get it here, and we
+can&rsquo;t let the street stay blocked like this.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ten minutes!&rdquo; exclaimed the girl. &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t it
+possible&mdash;We must get help sooner, or he&mdash;&rdquo; She broke in upon
+her own words, &ldquo;Lift him into my carriage, and I&rsquo;ll take him to the
+hospital.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t let you, miss,&rdquo; spoke up a police sergeant, who
+meantime had forced his way through the crowd. &ldquo;Your coachman&rsquo;s got
+to stay and answer for this.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He shall, but not now,&rdquo; protested Miss Durant. &ldquo;I will be
+responsible for
+
+him. Wallace, give them one of my cards from the case in the carriage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus02"></a>
+<img src="images/image2.jpg" width="320" height="458" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+The officer took the bit of pasteboard and looked at it. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s
+all right, miss,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Here, Casey, together now and
+easy.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The two big men in uniform lifted the urchin as if he were without weight, and
+laid him as gently as might be on the seat of the brougham. This done, the
+roundsman dropped the small front seat, helped Miss Durant in, and once she was
+seated upon it, took his place beside her. The sergeant closed the door, gave
+an order to the coachman, and, wheeling about, the carriage turned up the
+avenue, followed by the eyes of the crowd and by a trail of the more curious.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Better give it another swig, mum,&rdquo; counselled her companion; and
+the girl, going on her knees, raised the head, and administered a second
+swallow of the brandy. She did not resume her seat,
+
+but kept her arm about the boy, in an attempt to render his position easier. It
+was a wizened, pinched little face she gazed down at, and now the mouth was
+drawn as if there was physical suffering, even in the unconsciousness. Neither
+head nor hands had apparently ever known soap, but the dirt only gave
+picturesqueness, and, indeed, to Miss Durant an added pathos; and the tears
+came into her eyes as she noted that under the ragged coat was only a flimsy
+cotton shirt, so bereft of buttons that the whole chest was exposed to the cold
+which but a little while before the girl, clad in furs and sheltered by the
+carriage, had yet found so nipping. She raised her free hand and laid it gently
+on the exposed breast, and slightly shivered as she felt how little warmth
+there was.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Please put the fur rug over him,&rdquo; she requested; and her companion
+pulled it
+
+from under their feet, and laid it over the coiled-up legs and body.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The weight, or the second dose of the stimulant, had an effect, for Miss Durant
+felt the body quiver, and then the eyes unclosed. At first they apparently saw
+nothing, but slowly the dulness left them, and they, and seemingly the whole
+face, sharpened into comprehension, and then, as they fastened on the blue coat
+of the policeman, into the keenest apprehension.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; he moaned, &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t do nuttin&rsquo;, dis time,
+honest.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t takin&rsquo; you to the station-house,&rdquo; denied the
+officer, colouring and looking sideways at his companion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You were run over, and we are carrying you to where a doctor can see how
+much you are hurt,&rdquo; said the gently.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The eyes of the boy turned to hers, and the face lost some of its fright and
+
+suspicion. &ldquo;Is dat on de level?&rdquo; he asked, after a moment&rsquo;s
+scrutiny. &ldquo;Youse oin&rsquo;t runnin&rsquo; me in?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; answered Miss Durant. &ldquo;We are taking you to the
+hospital.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;De horspital!&rdquo; exclaimed the little chap, his eyes brightening.
+&ldquo;Is Ise in de rattler?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The what?&rdquo; asked Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;De rattler,&rdquo; repeated the questioner, &ldquo;de ding-dong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, you ain&rsquo;t in no ambulance,&rdquo; spoke up the officer.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re in this young lady&rsquo;s carriage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The look of hope and pride faded out of the boy&rsquo;s face. &ldquo;Ise
+oin&rsquo;t playin&rsquo; in no sorter luck dese days,&rdquo; he sighed.
+Suddenly the expression of alarm reappeared in his face. &ldquo;Wheer&rsquo;s
+me papes?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They&rsquo;re all right. Don&rsquo;t you work yourself up over
+them,&rdquo; said the roundsman, heartily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse didn&rsquo;t let de udder newsies swipe dem, did youse?&rdquo; the
+lad appealed anxiously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll pay you for every one you lost,&rdquo; offered Constance.
+&ldquo;How many did you have?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The ragamuffin stared at her for a moment, his face an essence of disbelief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, hell!&rdquo; he ejaculated. &ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s dis song an&rsquo;
+dance youse givin&rsquo; us?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, I will,&rdquo; insisted the girl. She reached back of her and
+took her purse from the rack, and as well as she could with her one hand opened
+it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sight of the bills and coin brought doubt to the sceptic.
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; he demanded, his eyes burning with avidity, &ldquo;does
+youse mean dat? Dere oin&rsquo;t no crawl in dis?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. How much were they worth?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The boy hesitated, and scanned her face, as if he were measuring the girl more
+than he was his loss. &ldquo;Dere wuz
+
+twinty <i>Joinals</i>&rdquo; he said, speaking slowly, and his eyes watching
+her as a cat might a mouse, &ldquo;an&rsquo;&mdash;an&rsquo;&mdash;twinty
+<i>Woilds</i>&mdash;an&rsquo;&mdash;an&rsquo; tirty <i>Telegrams</i>&mdash;
+an&rsquo;&mdash;an&rsquo;&mdash;&rdquo; He drew a fresh breath, as if needing
+strength, shot an apprehensive glance at the roundsman, and went on hurriedly,
+in a lower voice, &ldquo;an&rsquo; tirty-five <i>Posts</i>&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, g&rsquo;long with you,&rdquo; broke in the policeman, disgustedly.
+&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t have mor&rsquo;n twenty in all, that I know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hope I may die if Ise didn&rsquo;t have all dem papes, boss,&rdquo;
+protested the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You deserve to be run in, that&rsquo;s what you do,&rdquo; asserted the
+officer of the law, angrily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t threaten him,&rdquo; begged Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you be fooled by him, mum. He ain&rsquo;t the kind as sells
+<i>Posts</i>, an&rsquo; if he was, he wouldn&rsquo;t have more&rsquo;n
+five.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s de gospel trute Ise chuckin&rsquo; at youse dis time,&rdquo;
+asserted the youngster.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gospel Ananias&mdash;!&rdquo; began the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; interrupted Miss Durant. &ldquo;Would ten dollars pay
+for them all?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, I know&rsquo;d youse wuz tryin&rsquo; to stuff me,&rdquo; dejectedly
+exclaimed the boy; then, in an evident attempt to save his respect for his own
+acuteness, he added: &ldquo;But youse didn&rsquo;t. I seed de goime youse wuz
+settin&rsquo; up right from de start.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Out of the purse Constance, with some difficulty, drew a crisp ten-dollar bill,
+the boy watching the one-handed operation half doubtingly and half eagerly; and
+when it was finally achieved, at the first movement of her hand toward him, his
+arm shot out, and the money was snatched, more than taken. With the quick
+motion, however, the look of eagerness and joy changed to one of agony; he gave
+a
+
+sharp cry, and, despite the grime, the cheeks whitened perceptibly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, please stay quiet,&rdquo; implored Miss Durant. &ldquo;You
+mustn&rsquo;t move.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee, but dat hurted!&rdquo; gasped the youngster, yet clinging to
+the new wealth. He lay quiet for a few breaths; then, as if he feared the sight
+of the bill might in time tempt a change of mind in the giver, he stole the
+hand to his trousers pocket and endeavoured to smuggle the money into it, his
+teeth set, but his lips trembling, with the pain the movement cost him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Not understanding the fear in the boy&rsquo;s mind, Constance put her free hand
+down and tried to assist him; but the instant he felt her fingers, his
+tightened violently. &ldquo;Youse guv it me,&rdquo; he wailed.
+&ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t she guv it me?&rdquo; he appealed desperately to the
+policeman.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m only trying to help put it in your pocket,&rdquo; explained
+the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, chase youseself!&rdquo; exclaimed the doubter, contemptuously.
+&ldquo;Dat don&rsquo;t go wid me. Nah!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What doesn&rsquo;t go?&rdquo; bewilderedly questioned Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wotcher tink youse up aginst? Suttin&rsquo; easy? Well, I guess not!
+Youse don&rsquo;t get youse pickers in me pocket on dat racket.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to take none of your money!&rdquo; asserted
+the policeman, indignantly. &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you tell a real lady when you
+see her?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den let her quit tryin&rsquo; to go tru me,&rdquo; protested the anxious
+capitalist; and Constance desisted from her misinterpreted attempt, with a
+laugh which died as the little fellow, at last successful in his endeavour to
+secrete the money, moaned again at the pain it cost him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Shall we never get there?&rdquo; she demanded impatiently, and, as if an
+answer were granted her, the carriage slowed,
+
+and turning, passed into a porte-cochère, in which the shoes of the horses rang
+out sharply, and halted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Stay quiet a bit, mum,&rdquo; advised the policeman, as he got out; and
+Constance remained, still supporting the urchin, until two men with a stretcher
+appeared, upon which they lifted the little sufferer, who screamed with pain
+that even this gentlest of handling cost him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her heart wrung with sympathy for him, Miss Durant followed after them into the
+reception-ward. At the door she hesitated, in doubt as to whether it was right
+or proper for her to follow, till the sight of a nurse reassured her, and she
+entered; but her boldness carried her no farther than to stand quietly while
+the orderlies set down the litter. Without a moment&rsquo;s delay the nurse
+knelt beside the boy, and with her scissors began slitting up the sleeves of
+the tattered coat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hey! Wotcher up to?&rdquo; demanded the waif, suspiciously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting you ready for the doctor,&rdquo; said the nurse,
+soothingly. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Toin&rsquo;t nuttin&rsquo; of de sort,&rdquo; moaned the boy.
+&ldquo;Youse spoilin&rsquo; me cloes, an&rsquo; if youse wuzn&rsquo;t a loidy,
+you&rsquo;d get youse face poked in, dat&rsquo;s wot would happen to
+youse.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance came forward and laid her hand on the little fellow&rsquo;s cheek.
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t mind,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and I&rsquo;ll give you a new
+suit of clothes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wen?&rdquo; came the quick question.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To-morrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Does youse mean dat? Honest? Dere oin&rsquo;t no string to dis?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Honest,&rdquo; echoed the girl, heartily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Reassured, the boy lay quietly while the nurse completed the dismemberment of
+the ragged coat, the apology for a shirt, and the bit of twine which served in
+lieu
+
+of suspenders. But the moment she began on the trousers, the wail was renewed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Quit, I say, or I&rsquo;ll soak de two of youse; see if I don&rsquo;t.
+Ah, won&rsquo;t youse&mdash;&rdquo; The words became inarticulate howls which
+the prayers and assurances of the two women could not lessen.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, then, stop this noise and tell me what is the matter,&rdquo;
+ordered a masculine voice; and turning from the boy, Constance found a tall,
+strong-featured man with tired-looking eyes standing at the other side of the
+litter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Hopeful that the diversion might mean assistance, the waif&rsquo;s howls once
+more became lingual. &ldquo;Dey&rsquo;s tryin&rsquo; to swipe me money,
+boss,&rdquo; he whined. &ldquo;Hope I may die if deys oin&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And where is your money?&rdquo; asked the doctor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wotcher want to know for?&rdquo; demanded the urchin, with recurrent
+suspicion in his face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s in the pocket of his trousers, Dr. Armstrong,&rdquo; said the
+nurse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Without the slightest attempt to reassure the boy, the doctor forced loose the
+boy&rsquo;s hold on the pocket, and inserting his hand, drew out the ten-dollar
+bill and a medley of small coins.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve taken your money, so they
+can&rsquo;t. Understand?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The urchin began to snivel.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, you have no right to be so cruel to him,&rdquo; protested Miss
+Durant. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s perfectly natural. Just think how we would feel if we
+didn&rsquo;t understand.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor fumbled for his eye-glasses, but not finding them quickly enough,
+squinted his eyelids in an endeavour to see the speaker. &ldquo;And who are
+you?&rdquo; he demanded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, I am&mdash;that is&mdash;I am Miss Durant, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+stuttered the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Not giving her time to finish her speech, Dr. Armstrong asked, &ldquo;Why are
+
+you here?&rdquo; while searching for his glasses.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I did not mean to intrude,&rdquo; explained Constance, flushing,
+&ldquo;only it was my fault, and it hurts me to see him suffer more than seems
+necessary.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Abandoning the search for his glasses, and apparently unheeding of her
+explanation, the doctor began a hasty examination of the now naked boy, passing
+his hand over trunk and limbs with a firm touch that paid no heed to the
+child&rsquo;s outcries, though each turned the onlooker faint and cold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her anxiety presently overcoming the sense of rebuke, the overwrought girl
+asked, &ldquo;He will live, won&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man straightened up from his examination. &ldquo;Except for some
+contusion,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;it apparently is only a leg and a couple
+of ribs broken.&rdquo; His voice and manner conveyed the idea that legs and
+ribs were but canes and corsets.
+
+&ldquo;Take him into the accident ward,&rdquo; he directed to the orderlies,
+&ldquo;and I&rsquo;ll attend to him presently.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will not have this boy neglected,&rdquo; Constance said, excitedly and
+warmly. &ldquo;Furthermore, I insist that he receive instant treatment, and not
+wait <i>your</i> convenience.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once again Dr. Armstrong began feeling for his glasses, as he asked, &ldquo;Are
+you connected with this hospital, Miss Durant?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, but it was my carriage ran over him, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And is it because you ran over the boy, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he
+interrupted, &ldquo;that you think it is your right to come here and issue
+instructions for our treatment of him?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is every one&rsquo;s right to see that assistance is given to an
+injured person as quickly as possible,&rdquo; retorted the girl, though
+flushing, &ldquo;and to protest if human
+
+suffering, perhaps life itself, is made to wait the convenience of one who is
+paid to save both.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Finally discovering and adjusting his glasses, Dr. Armstrong eyed Miss Durant
+with a quality of imperturbability at once irritating and embarrassing.
+&ldquo;I beg your pardon for the hasty remark I just made,&rdquo; he
+apologised. &ldquo;Not having my second sight at command, I did not realise I
+was speaking to so young a girl, and therefore I allowed myself to be offended,
+which was foolish. If you choose to go with the patient, I trust you will
+satisfy yourself that no one in this hospital is lacking in duty or
+kindness.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a feeling much akin to that she had formerly suffered at the conclusion of
+her youthful spankings, Constance followed hurriedly after the orderlies, only
+too thankful that a reason had been given her permitting an escape from those
+steady eyes and amused accents, which
+
+she was still feeling when the litter was set down beside an empty bed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has dat slob tooken me money for keeps?&rdquo; whimpered the boy the
+moment the orderlies had departed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; Constance assured him, her hand in his.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den w&rsquo;y&rsquo;d he pinch it so quick?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to take care of it for you, that&rsquo;s all.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will he guv me a wroten pape sayin&rsquo; dat?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;See,&rdquo; said the girl, only eager to relieve his anxiety,
+&ldquo;here is my purse, and there is a great deal more money in it than you
+had, and I&rsquo;ll leave it with you, and if he doesn&rsquo;t return you your
+money, why, you shall have mine.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse cert&rsquo;in dere&rsquo;s more den Ise had?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certain. Look, here are two tens and three fives and a one, besides some
+change.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s all hunky!&rdquo; joyfully ejaculated the urchin.
+&ldquo;Now, den, wheer kin we sneak it so he don&rsquo;t git his hooks on
+it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is to be your bed, and let&rsquo;s hide it under the pillow,&rdquo;
+suggested Constance, feeling as if she were playing a game. &ldquo;Then you can
+feel of it whenever you want.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s de way to steal a base off &rsquo;im,&rdquo; acceded the
+waif. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll show dese guys wese oin&rsquo;t no bunch of easy
+grapes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Scarcely was the purse concealed when a nurse appeared with a pail of water and
+rolls of some cloth, and after her came the doctor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, my boy,&rdquo; he said, with a kindness and gentleness in his voice
+which surprised Constance, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to hurt you a little, and
+let&rsquo;s see how brave you can be.&rdquo; He took hold of the left leg the
+ankle and stretched it, at the same
+
+time manipulating the calf with the fingers of his other hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The boy gave a cry of pain, and clutched Constance&rsquo;s arm, squeezing it so
+as to almost make her scream; but she set her teeth determinedly and took his
+other hand in hers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At a word the nurse grasped the limb and held it as it was placed, while the
+doctor took one of the rolls, and, dipping it in the water, unrolled it round
+and round the leg, with a rapidity and deftness which had, to Constance, a
+quality of fascination in it. A second wet bandage was wound over the first,
+then a dry one, and the leg was gently laid back on the litter. &ldquo;Take his
+temperature,&rdquo; ordered the doctor, as he began to apply strips of adhesive
+plaster to the injured ribs; and though it required some persuasion by the
+nurse and Constance, the invalid finally was persuaded to let the little glass
+lie under his tongue. His
+
+task completed, Dr. Armstrong withdrew the tube and glanced at it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat medicine oin&rsquo;t got much taste, boss,&rdquo; announced the
+urchin, cheerfully, &ldquo;but it soytenly done me lots of good.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor looked up at Constance with a pleasant smile. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s
+both the sense and the nonsense of the Christian Science idiocy,&rdquo; he
+said; and half in response to his smile and half in nervous relief, Constance
+laughed merrily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am glad for anything that makes him feel better,&rdquo; she replied;
+then, colouring once more, she added, &ldquo;and will you let me express my
+regret for my impulsive words a little while ago, and my thanks to you for
+relieving the suffering for which I am, to a certain extent,
+responsible?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is no necessity for either, Miss Durant, though I am grateful for
+both,&rdquo; he replied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will there be much suffering?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Probably no more than ordinarily occurs in such simple fractures,&rdquo;
+said the doctor; &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll certainly do our best that there shall
+not be.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And may I see him to-morrow?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certainly, if you come between eleven and one.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Constance. &ldquo;And one last favour. Will you
+tell me the way to my carriage?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will permit me, I&rsquo;ll see you to it,&rdquo; offered Dr.
+Armstrong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With an acknowledgment of the head, Constance turned and took the boy&rsquo;s
+hand and said a good-bye.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you suppose all newsboys are so dreadfully sharp and
+suspicious?&rdquo; she asked of her guide, as they began to descend the stairs,
+more because she was conscious that he was eyeing her with steady scrutiny than
+for any other reason.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I suppose the life is closer to that of the wild beast than anything we
+have in so-called civilisation. Even a criminal has his pals, but, like the
+forest animal, everyone&mdash;even his own kind&mdash;is an enemy to the street
+waif.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It must be terrible to suspect and fear even kindness,&rdquo; sighed the
+girl, with a slight shudder. &ldquo;I shall try to teach him what it
+means.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There does not appear to be any carriage here, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+announced her escort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Surely there must be. The men can&rsquo;t have been so stupid as not to
+wait!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor tapped on the window of the lodge. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t this
+lady&rsquo;s carriage remain here?&rdquo; he asked, when the porter had opened
+it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It stayed till the policeman came down, doctor. He ordered it to go to
+the police-station, and got in it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I forgot that my coachman must answer for the accident. Is there a
+cab-stand near here?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong looked into her eyes, with an amusement which yet did not
+entirely obliterate the look of admiration, of which the girl was becoming more
+and more conscious. &ldquo;The denizens of Avenue A have several cab-stands, of
+course,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;but they prefer to keep them over on Fifth
+Avenue.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was a foolish question, I suppose&rdquo; coldly retorted Constance,
+quite as moved thereto by the scrutiny as by the words, &ldquo;but I did not
+even notice where the carriage was driving when we came here. Can you tell me
+the nearest car line which will take me to Washington Square?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;As it is five blocks away, and the neighbourhood is not of the nicest, I
+shall take the liberty of walking with you to it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, I would rather not. I haven&rsquo;t the slightest fear,&rdquo;
+protested the girl, eager to escape both the observation and the obligation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I have,&rdquo; calmly said her companion, as if his wish were the
+only thing to be considered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment Miss Durant vacillated, then, with a very slight inclination of
+her head, conveying the smallest quantity of consent and acknowledgment she
+could express, she walked out of the porte-cochere.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor put himself beside her, and; they turned down the street, but not
+one word did she say. &ldquo;If he will force his society upon me, I will at
+least show him my dislike of it,&rdquo; was her thought.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Obviously Dr. Armstrong was not disturbed by Miss Durant&rsquo;s programme, for
+the whole distance was walked in silence; and even when they halted on the
+corner, he said nothing, though the girl was conscious that his eyes still
+studied her face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will not be the first to speak,&rdquo; she vowed to herself; but
+minute after minute
+
+passed without the slightest attempt or apparent wish on his part, and finally
+she asked, &ldquo;Are you sure this line is running?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her attendant pointed up the street. &ldquo;That yellow light is your car. I
+don&rsquo;t know why the intervals are so long this evening.
+Usually&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was interrupted by the girl suddenly clutching at her dress, and then giving
+an exclamation of real consternation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; he questioned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, I&mdash;nothing&mdash;that is, I think&mdash;I prefer to walk home,
+after all,&rdquo; she stammered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You mustn&rsquo;t do that. It&rsquo;s over two miles, and through a
+really rough district.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I choose to, none the less,&rdquo; answered Constance, starting across
+the street.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then you will have to submit to my safeguard for some time longer,
+
+Miss Durant,&rdquo; asserted the doctor, as he overtook her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance stopped. &ldquo;Dr. Armstrong,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I trust you
+will not insist on accompanying me farther, when I tell you I haven&rsquo;t the
+slightest fear of anything.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You have no fear, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he answered, &ldquo;because you
+are too young and inexperienced to even know the possibilities. This is no part
+of the city for you to walk alone in after dark. Your wisest course is to take
+a car, but if you prefer not, you had best let me go with you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I choose not to take a car,&rdquo; replied the girl, warmly, &ldquo;and
+you have no right to accompany me against my wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong raised his hat. &ldquo;I beg your pardon. I did not realize that
+my presence was not desired,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Angry at both herself and him, Constance merely bowed, and walked on. &ldquo;I
+don&rsquo;t see why men have to torment
+
+me so,&rdquo; she thought, as she hurried along. &ldquo;His face was really
+interesting, and if he only wouldn&rsquo;t begin like&mdash;He never would have
+behaved so if&mdash;if I weren&rsquo;t&mdash;&rdquo; Miss Durant checked even
+her thoughts from the word &ldquo;beautiful,&rdquo; and allowed the words
+&ldquo;well dressed&rdquo; to explain her magnetism to the other sex. Then, as
+if to salve her conscience of her own hypocrisy, she added, &ldquo;It really is
+an advantage to a girl, if she doesn&rsquo;t want to be bothered by men, to be
+born plain.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The truth of her thought was brought home to her with unexpected suddenness,
+for as she passed a strip of sidewalk made light by the glare from a saloon
+brilliant with gas, a man just coming out of its door stared boldly, and then
+joined her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ahem!&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl quickened her pace, but the intruder only lengthened his.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Cold night, isn&rsquo;t it, darling?&rdquo; he remarked, and tried to
+take her arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance shrank away from the familiarity with a loathing and fear which, as
+her persecutor followed, drove her to the curb.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How dare you?&rdquo; she burst out, finding he was not to be avoided.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now don&rsquo;t be silly, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There the sentence ended, for the man was jerked backwards by the collar, and
+then shot forward, with a shove, full length into the gutter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I feared you would need assistance, Miss Durant, and so took the liberty
+of following you at a distance,&rdquo; explained Dr. Armstrong, as the cur
+picked himself up and slunk away.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are very&mdash; Thank you deeply for your kindness, Dr.
+Armstrong,&rdquo; gasped the girl, her voice trembling. &ldquo;I ought to have
+been guided by your advice and taken the car, but the truth
+
+is, I suddenly remembered - that is, I happened to be without any money, and
+was ashamed to ask you for a loan. Now, if you&rsquo;ll lend me five cents, I
+shall be most grateful.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is said to be a feminine trait never to think of
+contingencies,&rdquo; remarked the doctor, &ldquo;and I think, Miss Durant,
+that your suggested five cents has a tendency in that direction. I will walk
+with you to Lexington Avenue, which is now your nearest line, and if you still
+persist then in refusing my escort, I shall insist that you become my debtor
+for at least a dollar.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I really need not take you any further than the car, thank you, Dr.
+Armstrong, for I can get a cab at Twenty-third Street.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a short walk to the car line,&mdash;too short, indeed, for Miss Durant
+to express her sense of obligation as she wished,&mdash;and she tried, even as
+she was
+
+mounting the steps, to say a last word, but the car swept her away with the
+sentence half spoken; and with a want of dignity that was not customary in her,
+she staggered to a seat. Then as she tendered a dollar bill to the conductor,
+she remarked to herself,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, that&rsquo;s a man I&rsquo;d like for a friend, if only he
+wouldn&rsquo;t be foolish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At eleven on the following morning, Miss Durant&rsquo;s carriage once more
+stopped at the hospital door; and, bearing a burden of flowers, and followed by
+the footman carrying a large basket, Constance entered the ward, and made her
+way to the waif&rsquo;s bedside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-morning,&rdquo; she said to Dr. Armstrong, who stood beside the
+next patient. &ldquo;How is our invalid doing?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-morning,&rdquo; responded the doctor, taking the hand she held out.
+&ldquo;I think&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;s takin&rsquo; life dead easy, dat&rsquo;s wot wese is,&rdquo;
+came the prompt interruption from the pillow, in a voice at once youthful yet
+worn. &ldquo;Say, dis oin&rsquo;t no lead pipe cinch, oh, no!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a very different face the girl found, for soap and water had worked
+wonders with it, and the scissors and brush had reduced the tangled shag of
+hair to order. Yet the ferret eyes and the alert, over-sharp expression were
+unchanged.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve brought you some flowers and goodies,&rdquo; said Miss
+Durant. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how much of it will be good for him,&rdquo;
+she went on to the doctor, apologetically, &ldquo;but I hope some will
+do.&rdquo; Putting the flowers on the bed, from the basket she produced in
+succession two bottles of port, a mould of wine jelly, a jar of orange
+marmalade, a box of wafers, and a dish of grapes, apples, and bananas.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gee! Won&rsquo;t Ise have a hell of a gorge!&rdquo; joyfully burst out
+the invalid.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see about that,&rdquo; remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling.
+&ldquo;He can have all the other things you&rsquo;ve brought, in reason, Miss
+Durant, except the wine. That must wait till we see how much fever he develops
+to-day,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is doing well?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;So far, yes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is a great relief to me. And, Dr. Armstrong, in returning your loan
+to me, will you let me say once again how grateful I am to you for all your
+kindness, for which I thanked you so inadequately last night? I deserved all
+that came to me, and can only wonder how you ever resisted saying, &lsquo;I
+told you so.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have been too often wrong in my own diagnosing to find any
+satisfaction or triumph in the mistakes of others,&rdquo; said the doctor, as
+he took the bill the
+
+girl held out to him, and, let it be confessed, the fingers that held it,
+&ldquo;nor can I regret anything which gave me an opportunity to serve
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The speaker put an emphasis on the last word, and eyed Miss Durant in a way
+that led her to hastily withdraw her fingers, and turn away from his
+unconcealed admiration. It was to find the keen eyes of the urchin observing
+them with the closest attention; and as she realised it, she coloured, half in
+embarrassment and half in irritation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How is your leg?&rdquo; she asked, in an attempt to divert the
+boy&rsquo;s attention and to conceal her own feeling.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say. Did youse know dey done it up in plaster, so dat it&rsquo;s stiff
+as a bat?&rdquo; responded the youngster, eagerly. &ldquo;Wish de udder kids
+could see it, for dey&rsquo;ll never believe it w&rsquo;en Ise tells &rsquo;em.
+I&rsquo;ll show it to youse if youse want?&rdquo; he offered, in his joy over
+the novelty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I saw it put on,&rdquo; said Constance. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you
+remember?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, cert! Ise remembers now dat&mdash;&rdquo; A sudden change came over
+the boy&rsquo;s face. &ldquo;Wheer&rsquo;s dem cloes youse promised me?&rdquo;
+he demanded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, I entirely forgot&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, forgit youse mudder! Youse a peach, oin&rsquo;t youse?&rdquo;
+contemptuously broke in the child.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Miss Durant and Dr. Armstrong both burst out laughing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse t&rsquo;ink youse a smarty, but Ise know&rsquo;d de hull time it
+wuz only a big bluff dat youse wuz tryin&rsquo; to play on me, an&rsquo; it
+didn&rsquo;t go wid me, nah!&rdquo; went on the youngster, in an aggrieved
+tone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t he perfectly incorrigible?&rdquo; sighed Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ise oin&rsquo;t,&rdquo; denied the boy, indignantly. &ldquo;Deyse only
+had me up onct.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the question the girl had turned to Dr. Armstrong; then, finding his eyes
+
+still intently studying her, she once more gave her attention to the waif.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, I did forget them,&rdquo; she asserted. &ldquo;You shall have a
+new suit long before you need it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Cert&rsquo;in dat oin&rsquo;t no fake extry youse shoutin&rsquo;?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Truly. How old are you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wotcher want to know for?&rdquo; suspiciously asked the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;So I can buy a suit for that age.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat goes. Ise ate.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what&rsquo;s your name?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What?&rdquo; exclaimed the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah. Swot,&rdquo; he corrected.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How do you spell it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dun&rsquo;no&rsquo;. Dat&rsquo;s wot de newsies calls me, &rsquo;cause
+of wot Ise says to de preacher man.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what was that?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It wuz one of dem religious mugs wot comes Sunday to de Mulberry Park,
+
+see, an&rsquo; dat day he wuz gassin&rsquo; to us kids &rsquo;bout
+lettin&rsquo; a guy as had hit youse onct doin&rsquo; it ag&rsquo;in; an&rsquo;
+w&rsquo;en he&rsquo;d pumped hisself empty, he says to me, says he, &lsquo;If a
+bad boy fetched youse a lick on youse cheek, wot would youse do to
+&rsquo;im?&rsquo; An&rsquo; Ise says, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d swot &rsquo;im in de
+gob, or punch &rsquo;im in de slats,&rsquo; says I; an&rsquo; so de swipes
+calls me by dat noime. Honest, now, oin&rsquo;t dat kinder talk jus&rsquo;
+sickenin&rsquo;?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But you must have another name,&rdquo; suggested Miss Durant, declining
+to commit herself on that question.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sure.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what is that?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;McGarrigle.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And have you no father or mother?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Or brothers or sisters?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah. Ise oin&rsquo;t got nuttin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where do you live?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, rubber!&rdquo; disgustedly remarked
+
+Swot. &ldquo;Say, dis oin&rsquo;t no police court, see?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+During all these questions, and to a certain extent their cause, Constance had
+been quite conscious that the doctor was still watching her, and now she once
+more turned to him, to say, with an inflection of disapproval,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When I spoke to you just now, Dr. Armstrong, I did not mean to interrupt
+you in your duties, and you must not let me detain you from them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I had made my morning rounds long before you came, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+equably answered the doctor, &ldquo;and had merely come back for a moment to
+take a look at one of the patients.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I feared you were neglecting&mdash;were allowing my arrival to interfere
+with more important matters,&rdquo; replied Miss Durant, frigidly. &ldquo;I
+never knew a denser man,&rdquo; she added to herself, again seeking to ignore
+his presence by giving her attention to Swot. &ldquo;I should have brought a
+book with me to-day, to read aloud to you, but I had no idea what kind of a
+story would interest you. If you know of one, I&rsquo;ll get it and come
+to-morrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gee, Ise in it dis time wid bote feet, oin&rsquo;t Ise? Say, will youse
+git one of de Old Sleuts? Deys de peachiest books dat wuz ever wroten.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will, if my bookshop has one, or can get it for me in time.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is little chance of your getting it there, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+interposed Dr. Armstrong; &ldquo;but there is a place not far from here where
+stories of that character are kept; and if it will save you any trouble,
+I&rsquo;ll gladly get one of them for you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have already overtaxed your kindness,&rdquo; replied Constance,
+&ldquo;and so will not trouble you in this.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It would be no trouble.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, but I shall enjoy the search myself.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; broke in the urchin. &ldquo;Youse ought to let de doc do it.
+Don&rsquo;t youse see dat he wants to, &rsquo;cause he&rsquo;s stuck on
+youse?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then I&rsquo;ll come to-morrow and read to you, Swot,&rdquo; hastily
+remarked Miss Durant, pulling her veil over her face. &ldquo;Good-bye.&rdquo;
+Without heeding the boy&rsquo;s &ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s fine,&rdquo; or giving Dr.
+Armstrong a word of farewell, she went hurrying along the ward, and then
+downstairs, to her carriage. Yet once within its shelter, the girl leaned back
+and laughed merrily. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s perfectly absurd for him to behave so
+before all the nurses and patients, and he ought to know better. It is to be
+hoped <i>that</i> was a sufficiently broad hint for his comprehension, and that
+henceforth he won&rsquo;t do it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yet it must be confessed that the boy&rsquo;s remark frequently recurred that
+day to
+
+Miss Durant; and if it had no other result, it caused her to devote an amount
+of thought to Dr. Armstrong quite out of proportion to the length of the
+acquaintance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Whatever the inward effect, Miss Durant could discover no outward evidence that
+Swot&rsquo;s bombshell had moved Dr. Armstrong a particle more than her less
+pointed attempts to bring to him a realisation that he was behaving in a manner
+displeasing to her. When she entered the ward the next morning, the doctor was
+again there, and this time at the waif&rsquo;s bedside, making avoidance of him
+out of the question. So with a &ldquo;this-is-my-busy-day&rdquo; manner, she
+gave him the briefest of greetings, and then turned to the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve brought you some more goodies, Swot, and I found the
+story,&rdquo; she announced triumphantly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, youse a winner, dat&rsquo;s wot youse is; oin&rsquo;t she, doc?
+Wot&rsquo;s de noime?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance held up to him the red and yellow covered tale. &ldquo;<i>The
+Cracksman&rsquo;s Spoil, or Young Sleuth&rsquo;s Double Artifice&rdquo;</i> she
+read out proudly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, g&rsquo;way! Dat oin&rsquo;t no good. Say, dey didn&rsquo;t do a
+t&rsquo;ing to youse, did dey?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dey sold youse fresh, dat&rsquo;s wot dey did. De Young Sleut books
+oin&rsquo;t no good. Dey&rsquo;s nuttin&rsquo; but a fake extry.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, dear!&rdquo; exclaimed Constance, crestfallenly. &ldquo;It took me
+the whole afternoon to find it, but I did think it was what you wanted.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I was sceptical of your being able to get even an approach to newsboy
+literature, Miss Durant,&rdquo; said Dr. Armstrong, &ldquo;and so squandered
+the large sum of a dime myself. I think this is the genuine article,
+isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; he asked, as he handed
+
+to the boy a pamphlet labelled <i>Old Sleuth on the Trail</i>.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s de real t&rsquo;ing,&rdquo; jubilantly acceded Swot.
+&ldquo;Say, oin&rsquo;t de women doisies for havin&rsquo; bases stole off
+&rsquo;em? Didn&rsquo;t Ise give youse de warm tip to let de doc git it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You should thank him for saving you from my stupid blunder,&rdquo;
+answered the girl, artfully avoiding all possibility of personal obligation.
+&ldquo;Would you like me to read it to you now?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wouldn&rsquo;t Ise, just!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Still ignoring Dr. Armstrong, Constance took the seat at the bedside, and
+opening the book, launched into the wildest sea of blood-letting and crime. Yet
+thrillingly as it began, she was not oblivious to the fact that for some
+minutes the doctor stood watching her, and she was quite conscious of when he
+finally moved away, noiselessly as he went. Once he was gone, she was
+
+more at her ease; yet clearly her conscience troubled her a little, for in her
+carriage she again gave expression to some thought by remarking aloud,
+&ldquo;It was rude, of course, but if he will behave so, it really isn&rsquo;t
+my fault.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus03"></a>
+<img src="images/image3.jpg" width="320" height="445" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;Constance took the seat at the bedside&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+The gory tale, in true serial style, was &ldquo;continued&rdquo; the next and
+succeeding mornings, to the enthralment of the listener and the amusement of
+the reader, the latter finding in her occupation as well a convenient reason
+for avoiding or putting a limit to the doctor&rsquo;s undisguised endeavours to
+share, if not, indeed, to monopolise, her attention. Even serials, however,
+have an end, and on the morning of the sixth reading the impossibly shrewd
+detective successfully put out of existence, or safely incarcerated each one of
+the numerous scoundrels who had hitherto triumphed over the law, and Constance
+closed the book.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee!&rdquo; sighed Swot, contentedly.
+
+&ldquo;Say, dat Old Sleut, he&rsquo;s up to de limit, oin&rsquo;t he? It
+don&rsquo;t matter wot dey does, he works it so&rsquo;s de hull push comes his
+way, don&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He certainly was very far-seeing,&rdquo; Constance conceded; &ldquo;but
+what a pity it is that he&mdash;that he wasn&rsquo;t in some finer
+calling.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Finer wot?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How much nobler it would have been if, instead of taking life, he had
+been saving it&mdash;like Dr. Armstrong, for instance,&rdquo; she added, to
+bring her idea within the comprehension of the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, dat&rsquo;s de talk for religious mugs an&rsquo; goils,&rdquo;
+contemptuously exclaimed the waif, &ldquo;but it guv&rsquo;s me de sore ear. It
+don&rsquo;t go wid me, not one little bit.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Aren&rsquo;t you grateful to Dr. Armstrong for all he&rsquo;s done for
+you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Bet youse life,&rdquo; assented Swot; &ldquo;but Ise oin&rsquo;t
+goin&rsquo; to be no doctor, nah! Ise goin&rsquo; to git on de force,
+dat&rsquo;s de racket Ise outer. Say, will youse read me anudder of dem
+stories?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gladly, if I can find the right kind this time.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The boy raised his head to look about the ward. &ldquo;Hey, doc,&rdquo; called
+his cracked treble.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hush, don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; protested the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;W&rsquo;y not?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before she could frame a reason, the doctor was at the bedside. &ldquo;What is
+it?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, wese got tru wid dis story, an&rsquo; Miss Constance says
+she&rsquo;ll read me anudder, but dey&rsquo;ll set de goime up on her, sure,
+she bein&rsquo; a goil; so will youse buy de real t&rsquo;ing?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That I will.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s hunky.&rdquo; Then he appealed to Constance. &ldquo;Say,
+will youse pay for it?&rdquo; he requested.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And why should she?&rdquo; inquired Dr. Armstrong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause she&rsquo;s got de dough, an Ise heard de nurse loidies
+talkin&rsquo; &rsquo;bout youse, an&rsquo; dey said dat youse wuz poor.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the doctor&rsquo;s turn to colour, and flush he did.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Swot and I will both be very grateful, Dr. Armstrong, if you will get us
+another of the Old Sleuth books,&rdquo; spoke up Miss Durant, hastily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t youse guv &rsquo;im de price?&rdquo; reiterated the urchin.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then we&rsquo;ll expect it to-morrow morning,&rdquo; went on the girl;
+and for the first time in days she held out her hand to Dr. Armstrong,
+&ldquo;And thank you in advance for your kindness. Good-morning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Rats!&rdquo; she heard, as she walked away. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t tink
+she&rsquo;d do de grand sneak like dat, doc, jus&rsquo; &rsquo;cause I tried to
+touch her for de cash.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance slowed one step, then resumed her former pace. &ldquo;He
+surely&mdash; Of course he&rsquo;ll understand why I hurried away,&rdquo; she
+murmured.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Blind as he might be, Dr. Armstrong was not blind to the geniality of Miss
+Durant&rsquo;s greeting the next morning, or the warmth of her thanks for the
+cheap-looking dime novel. She chatted pleasantly with him some moments before
+beginning on the new tale; and even when she at last opened the book, there was
+a subtle difference in the way she did it that made it include instead of
+exclude him from a share in the reading. And this was equally true of the
+succeeding days.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The new doings of Old Sleuth did not achieve the success that the previous ones
+had. The invalid suddenly developed both restlessness and inattention, with
+such a tendency to frequent interruptions as to make reading well-nigh
+impossible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, Swot,&rdquo; Constance was driven
+
+to threaten one morning, when he had broken in on the narrative for the seventh
+time with questions which proved that he was giving no heed to the book,
+&ldquo;unless you lie quieter, and don&rsquo;t interrupt so often, I shall not
+go on reading.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat goes,&rdquo; acceded the little fellow; yet before she had so much
+as finished a page he asked, &ldquo;Say, did youse ever play craps?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she answered, with a touch of severity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a jim dandy goime, Ise tells youse. Like me to learn
+youse?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied the girl, as she closed the book.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Goils never oin&rsquo;t no good,&rdquo; remarked Swot, discontentedly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Really irritated, Miss Durant rose and adjusted her boa. &ldquo;Swot,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;you are the most ungrateful boy I ever knew, and I&rsquo;m not
+merely not going to read any more to-day, but I have a good
+
+mind not to come to-morrow, just to punish you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, chase youseself!&rdquo; was the response. &ldquo;Youse can&rsquo;t
+pass dat gold brick on me, well, I guess!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What are you talking about?&rdquo; indignantly asked Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Tink Ise oin&rsquo;t onter youse curves? Tink Ise don&rsquo;t hear wot
+de nurse loidies says? Gee! Ise know w&rsquo;y youse so fond of comin&rsquo;
+here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do I come here?&rdquo; asked Constance, in a voice full of warning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The tone was wasted on the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause youse dead gone on de doc.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am sorry you don&rsquo;t know better than to talk like that,
+Swot,&rdquo; said the girl, quietly, &ldquo;because I wanted to be good to you,
+and now you have put an end to my being able to be. You will have to get some
+one else to read to you after this. Good-bye.&rdquo; She passed her hand kindly
+over his forehead, and
+
+turned to find that Dr. Armstrong was standing close behind her, and must have
+overheard more or less of what had been said. Without a word, and looking
+straight before her, Constance walked away.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once out of the hospital, her conscience was not altogether easy; and though
+she kept away the next day, she sent her footman with the usual gift of fruits
+and other edibles; and this she did again on the morning following.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Of course he didn&rsquo;t mean to be so atrociously impertinent,&rdquo;
+she sighed, in truth missing what had come to be such an amusing and novel way
+of using up some of each twenty-four hours. &ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t, in
+self-respect, go to him any more.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+These explanations were confided to her double in the mirror, as she eyed the
+effect of a new gown, donned for a dinner; and while she still studied the
+
+eminently satisfactory total, she was interrupted by a knock at the door, and
+her maid brought her a card the footman handed in.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance took it, looked astonished, then frowned slightly, and finally
+glanced again in the mirror. Without a word, she took her gloves and fan from
+the maid, and descended to the drawing-room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-evening, Dr. Armstrong,&rdquo; she said, coolly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have come here&mdash;I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+awkwardly and hurriedly began the doctor, &ldquo;because nothing else would
+satisfy Swot McGarrigle. I trust you will understand that I&mdash;He&mdash;he
+is to undergo an operation, and&mdash;well, I told him it was impossible, but
+he still begged me so to ask you, that I hadn&rsquo;t the heart to refuse
+him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus04"></a>
+<img src="images/image4.jpg" width="320" height="420" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;I have come here&mdash;I have intruded on you,
+Miss Durant,&rsquo; hurriedly began the doctor&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;An operation!&rdquo; cried Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be alarmed. It&rsquo;s really nothing serious.
+He&mdash;Perhaps you may have noticed how restless and miserable he has been
+lately. It is due, we have decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been
+lacerated, and so I am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now
+pretty keen.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m so sorry,&rdquo; exclaimed the girl, regretfully. &ldquo;I
+didn&rsquo;t dream of it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn&rsquo;t
+come any more.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very
+hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are really
+grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings, and, besides,
+could not express them, even if they had the
+
+words, which they don&rsquo;t. But if you could hear the little chap sing your
+praises to the nurses and to me, you would not think him heartless. &lsquo;My
+loidy&rsquo; is his favourite description of you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He wants to see me?&rdquo; questioned the girl, eagerly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. Like most of the poorer class, Miss Durant,&rdquo; explained the
+doctor, &ldquo;he has a great dread of the knife. To make him less frantic, I
+promised that I would come to you with his wish; and though I would not for a
+moment have you present at the actual operation, if you could yield so far as
+to come to him for a few minutes, and assure him that we are going to do it for
+his own good, I think it will make him more submissive.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When do you want me?&rdquo; asked Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is&mdash;I am to operate as soon as I can get back to the hospital,
+Miss Durant.
+
+It has been regrettably postponed as it is.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl stood hesitating for a moment. &ldquo;But what am I to do about my
+dinner?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong&rsquo;s eyes travelled over her from head to foot, taking in the
+charming gown of satin and lace, the strings of pearls about her exquisite
+throat and wrists, and all the other details which made up such a beautiful
+picture. &ldquo;I forgot,&rdquo; he said, quietly, &ldquo;that society duties
+now take precedence over all others.&rdquo; Then, with an instant change of
+manner, he went on: &ldquo;You do yourself an injustice, I think, Miss Durant,
+in even questioning what you are going to do. You know you are coming to the
+boy.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For the briefest instant the girl returned his intent look, trying to fathom
+what enabled him to speak with such absolute surety; then she said, &ldquo;Let
+us
+
+lose no time,&rdquo; as she turned back into the hall and hurried out of the
+front door, not even attending to the doctor&rsquo;s protest about her going
+without a wrap; and she only said to him at the carriage door, &ldquo;You will
+drive with me, of course, Dr. Armstrong?&rdquo; Then to the footman,
+&ldquo;Tell Murdock, the hospital, Maxwell, but you are to go at once to Mrs.
+Purdy, and say I shall be prevented from coming to her to-night by a call that
+was not to be disregarded,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was madness of you, Miss Durant, to come out without a cloak, and I
+insist on your wearing this,&rdquo; said the doctor, the moment the carriage
+had started, as he removed his own overcoat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, I forgot&mdash;but I mustn&rsquo;t take it from you, Dr.
+Armstrong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have no thought of me. I am twice as warmly clad as you, and am better
+protected than usual.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Despite her protest he placed it about
+
+Constance&rsquo;s shoulders and buttoned it up. &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;the society girl with her bare throat and arms is at once the
+marvel and the despair of us doctors, for every dinner or ball ought to have
+its death-list from pneumonia; but it never&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will it be a very painful operation?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not at all; and the anaesthetic prevents consciousness. If Swot were a
+little older, I should not have had to trouble you. It is a curious fact that
+boys, as a rule, face operations more bravely than any other class of patient
+we have.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wonder why that is?&rdquo; queried Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is due to the same ambition which makes cigarette-smokers of
+them&mdash;a desire to be thought manly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once the carriage reached the hospital, Constance followed the doctor up the
+
+stairs and through the corridor. &ldquo;Let me relieve you of the coat, Miss
+Durant,&rdquo; he advised, and took it from her and passed it over to one of
+the orderlies. Then, opening a door, he made way for her to enter.
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus05"></a>
+<img src="images/image5.jpg" width="320" height="466" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;The two were quickly seated on the floot&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+Constance passed into a medium-sized room, which a first glance showed her to
+be completely lined with marble; but there her investigations ceased, for her
+eyes rested on the glass table upon which lay the little fellow, while beside
+him stood a young doctor and a nurse. At the sound of her footsteps the boy
+turned his head till he caught sight of her, when, after an instant&rsquo;s
+stare, he surprised the girl by hiding his eyes and beginning to cry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ise knowed all along youse wuz goin&rsquo; to kill me,&rdquo; he sobbed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, Swot,&rdquo; cried Constance, going to his side. &ldquo;Nobody is
+going to kill you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The hands were removed from the eyes, and still full of tears, they blinkingly
+stared a moment at the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee! Is dat youse?&rdquo; he ejaculated. &ldquo;Ise tought youse
+wuz de angel come for me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may go many years in society, Miss Durant, without winning another
+compliment so genuine,&rdquo; remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. &ldquo;Nor is it
+surprising that he was misled,&rdquo; he added.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance smiled in return as she answered, &ldquo;And it only proves how the
+value of a compliment is not in its truthfulness, but in its being truth to the
+one who speaks it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, youse won&rsquo;t let dem do nuttin&rsquo; bad to me, will
+youse?&rdquo; implored the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They are only going to help you, Swot,&rdquo; the girl assured him, as
+she took his hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den w&rsquo;y do dey want to put me to sleep for?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To spare you suffering,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dis oin&rsquo;t no knock-out drops, or dat sorter goime? Honest?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. I won&rsquo;t let them do you any harm.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will youse watch dem all de time dey&rsquo;s doin&rsquo; tings to
+me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. And if you&rsquo;ll be quiet and take it nicely, I&rsquo;ll bring
+you a present to-morrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s grand! Wot&rsquo;ll youse guv me? Say, don&rsquo;t do
+dat,&rdquo; he protested, as the nurse applied the sponge and cone to his face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Lie still, Swot,&rdquo; said Constance, soothingly, &ldquo;and tell me
+what you would best like me to give you. Shall it be a box of
+building-blocks&mdash;or some soldiers&mdash;or a
+fire-engine&mdash;or&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah. Ise don&rsquo;t want nuttin&rsquo; but one ting&mdash;an&rsquo;
+dat&rsquo;s&mdash;wot wuz Ise
+
+tinkin&rsquo;&mdash;Ise forgits wot it wuz&mdash;lemme see&mdash;Wot&rsquo;s de
+matter? Wheer is youse all?&mdash;&rdquo; The little frame relaxed and lay
+quiet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is all you can do for us, Miss Durant,&rdquo; said Dr. Armstrong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;May I not stay, as I promised him I would?&rdquo; begged Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can you bear the sight of blood?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know&mdash;but see&mdash;I&rsquo;ll turn my back.&rdquo;
+Suiting the action to the word, the girl faced so that, still holding
+Swot&rsquo;s hand, she was looking away from the injured leg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A succession of low-spoken orders to his assistants was the doctor&rsquo;s way
+of telling her that he left her to do as she chose, She stood quietly for a few
+minutes, but presently her desire to know the progress of the operation, and
+her anxiety over the outcome, proved too strong for her, and she turned her
+head to take a furtive glance. She did not
+
+look away again, but with a strange mixture of fascination and squeamishness,
+she watched as the bleeding was stanched with sponges, each artery tied, and
+each muscle drawn aside, until finally the nerve was reached and removed; and
+she could not but feel both wonder and admiration as she noted how Dr.
+Armstrong&rsquo;s hands, at other times seemingly so much in his way, now did
+their work so skilfully and rapidly. Not till the operation was over, and the
+resulting wound was being sprayed with antiseptics, did the girl realize how
+cold and faint she felt, or how she was trembling. Dropping the hand of the
+boy, she caught at the operating-table, and then the room turned black.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nothing,&rdquo; she asserted. &ldquo;I only felt dizzy
+for an instant. Why! Where am I?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You fainted away, Miss Durant, and we brought you here,&rdquo; explained
+the
+
+nurse, once again applying the salts. The woman rose and went to the door.
+&ldquo;She is conscious now, Dr. Armstrong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the doctor entered Constance tried to rise, but a motion of his hand checked
+her. &ldquo;Sit still a little yet, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he ordered
+peremptorily. From a cupboard he produced a plate of crackers and a glass of
+milk, and brought them to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t want anything,&rdquo; declared the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are to eat something at once,&rdquo; insisted Dr. Armstrong, in a
+very domineering manner.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He held the glass to her lips, and Constance, after a look at his face, took a
+swallow of the milk, and then a piece of cracker he broke off.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How silly of me to behave so,&rdquo; she said, as she munched.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The folly was mine in letting you
+
+stay in the room when you had had no dinner. That was enough to knock up any
+one,&rdquo; answered the doctor. &ldquo;Here.&rdquo; Once again the glass was
+held to her lips, and once again, after a look at his face, Constance drank,
+and then accepted a second bit of cracker from his fingers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you keep these especially for faint-minded women?&rdquo; she asked,
+trying to make a joke of the incident.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is my particular sanctum, Miss Durant; and as I have a
+reprehensible habit of night-work, I keep them as a kind of sleeping
+potion.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance glanced about the room with more interest, and as she noticed the
+simplicity and the bareness, Swot&rsquo;s remark concerning the doctor&rsquo;s
+poverty came back to her. Only many books and innumerable glass bottles, a
+microscope, and other still more mysterious instruments, seemed to save it from
+the
+
+tenement-house, if not, indeed, the prison, aspect.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Are you wondering how it is possible for any one to live in such a
+way?&rdquo; asked the doctor, as his eyes followed hers about the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will have my thought,&rdquo; answered Constance, &ldquo;it was
+that I am in the cave of the modern hermit, who, instead of seeking solitude,
+because of the sins of mankind, seeks it that he may do them good.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We have each had a compliment to-night,&rdquo; replied Dr. Armstrong,
+his face lighting up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The look in his eyes brought something into the girl&rsquo;s thoughts, and with
+a slight effort she rose. &ldquo;I think I am well enough now to relieve you of
+my intrusion,&rdquo; she said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will not be allowed to leave the hermit&rsquo;s cell till you have
+finished the cracker and the milk,&rdquo; affirmed the man.
+
+&ldquo;I only regret that I can&rsquo;t keep up the character by offering you
+locusts and wild honey.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;At least don&rsquo;t think it necessary to stay here with me,&rdquo;
+said Miss Durant, as she dutifully began to eat and drink again.
+&ldquo;If&mdash;oh&mdash;the operation&mdash;How is Swot?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Back in the ward, though not yet conscious.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And the operation?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Absolutely successful.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Despite my interruption?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Another marvel to us M.D.&rsquo;s is the way so sensitive a thing as a
+woman will hold herself in hand by sheer nerve force when it is necessary. You
+did not faint till the operation was completed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now may I go?&rdquo; asked the girl, with a touch of archness, as she
+held up the glass and the plate, both empty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, if you will let me share your carriage. Having led you into this
+predicament,
+
+the least I feel I can do is to see you safely out of it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now the hermit is metamorphosing himself into a knight,&rdquo; laughed
+Constance, merrily, &ldquo;with a distressed damsel on his hands. I really need
+not put you to the trouble, but I shall be glad if you will take me
+home.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once again the doctor put his overcoat about her, and they descended the stairs
+and entered the brougham.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Tell me the purpose of all those instruments I saw in your room,&rdquo;
+she asked as they started.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They are principally for the investigation of bacteria. Not being
+ambitious to spend my life doctoring whooping-cough and indigestion, I am
+striving to make a scientist of myself.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then that is why you prefer hospital work?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. I happen to have been born
+
+with my own living to make in the world, and when I had worked my way through
+the medical school, I only too gladly became &lsquo;Interne&rsquo; here, not
+because it is what I wish to do, but because I need the salary.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yet it seems such a noble work.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t think I depreciate it, but what I am doing is only remedial
+What I hope to do is to prevent.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How is it possible?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For four years my every free hour has been given to studying what is now
+called tuberculosis, and my dream is to demonstrate that it is in fact the
+parent disease&mdash;a breaking down&mdash;disintegration&mdash;of the bodily
+substance&mdash;the tissue, or cell&mdash;and to give to the world a
+specific.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How splendid!&rdquo; exclaimed Constance. &ldquo;And you believe you
+can?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Every day makes me more sure that both demonstration and specific are
+possible
+
+&mdash;but it is unlikely that I shall be the one to do it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not see why?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Because there are many others studying the disease who are free from the
+necessity of supporting themselves, and so can give far more time and money to
+the investigation than is possible for me. Even the scientist must be rich in
+these days, Miss Durant, if he is to win the great prizes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you tell me something about yourself?&rdquo; requested
+Constance, impulsively.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There really is nothing worth while yet. I was left an orphan young, in
+the care of an uncle who was able to do no better for me than to get me a place
+in a drug-store. By doing the night-work it was possible to take the course at
+the medical college; and as I made a good record, this position was offered to
+me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&mdash;you could make it interesting if you tried.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid I am not a realist, Miss Durant. I dream of a future
+that shall be famous by the misery and death I save the world from, but my past
+is absolutely eventless.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he ended, the carriage drew up at the house, and the doctor helped her out.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will take Dr. Armstrong back to the hospital, Murdock,&rdquo; she
+ordered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, but I really prefer a walk before going to <i>my</i> social
+intimates, the bacilli,&rdquo; answered the doctor, as he went up the steps
+with her. Then, after he had rung the bell, he held out his hand and said:
+&ldquo;Miss Durant, I need scarcely say, after what I have just told you, that
+my social training has been slight&mdash;so slight that I was quite unaware
+that the old adage, &lsquo;Even a cat may look at a king,&rsquo; was no longer
+a fact until I overheard
+
+what was said the other day. My last wish is to keep you from coming to the
+hospital, and in expressing my regret at having been the cause of embarrassment
+to you, I wish to add a pledge that henceforth, if you will resume your visits,
+you and Swot shall be free from my intrusion. Good-night,&rdquo; he ended, as
+he started down the steps.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I never&mdash;really I have no right to exclude&mdash;nor do I
+wish&mdash;&rdquo; protested the girl; and then, as the servant opened the
+front door, even this halting attempt at an explanation ceased. She echoed a
+&ldquo;Good-night,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;and thank you for all your
+kindness,&rdquo; and very much startled and disturbed the footman, as she
+passed into the hallway, by audibly remarking, &ldquo;Idiot!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She went upstairs slowly, as if thinking, and once in her room, seated herself
+at her desk and commenced a note. Before she had written a page she tore the
+
+paper in two and began anew. Twice she repeated this proceeding; then rose in
+evident irritation, and, walking to her fire, stood looking down into the
+flame. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll think out what I had better do when I&rsquo;m not so
+tired,&rdquo; she finally remarked, as she rang for her maid. But once in bed,
+her thoughts, or the previous strain, kept her long hours awake; and when at
+last she dropped into unconsciousness her slumber was made miserable by dreams
+mixing in utter confusion operating-room and dinner, guests and
+microbes&mdash;dreams in which she was alternately striving to explain
+something to Dr. Armstrong, who could not be brought to understand, or to
+conceal something he was determined to discover. Finally she found herself
+stretched on the dinner-table, the doctor, knife in hand, standing over her,
+with the avowed intention of opening her heart to learn some secret, and it was
+her helpless protests
+
+and struggles which brought consciousness to her&mdash;to discover that she had
+slept far into the morning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the one thought of a visit to the hospital during the permitted hours, she
+made a hasty toilet, followed by an equally speedy breakfast, and was actually
+on her way downstairs when she recalled her promise of a gift. A glance at her
+watch told her that there was not time to go to the shops, and hurrying back to
+her room, she glanced around for something among the knick-knacks scattered
+about. Finding nothing that she could conceive of as bringing pleasure to the
+waif, she took from a drawer of her desk a photograph of herself, and descended
+to the carriage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She had reason to be thankful for her recollection, as, once her greetings, and
+questions to the nurse about the patient&rsquo;s condition were made, Swot
+demanded,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wheer&rsquo;s dat present dat youse promised me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I did not have time this morning to get something especially for
+you,&rdquo; she explained, handing him the portrait, &ldquo;so for want of
+anything better, I&rsquo;ve brought you my picture.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The urchin took the gift and looked at both sides. &ldquo;Wotinell&rsquo;s dat
+good for?&rdquo; he demanded contemptuously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thought&mdash;hoped it might please you, as showing you that I had
+forgiven&mdash;that I liked you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, git on de floor an&rsquo; look at youseself,&rdquo; disgustedly
+remarked Swot. &ldquo;Dat talk don&rsquo;t cut no ice wid me. W&rsquo;y
+didn&rsquo;t youse ask wot Ise wants?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what would you like?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will youse guv me a pistol?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, what would you do with it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;d trow a scare into de big newsies w&rsquo;en dey starts to
+chase me off de good beats.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, Swot, I don&rsquo;t think I ought to give you anything so
+dangerous. You are very young to&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah! Youse a goil, an&rsquo; deyse born frightened. Bet youse life, if
+youse ask de doc, he won&rsquo;t tink it nuttin&rsquo; to be scared of.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He isn&rsquo;t here this morning,&rdquo; remarked Constance, for some
+reason looking fixedly at the glove she was removing as she spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The urchin raised his head and peered about. &ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s funny!&rdquo;
+he exclaimed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s de first time he oin&rsquo;t bin here
+w&rsquo;en youse wuz at de bat.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has he seen you this morning?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, cert!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl opened the dime novel and found the page at which the interruption had
+occurred, hesitated an instant, and remarked, &ldquo;The next time he comes you
+might say that I would like to see him for a moment&mdash;to ask if I had
+better give
+
+you a pistol.&rdquo; This said, she hastily began on the book. Thrillingly as
+the pursuits and pursuit of the criminal classes were pictured, however, there
+came several breaks in the reading; and had any keenly observant person been
+watching Miss Durant, he would have noticed that these pauses invariably
+happened whenever some one entered the ward.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was made evident to her that she and Swot gave value to entirely different
+parts of her message to the doctor; for, no sooner did she reach the
+waif&rsquo;s bedside the next morning than the invalid announced,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, Ise done my best to jolly de doc, but he stuck to it dat youse
+oughtn&rsquo;t to guv me no pistol.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t you tell him what I asked you to say?&rdquo; demanded
+Constance, anxiously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Soytenly. Ise says to &rsquo;im dat youse wanted to know wot he tought,
+an&rsquo; he
+
+went back on me. Ise didn&rsquo;t tink he&rsquo;d trun me down like dat!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I might better have written him,&rdquo; murmured Miss Durant,
+thoughtfully. She sat for some time silently pondering, till the waif
+asked,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, youse goin&rsquo; to guv me dat present just de same, oin&rsquo;t
+youse?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, I&rsquo;ll give you a present,&rdquo; acceded the girl, opening the
+book. &ldquo;I think, Swot,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;that we&rsquo;ll have
+to trouble Dr. Armstrong for another Old Sleuth, as we shall probably finish
+this to-day. And tell him this time it is my turn to pay for it,&rdquo; From
+her purse she produced a dime, started to give it to the boy, hastily drew back
+her hand, and replacing the coin, substituted for it a dollar bill. Then she
+began reading rapidly&mdash;so rapidly that the end of the story was attained
+some twenty minutes before the visitors&rsquo; time had expired.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; was her greeting on the following day, as Swot held up
+another lurid-looking tale and the dollar bill, &ldquo;Ise told de doc youse
+wuzn&rsquo;t willin&rsquo; dat he, bein&rsquo; poor, should bleed de cash dis
+time, an&rsquo; dat youse guv me dis to&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t put it that way, Swot?&rdquo; demanded Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot way?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That I said he was poor.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Soytenly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, Swot, how could you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s de matter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I never said that! Was he&mdash;was he&mdash;What did he say?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nuttin&rsquo; much, &rsquo;cept dat I wuz to guv youse back de dough,
+for de books wuz on &rsquo;im.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid you have pained him, Swot, and you certainly have
+pained me. Did he seem hurt or offended?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nop.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wish you would tell him I shall be greatly obliged if he will come to
+the ward to-morrow, for I wish to see him. Now don&rsquo;t alter this message,
+please, Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+That her Mercury did her bidding more effectively was proved by her finding the
+doctor at the bedside when she arrived the next day.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Swot told me that you wished to see me, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, and I&rsquo;m very much obliged to you for waiting. I&mdash;How
+soon will it be possible for him to be up?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is doing so famously that we&rsquo;ll have him out of bed by Monday,
+I hope.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I promised him a present, and I want to have a Christmas tree for him,
+if he can come to it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s dat?&rdquo; came the quick question from the bed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t know, I&rsquo;m going to let it be a surprise to you,
+Swot. Do you think he will be well enough to come to my house? Of course
+I&rsquo;ll send my carriage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If he continues to improve, he certainly will be.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, is dat de ting dey has for de mugs wot goes to Sunday-school,
+an&rsquo; dat dey has a party for?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, only this tree will be only for you, Swot,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse oin&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to have no udder swipes but me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den who&rsquo;ll git all de presents wot&rsquo;s on de tree?&rdquo;
+inquired Swot, suggestively.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Guess!&rdquo; laughed Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will dey all be for me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee! But dat&rsquo;s grand! Ise in it up to de limit, doc,
+oin&rsquo;t Ise?&rdquo; exclaimed the waif, turning to the doctor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded his head, but something in his face or manner
+seemed to give a change to the boy&rsquo;s thoughts, for, after eyeing him
+intently, he said to Constance,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oin&rsquo;t youse goin&rsquo; to invite de doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Miss Durant coloured as she said, with a touch of eagerness yet shyness,
+&ldquo;Dr. Armstrong, I intended to ask you, and it will give me a great deal
+of pleasure if you will come to Swot&rsquo;s and my festival.&rdquo; And when
+the doctor seemed to hesitate, she added, &ldquo;Please!&rdquo; in a way that
+would have very much surprised any man of her own circle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, Miss Durant; I&rsquo;ll gladly come, if you are sure I
+sha&rsquo;n&rsquo;t be an interloper.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not at all,&rdquo; responded the girl. &ldquo;On the contrary, it would
+be sadly incomplete without you&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; broke in the youngster, &ldquo;growed-up folks don&rsquo;t
+git tings off de tree, does dey?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Both Constance and the doctor laughed at the obvious fear in the boy&rsquo;s
+mind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, Swot,&rdquo; the man replied; &ldquo;and I&rsquo;ve had my Christmas
+gift from Miss Durant already.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot wuz dat?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ask her,&rdquo; replied Dr. Armstrong, as he walked away.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot have youse guv &rsquo;im?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance laughed, and blushed still more deeply, as, after a slight pause, she
+replied, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my turn, Swot, to say &lsquo;rubber&rsquo;?&rdquo;
+This said, she stooped impulsively and kissed the boy&rsquo;s forehead.
+&ldquo;You are a dear, Swot,&rdquo; she asserted, warmly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the mooting of the Christmas tree, the interest in Old Sleuth markedly
+declined, being succeeded by innumerable
+
+surmises of the rapidly convalescing boy as to the probable nature and number
+of the gifts it would bear. In this he was not discouraged by Miss Durant, who,
+once the readings were discontinued, brought a bit of fancy-work for
+occupation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s dat?&rdquo; he inquired, the first time she produced it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A case for handkerchiefs.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did you ever have a handkerchief?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nop. An&rsquo; I&rsquo;d radder have suttin&rsquo; else.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can you keep a secret, Swot?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Bet youse life.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is for Dr. Armstrong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Swot regarded it with new interest. &ldquo;Youse goin&rsquo; to s&rsquo;prise
+&rsquo;im?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den youse must sneak it quick w&rsquo;en he comes in.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Haven&rsquo;t you noticed that he doesn&rsquo;t come here any longer,
+Swot?&rdquo; quietly responded the girl, her head bowed over the work.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oin&rsquo;t dat luck!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why?&rdquo; asked Constance, looking up in surprise.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause youse can work on de present,&rdquo; explained Swot.
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; he demanded after a pause, &ldquo;if dere&rsquo;s anyting on
+de tree dat Ise don&rsquo;t cares for, can Ise give it to de doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certainly. Or better still, if you&rsquo;ll find out what he would like,
+I&rsquo;ll let you make him a present.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse payin&rsquo; for it?&rdquo; anxiously questioned the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Of course.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s Jim Dandy!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Miss Durant recurred to this offer twice in the succeeding week, but to her
+surprise, found Swot&rsquo;s apparent enthusiasm over the gift had
+
+entirely cooled, and his one object was a seeming desire to avoid all
+discussion of it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you want to give him something, or haven&rsquo;t you found
+out what he wants?&rdquo; she was driven to ask.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, dat&rsquo;s all right. Don&rsquo;t youse tire youself &rsquo;bout
+dat,&rdquo; was his mysterious reply. Nor could she extract anything more
+satisfactory.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a very different Swot McGarrigle who was helped into Miss Durant&rsquo;s
+carriage by the doctor on Christmas eve from the one who had been lifted out at
+the hospital some six weeks before. The wizened face had filled out into
+roundness, and the long-promised new clothes, donned for the first time in
+honor of the event, even more transformed him; so changed him, in fact, that
+Constance hesitated for an instant in her welcome, in doubt if it were he.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have the tree in my own room, because I wanted all the fun to
+ourselves,&rdquo; she explained, as she led the way upstairs, &ldquo;and
+downstairs we should almost certainly be interrupted by callers, or something.
+But before you go, Dr. Armstrong, I want you to meet my family, and of course
+they all want to see Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was not a large nor particularly brilliant tree, but to Swot it was
+everything that was beautiful. At first he was afraid to approach, but after a
+little Constance persuaded him into a walk around it, and finally tempted him,
+by an artful mention of what was in one of the larger packages at the base, to
+treat it more familiarly. Once the ice was broken, the two were quickly seated
+on the floor, Constance cutting strings, and Swot giving shouts of delight at
+each new treasure. Presently, in especial joy over some prize, the boy turned
+to show
+
+it to the doctor, to discover that he was standing well back, watching, rather
+than sharing, in the pleasure of the two; and, as the little chap discovered
+the aloofness, he leaned over and whispered something to the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I want to, but can&rsquo;t get the courage yet,&rdquo; whispered back
+Constance. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what is the matter with me, Swot,&rdquo;
+she added, blushing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Like me to guv it to &rsquo;im?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, will you, Swot?&rdquo; she eagerly demanded. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the
+parcel in tissue-paper on my desk over there.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The waif rose to his feet and trotted to the place indicated. He gave a quick
+glance back at Miss Durant, and seeing that she was leaning over a bundle, he
+softly unfolded the tissue-paper, slipped something from his newly possessed
+breast pocket into the handkerchief-case, and refolded the paper. He crossed
+the room to where the doctor was standing,
+
+and handed him the parcel, with the remark, &ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s for youse, from
+Miss Constance an&rsquo; me, doc.&rdquo; Then scurrying back to the side of the
+girl, he confided to her, &ldquo;Ise guv de doc a present, too.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What was it?&rdquo; asked Constance, still not looking up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Go an&rsquo; ask &rsquo;im,&rdquo; chuckled Swot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Turned away as she might be, she was not unconscious of the doctor&rsquo;s
+movements, and she was somewhat puzzled when, instead of coming to her with
+thanks, he crossed the room to a bay-window, where he was hidden by the tree
+from both of them. From that point he still further astonished her by the
+request,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can you&mdash;will you please come here for a moment, Miss
+Durant?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance rose and walked to where he stood. &ldquo;I hope you like my
+gift?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You could have given me nothing I have so wanted&mdash;nothing I shall
+treasure more,&rdquo; said the man, speaking low and fervently. &ldquo;But did
+you realise what this would mean to me?&rdquo; As he spoke, he raised his hand,
+and Constance saw, not the handkerchief-case, but a photograph of herself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she gasped. &ldquo;Where&mdash;I didn&rsquo;t&mdash;that was
+a picture I gave to Swot. The case is my gift,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor&rsquo;s hand dropped, and all the hope and fire went from his eyes.
+&ldquo;I beg your pardon for being so foolish, Miss Durant. I&mdash;I lost my
+senses for a moment&mdash;or I would have known that you never&mdash;that the
+other was your gift.&rdquo; He stooped to pick it up from the floor where he
+had dropped it. &ldquo;Thank you very deeply for your kindness, and&mdash;and
+try to forget my folly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&mdash;I&mdash;couldn&rsquo;t understand why Swot suddenly&mdash;why
+he&mdash;I never dreamed of his doing it,&rdquo; faltered the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;His and my knowledge of social conventions are about on a par,&rdquo;
+responded the man, with a set look to his mouth. &ldquo;Shall I give it back to
+him or to you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance drew a deep breath. &ldquo;It
+wasn&rsquo;t&mdash;my&mdash;gift&mdash;but&mdash;but&mdash;I don&rsquo;t mind
+your keeping it if you wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You mean&mdash;?&rdquo; cried Dr. Armstrong, incredulously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the girl, hurriedly, &ldquo;isn&rsquo;t that enough,
+now? Please, oh, please&mdash;wait&mdash;for a little.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor caught her hand and kissed it. &ldquo;Till death, if you ask
+it!&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Five minutes later Swot abstracted himself sufficiently from his gifts to
+
+peep around the tree and ecstatically inquire,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, oin&rsquo;t dis de doisiest Christmas dat ever wuz?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; echoed the two in the bay-window.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did youse like me present, doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; reiterated the doctor, with something in his voice that gave
+the word tenfold meaning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ise tought youse &rsquo;ud freeze to it, an&rsquo; it wuzn&rsquo;t no
+sorter good to me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance laughed happily. &ldquo;Still, I&rsquo;m very glad I gave it to you,
+Swot,&rdquo; she said, with a glance of the eyes, half shy and half arch, at
+the man beside her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did youse like Miss Constance&rsquo;s present too, doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied the doctor, &ldquo;especially the one you
+haven&rsquo;t seen, Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot wuz dat?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A something called hope&mdash;which is the finest thing in the
+world.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. There is one thing better,&rdquo; said Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Love!&rdquo; whispered Constance, softly.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14211 ***</div>
+</body>
+
+</html>
+
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+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #14211 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14211)
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+The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wanted—A Match Maker, by Paul Leicester Ford
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
+of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
+will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
+using this eBook.
+
+Title: Wanted—A Match Maker
+
+Author: Paul Leicester Ford
+
+Illustrator: Howard Chandler Christy
+
+Decorations by: Margaret Armstrong
+
+Release Date: December 9, 2004 [eBook #14211]
+[Most recently updated: January 24, 2022]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+Produced by: Juliet Sutherland, Joshua Hutchinson and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WANTED—A MATCH MAKER ***
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+Wanted — A Matchmaker
+
+by Paul Leicester Ford
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: “‘Why, Swot,’ cried Constance, ‘nobody is going to
+kill you’”]
+
+
+
+
+To
+Bond and Edith Thomas
+as a Record of Our Friendship
+
+
+
+
+Illustrations
+
+ “‘Why, Swot,’ cried Constance,’ nobody is going to kill you’”
+ “Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently”
+ “Constance took the seat at the bedside”
+ “‘I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,’ hurriedly began the doctor”
+ “The two were quickly seated on the floor”
+
+
+
+
+Wanted: A Match-Maker
+
+
+“You understand, Josie, that I wouldn’t for a moment wish Constance to
+marry without being in love, but—”
+
+Mrs. Durant hesitated long enough to convey the inference that she was
+unfeminine enough to place a value on her own words, and then, the
+pause having led to a change, or, at least, modification of what had
+almost found utterance, she continued, with a touch of petulance which
+suggested that the general principle had in the mind of the speaker a
+special application, “It is certainly a great pity that the modern girl
+should be so unimpressionable!”
+
+“I understand and sympathise with you perfectly, dear,” consolingly
+acceded Mrs. Ferguson. “And Constance has such advantages!”
+
+Quite unnoting that her friend replied to her thought rather than to
+her words, Mrs. Durant responded at once eagerly, yet defensively:
+“That is it. No one will deny that Muriel is quite Constance’s equal in
+mind, and, though perhaps I am not the one to say it, Doris surely
+excels her in looks. Don’t you think so, darling?” she added.
+
+“Unquestionably,” agreed the friend, with much the quality of firm
+promptness with which one would bolt a nauseous pill, or extrude an
+ailing oyster.
+
+“Yet merely because Constance has been out so much longer, and
+therefore is much more experienced, she self—she monopolises the
+attentions of the men; you know she does, Josie.”
+
+“Absolutely,” once more concurred Mrs. Ferguson; and this time, though
+she spoke less quickly, her tone carried greater conviction. “They
+are—well—she—she undoubtedly—that is, she contrives—somehow—to eclipse,
+or at least overshadow them.”
+
+“Exactly. I don’t like to think that she manages—but whether she does
+or not, the results are as bad as if she did; and thoughtlessness—if it
+is only that, which I can’t believe—is quite as blamable as—as more
+intentional scheming.”
+
+“Then of course,” said Mrs. Ferguson, “every one knows about her
+mother’s fortune—and men are so mercenary in these days.”
+
+“Oh, Josie, I don’t like to speak of that myself, but it is such a
+relief to have you say it. That is the whole trouble. What sort of a
+chance have my poor dears, who will inherit so little compared to her
+wealth, and that not till—till we are through with it—against
+Constance? I call it really shameful of her to keep on standing in
+their light!”
+
+“Have you—Couldn’t you let her see—drop a hint—of the unconscious
+injury she is—”
+
+“That is the cruelty of my position,” moaned Mrs. Durant. “I should not
+hesitate a moment, but the world is so ill-natured about stepmothers
+that one has to be over-careful, and with daughters of my own, I’m
+afraid people—perhaps my own husband—would think I was trying to
+sacrifice her to them.”
+
+“But have you no friend you could ask to—?”
+
+“Josie! Would you?” eagerly interrupted Mrs. Durant. “She will be
+influenced, I know, by anything you—”
+
+“Gracious, my dear, I never dreamed of—of you asking me! Why, I don’t
+know her in the least. I couldn’t, really.”
+
+“But for my sake? And you know her as well as—as any one else; for
+Constance has no intimates or—”
+
+“Don’t you see that’s it? I’d as soon think of—of—From me she would
+only take it as an impertinence.”
+
+“I don’t see why everybody stands so in awe of a girl of twenty-three,
+unless it’s because she’s rich,” querulously sighed Mrs. Durant.
+
+“I don’t think it’s that, Anne. It’s her proud face and reserved
+manner. And I believe those are the real reasons for her not marrying.
+However much men may admire her, they—they—Well, it’s your kittenish,
+cuddling kind of a girl they marry.”
+
+“No; you are entirely wrong. Doubtless it is her money, but Constance
+has had plenty of admirers, and if she were
+less self—if she considered the interests of the family—she would have
+married years ago. But she is wholly blind to her duty, and checks or
+rebuffs every man who attempts to show her devotion. And just because
+others take their places, she is puffed up into the belief that she is
+to go through life with an everlasting train of would-be suitors, and
+so enjoys her own triumph, with never a thought of my girls.”
+
+“Why not ask her father to speak to her?”
+
+“My dear! As if I hadn’t, a dozen times at the least,”
+
+“And what does he say?”
+
+“That Constance shows her sense by not caring for the men _I_ invite to
+the house! As if _I_ could help it! Of course with three girls in the
+house one must cultivate dancing-men, and it’s very unfair to blame me
+if they aren’t all one could wish.”
+
+“I thought Constance gave up going to dances last winter?”
+
+“She did, but still I must ask them to my dinners, for if I don’t they
+won’t show Muriel and Doris attention. Mr. Durant should realise that I
+only do it for their sakes; yet to listen to him you’d suppose it was
+my duty to close my doors to dancing-men, and spend my time seeking out
+the kind one never hears of—who certainly don’t know how to dance, and
+who would either not talk at my dinners, or would lecture upon one
+subject to the whole table—just because they are what he calls
+‘purposeful men.’”
+
+“He probably recognises that the society man is not a marrying species,
+while the other is.”
+
+“But there are several who would marry Constance in a minute if she’d
+only give any one of them the smallest encouragement; and that’s what I
+mean when I complain of her being so unimpressionable. Muriel and Doris
+like our set of men well enough, and I don’t see what right she has to
+be so over-particular.”
+
+Mrs. Ferguson rose and began the adjustment of her wrap, while saying,
+“It seems to me there is but one thing for you to do, Anne.”
+
+“What?” eagerly questioned Mrs. Durant.
+
+“Indulge in a little judicious matchmaking,” suggested the friend, as
+she held out her hand.
+
+“It’s utterly useless, Josie. I’ve tried again and again, and every
+time have only done harm.”
+
+“How?”
+
+“She won’t—she is so suspicious. Now, last winter, Weston Curtis was
+sending her flowers and—and, oh, all that sort of thing, and so I
+invited him to dinner several times, and always put him next Constance,
+and tried to help
+him in other ways, until she—well, what do you think that girl did?”
+
+Mrs. Ferguson’s interest led her to drop her outstretched hand.
+“Requested you not to?” she asked.
+
+“Not one word did she have the grace to say to me, Josie, but she wrote
+to him, and asked him not to send her any more flowers! Just think of
+it.”
+
+“Then that’s why he went to India.”
+
+“Yes. Of course if she had come and told me she didn’t care for him, I
+never would have kept on inviting him; but she is so secretive it is
+impossible to tell what she is thinking about. I never dreamed that she
+was conscious that I was trying to—to help her; and I have always been
+so discreet that I think she never would have been if Mr. Durant hadn’t
+begun to joke about it. Only guess, darling, what he said to me once
+right before her, just as I thought I
+was getting her interested in young Schenck!”
+
+“I can’t imagine.”
+
+“Oh, it was some of his Wall Street talk about promoters of trusts
+always securing options on the properties to be taken in, before
+attempting a consolidation, or something of that sort. I shouldn’t have
+known what he meant if the boys hadn’t laughed and looked at Constance.
+And then Jack made matters worse by saying that my interest would be
+satisfied with common stock, but Constance would only accept preferred
+for hers. Men do blurt things out so—and yet they assert that we women
+haven’t tongue discretion. No, dear, with them about it’s perfectly
+useless for me to do so much as lift a finger to marry Constance off,
+let alone her own naturally distrustful nature.”
+
+“Well, then, can’t you get some one to do it for you—some friend of
+hers?”
+
+“I don’t believe there is a person in the world who could influence
+Constance as regards marriage,” moaned Mrs. Durant. “Don’t think that I
+want to sacrifice her, dear; but she really isn’t happy
+herself—for—well—she is a stepdaughter, you know—and so can never quite
+be the same in the family life; and now that she has tired of society,
+she really doesn’t find enough to do to keep busy. Constance wanted to
+go into the Settlement work, but her father wouldn’t hear of it—and
+really, Josie, every one would be happier and better if she only would
+marry—”
+
+“I beg your pardon for interrupting you, mama. I thought you were
+alone,” came a voice from the doorway. “How do you do, Mrs. Ferguson?”
+
+“Oh!” ejaculated both ladies, as they looked up, to find standing in
+the doorway a handsome girl, with clear-cut patrician features, and an
+erect carriage
+which gave her an air of marked distinction.
+
+“I only stopped to ask about the errand you asked me to do when I went
+out,” explained the girl, quietly, as the two women hunted for
+something to say.
+
+“Oh. Yes. Thank you for remembering, darling,” stammered Mrs. Durant,
+finding her voice at last. “Won’t you please order a bunch of something
+sent to Miss Porter—and—and—I’ll be very much obliged if you’ll attend
+to it, Constance, my dear.”
+
+The girl merely nodded her head as she disappeared, but neither woman
+spoke till the front door was heard to close, when Mrs. Durant
+exclaimed, “How long had she been standing there?”
+
+“I don’t know.”
+
+“I hope she didn’t hear!”
+
+“I don’t think she could have, or she would have shown it more,”
+
+“That doesn’t mean anything. She
+never shows anything outwardly. And really, though I wouldn’t purposely
+have said it to her, I’m not sure that I hope she didn’t hear
+it—for—well, I do wish some one would give her just such advice.”
+
+“My dear, it isn’t a case for advice; it’s a case for match-making,”
+reiterated Mrs. Ferguson, as she once more held out her hand.
+
+Meanwhile Miss Durant thoughtfully went down the steps to her carriage,
+so abstracted from what she was doing that after the footman tucked the
+fur robe about her feet, he stood waiting for his orders; and finally,
+realising his mistress’s unconsciousness, touched his hat and asked,—
+
+“Where to, Miss Constance?”
+
+With a slight start the girl came back from her meditations, and, after
+a moment’s hesitation, gave a direction.
+Then, as the man mounted to his seat and the brougham started, the
+girl’s face, which had hitherto been pale, suddenly flushed, and she
+leaned back in the carriage, so that no one should see her wipe her
+eyes with her handkerchief.
+
+“I do wish,” she murmured, with a slight break in her voice, “that at
+least mama wouldn’t talk about it to outsiders. I—I’d marry to-morrow,
+just to escape it all—if—if—a loveless marriage wasn’t even worse.” The
+girl shivered slightly, and laid her head against the cushioned side,
+as if weary.
+
+She was still so busy with her thoughts that she failed to notice when
+the brougham stopped at the florist’s, and once more was only recalled
+to concrete concerns by the footman opening the door. The ordering of
+some flowers for a débutante evidently steadied her and allowed her to
+regain self-control, for she drove in succession to the jeweller’s
+to select a wedding gift, and to the dressmaker’s for a fitting, at
+each place giving the closest attention to the matter in hand. These
+nominal duties, but in truth pleasures, concluded, nominal pleasures,
+but in truth duties, succeeded them, and the carriage halted at four
+houses long enough to ascertain that the especial objects of Miss
+Durant’s visits “begged to be excused,” or were “not at home,” each of
+which pieces of information, or, to speak more correctly, the handing
+in by the footman, in response to the information, of her card or
+cards, drew forth an unmistakable sigh of relief from that young lady.
+Evidently Miss Durant was bored by people, and this to those
+experienced in the world should be proof that Miss Durant was, in fact,
+badly bored by herself.
+
+One consequence of her escape, however, was that the girl remained with
+an hour which must be got through with
+in some manner, and so, in a voice totally without desire or eagerness,
+she said, “The Park, Wallace;” and in the Park some fifty minutes were
+spent, her greatest variation from the monotony of the wonted and
+familiar roads being an occasional nod of the head to people driving or
+riding, with a glance at those with each, or at the costumes they wore.
+
+It was with a distinct note of anticipation in her voice, therefore,
+that Miss Durant finally ordered, “Home, now, Murdock;” and, if the
+truth were to be told, the chill in her hands and feet, due to the keen
+November cold, with a mental picture of the blazing wood fire of her
+own room, and of the cup of tea that would be drank in front of it, was
+producing almost the first pleasurable prospect of the day to her.
+
+Seemingly the coachman was as eager to be in-doors as his mistress, for
+he whipped up the horses, and the carriage
+was quickly crossing the plaza and speeding down the avenue. Though the
+street was crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, the growing darkness
+put an end to Miss Durant’s nods of recognition, and she leaned back,
+once more buried in her own thoughts.
+
+At Forty-second Street she was sharply recalled from whatever her mind
+was dwelling upon by a sudden jar, due to the checking of the carriage,
+and simultaneously with it came the sound of crashing of glass and
+splintering of wood. So abrupt was the halt that Miss Durant was
+pitched forward, and as she put out her hand to save herself from being
+thrown into the bottom of the brougham, she caught a moment’s glimpse
+of a ragged boy close beside her window, and heard, even above the
+hurly-burly of the pack of carriages and street-crossers, his shrill
+cry,—
+
+“Extry _Woild_’r _Joinal_. Terrible—”
+
+There the words ended, for the distraught horses shied backwards and
+sideways, and the fore wheel, swung outwards by the sharp turn, struck
+the little fellow and threw him down. Miss Durant attempted a warning
+cry, but it was too late; and even as it rang out, the carriage gave a
+jolt and then a jar as it passed over the body. Instantly came a dozen
+warning shouts and shrieks and curses, and the horses reared and
+plunged wildly, with the new fright of something under their feet.
+
+White with terror, the girl caught at the handle, but she did no more
+than throw open the door, for, as if they sprang from the ground, a
+crowd of men were pressing about the brougham. All was confusion for a
+moment; then the tangle of vehicles seemed to open out and the mob of
+people, struggling and gesticulating, fell back before a policeman
+while another, aided by some one,
+caught the heads of the two horses, just as the footman drew out from
+under their feet into the cleared space something which looked like a
+bundle of rags and newspapers.
+
+Thinking of nothing save that limp little body, Miss Durant sprang out,
+and kneeling beside it, lifted the head gently into her lap, and
+smoothed back from the pallid face the unkempt hair. “He isn’t dead,
+Wallace?” she gasped out.
+
+“I don’t think he is, Miss Constance, though he looks like he was bad
+hurt. An’, indeed, Miss Constance, it wasn’t Murdock’s fault. The coupé
+backed right into our pole without—”
+
+“Here,” interrupted a man’s voice from the circle of spectators, “give
+him this;” and some one handed to the girl the cup of a flask half full
+of brandy. Dipping her fingers into it, she rubbed them across the
+mouth and forehead; then, raising the head with one of her
+arms, she parted the lips and poured a few drops between them.
+
+“Now, mum,” suggested the policeman. “Just you let go of it, and we’ll
+lift it to where it can stay till the ambulance gets here.”
+
+“Oh, don’t,” begged Miss Durant. “He shouldn’t be moved until—”
+
+“Like as not it’ll take ten minutes to get it here, and we can’t let
+the street stay blocked like this.”
+
+“Ten minutes!” exclaimed the girl. “Isn’t it possible—We must get help
+sooner, or he—” She broke in upon her own words, “Lift him into my
+carriage, and I’ll take him to the hospital.”
+
+“Can’t let you, miss,” spoke up a police sergeant, who meantime had
+forced his way through the crowd. “Your coachman’s got to stay and
+answer for this.”
+
+“He shall, but not now,” protested Miss Durant. “I will be responsible
+for
+him. Wallace, give them one of my cards from the case in the carriage.”
+
+
+[Illustration: “Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently”]
+
+
+The officer took the bit of pasteboard and looked at it. “That’s all
+right, miss,” he said. “Here, Casey, together now and easy.”
+
+The two big men in uniform lifted the urchin as if he were without
+weight, and laid him as gently as might be on the seat of the brougham.
+This done, the roundsman dropped the small front seat, helped Miss
+Durant in, and once she was seated upon it, took his place beside her.
+The sergeant closed the door, gave an order to the coachman, and,
+wheeling about, the carriage turned up the avenue, followed by the eyes
+of the crowd and by a trail of the more curious.
+
+“Better give it another swig, mum,” counselled her companion; and the
+girl, going on her knees, raised the head, and administered a second
+swallow of the brandy. She did not resume her seat,
+but kept her arm about the boy, in an attempt to render his position
+easier. It was a wizened, pinched little face she gazed down at, and
+now the mouth was drawn as if there was physical suffering, even in the
+unconsciousness. Neither head nor hands had apparently ever known soap,
+but the dirt only gave picturesqueness, and, indeed, to Miss Durant an
+added pathos; and the tears came into her eyes as she noted that under
+the ragged coat was only a flimsy cotton shirt, so bereft of buttons
+that the whole chest was exposed to the cold which but a little while
+before the girl, clad in furs and sheltered by the carriage, had yet
+found so nipping. She raised her free hand and laid it gently on the
+exposed breast, and slightly shivered as she felt how little warmth
+there was.
+
+“Please put the fur rug over him,” she requested; and her companion
+pulled it
+from under their feet, and laid it over the coiled-up legs and body.
+
+The weight, or the second dose of the stimulant, had an effect, for
+Miss Durant felt the body quiver, and then the eyes unclosed. At first
+they apparently saw nothing, but slowly the dulness left them, and
+they, and seemingly the whole face, sharpened into comprehension, and
+then, as they fastened on the blue coat of the policeman, into the
+keenest apprehension.
+
+“Say,” he moaned, “I didn’t do nuttin’, dis time, honest.”
+
+“I ain’t takin’ you to the station-house,” denied the officer,
+colouring and looking sideways at his companion.
+
+“You were run over, and we are carrying you to where a doctor can see
+how much you are hurt,” said the gently.
+
+The eyes of the boy turned to hers, and the face lost some of its
+fright and
+suspicion. “Is dat on de level?” he asked, after a moment’s scrutiny.
+“Youse oin’t runnin’ me in?”
+
+“No,” answered Miss Durant. “We are taking you to the hospital.”
+
+“De horspital!” exclaimed the little chap, his eyes brightening. “Is
+Ise in de rattler?”
+
+“The what?” asked Constance.
+
+“De rattler,” repeated the questioner, “de ding-dong.”
+
+“No, you ain’t in no ambulance,” spoke up the officer. “You’re in this
+young lady’s carriage.”
+
+The look of hope and pride faded out of the boy’s face. “Ise oin’t
+playin’ in no sorter luck dese days,” he sighed. Suddenly the
+expression of alarm reappeared in his face. “Wheer’s me papes?”
+
+“They’re all right. Don’t you work yourself up over them,” said the
+roundsman, heartily.
+
+“Youse didn’t let de udder newsies swipe dem, did youse?” the lad
+appealed anxiously.
+
+“I’ll pay you for every one you lost,” offered Constance. “How many did
+you have?”
+
+The ragamuffin stared at her for a moment, his face an essence of
+disbelief.
+
+“Ah, hell!” he ejaculated. “Wot’s dis song an’ dance youse givin’ us?”
+
+“Really, I will,” insisted the girl. She reached back of her and took
+her purse from the rack, and as well as she could with her one hand
+opened it.
+
+The sight of the bills and coin brought doubt to the sceptic. “Say,” he
+demanded, his eyes burning with avidity, “does youse mean dat? Dere
+oin’t no crawl in dis?”
+
+“No. How much were they worth?”
+
+The boy hesitated, and scanned her face, as if he were measuring the
+girl more than he was his loss. “Dere wuz
+twinty _Joinals_” he said, speaking slowly, and his eyes watching her
+as a cat might a mouse, “an’—an’—twinty _Woilds_—an’—an’ tirty
+_Telegrams_— an’—an’—” He drew a fresh breath, as if needing strength,
+shot an apprehensive glance at the roundsman, and went on hurriedly, in
+a lower voice, “an’ tirty-five _Posts_—”
+
+“Ah, g’long with you,” broke in the policeman, disgustedly. “He didn’t
+have mor’n twenty in all, that I know.”
+
+“Hope I may die if Ise didn’t have all dem papes, boss,” protested the
+boy.
+
+“You deserve to be run in, that’s what you do,” asserted the officer of
+the law, angrily.
+
+“Oh, don’t threaten him,” begged Miss Durant.
+
+“Don’t you be fooled by him, mum. He ain’t the kind as sells _Posts_,
+an’ if he was, he wouldn’t have more’n five.”
+
+“It’s de gospel trute Ise chuckin’ at youse dis time,” asserted the
+youngster.
+
+“Gospel Ananias—!” began the officer.
+
+“Never mind,” interrupted Miss Durant. “Would ten dollars pay for them
+all?”
+
+“Ah, I know’d youse wuz tryin’ to stuff me,” dejectedly exclaimed the
+boy; then, in an evident attempt to save his respect for his own
+acuteness, he added: “But youse didn’t. I seed de goime youse wuz
+settin’ up right from de start.”
+
+Out of the purse Constance, with some difficulty, drew a crisp
+ten-dollar bill, the boy watching the one-handed operation half
+doubtingly and half eagerly; and when it was finally achieved, at the
+first movement of her hand toward him, his arm shot out, and the money
+was snatched, more than taken. With the quick motion, however, the look
+of eagerness and joy changed to one of agony; he gave a
+sharp cry, and, despite the grime, the cheeks whitened perceptibly.
+
+“Oh, please stay quiet,” implored Miss Durant. “You mustn’t move.”
+
+“Hully gee, but dat hurted!” gasped the youngster, yet clinging to the
+new wealth. He lay quiet for a few breaths; then, as if he feared the
+sight of the bill might in time tempt a change of mind in the giver, he
+stole the hand to his trousers pocket and endeavoured to smuggle the
+money into it, his teeth set, but his lips trembling, with the pain the
+movement cost him.
+
+Not understanding the fear in the boy’s mind, Constance put her free
+hand down and tried to assist him; but the instant he felt her fingers,
+his tightened violently. “Youse guv it me,” he wailed. “Didn’t she guv
+it me?” he appealed desperately to the policeman.
+
+“I’m only trying to help put it in your pocket,” explained the girl.
+
+“Ah, chase youseself!” exclaimed the doubter, contemptuously. “Dat
+don’t go wid me. Nah!”
+
+“What doesn’t go?” bewilderedly questioned Miss Durant.
+
+“Wotcher tink youse up aginst? Suttin’ easy? Well, I guess not! Youse
+don’t get youse pickers in me pocket on dat racket.”
+
+“She ain’t goin’ to take none of your money!” asserted the policeman,
+indignantly. “Can’t you tell a real lady when you see her?”
+
+“Den let her quit tryin’ to go tru me,” protested the anxious
+capitalist; and Constance desisted from her misinterpreted attempt,
+with a laugh which died as the little fellow, at last successful in his
+endeavour to secrete the money, moaned again at the pain it cost him.
+
+“Shall we never get there?” she demanded impatiently, and, as if an
+answer were granted her, the carriage slowed,
+and turning, passed into a porte-cochère, in which the shoes of the
+horses rang out sharply, and halted.
+
+“Stay quiet a bit, mum,” advised the policeman, as he got out; and
+Constance remained, still supporting the urchin, until two men with a
+stretcher appeared, upon which they lifted the little sufferer, who
+screamed with pain that even this gentlest of handling cost him.
+
+Her heart wrung with sympathy for him, Miss Durant followed after them
+into the reception-ward. At the door she hesitated, in doubt as to
+whether it was right or proper for her to follow, till the sight of a
+nurse reassured her, and she entered; but her boldness carried her no
+farther than to stand quietly while the orderlies set down the litter.
+Without a moment’s delay the nurse knelt beside the boy, and with her
+scissors began slitting up the sleeves of the tattered coat.
+
+“Hey! Wotcher up to?” demanded the waif, suspiciously.
+
+“I’m getting you ready for the doctor,” said the nurse, soothingly.
+“It’s all right.”
+
+“Toin’t nuttin’ of de sort,” moaned the boy. “Youse spoilin’ me cloes,
+an’ if youse wuzn’t a loidy, you’d get youse face poked in, dat’s wot
+would happen to youse.”
+
+Constance came forward and laid her hand on the little fellow’s cheek.
+“Don’t mind,” she said, “and I’ll give you a new suit of clothes.”
+
+“Wen?” came the quick question.
+
+“To-morrow.”
+
+“Does youse mean dat? Honest? Dere oin’t no string to dis?”
+
+“Honest,” echoed the girl, heartily.
+
+Reassured, the boy lay quietly while the nurse completed the
+dismemberment of the ragged coat, the apology for a shirt, and the bit
+of twine which served in lieu
+of suspenders. But the moment she began on the trousers, the wail was
+renewed.
+
+“Quit, I say, or I’ll soak de two of youse; see if I don’t. Ah, won’t
+youse—” The words became inarticulate howls which the prayers and
+assurances of the two women could not lessen.
+
+“Now, then, stop this noise and tell me what is the matter,” ordered a
+masculine voice; and turning from the boy, Constance found a tall,
+strong-featured man with tired-looking eyes standing at the other side
+of the litter.
+
+Hopeful that the diversion might mean assistance, the waif’s howls once
+more became lingual. “Dey’s tryin’ to swipe me money, boss,” he whined.
+“Hope I may die if deys oin’t.”
+
+“And where is your money?” asked the doctor.
+
+“Wotcher want to know for?” demanded the urchin, with recurrent
+suspicion in his face.
+
+“It’s in the pocket of his trousers, Dr. Armstrong,” said the nurse.
+
+Without the slightest attempt to reassure the boy, the doctor forced
+loose the boy’s hold on the pocket, and inserting his hand, drew out
+the ten-dollar bill and a medley of small coins.
+
+“Now,” he said, “I’ve taken your money, so they can’t. Understand?”
+
+The urchin began to snivel.
+
+“Ah, you have no right to be so cruel to him,” protested Miss Durant.
+“It’s perfectly natural. Just think how we would feel if we didn’t
+understand.”
+
+The doctor fumbled for his eye-glasses, but not finding them quickly
+enough, squinted his eyelids in an endeavour to see the speaker. “And
+who are you?” he demanded.
+
+“Why, I am—that is—I am Miss Durant, and—” stuttered the girl.
+
+Not giving her time to finish her speech, Dr. Armstrong asked, “Why are
+you here?” while searching for his glasses.
+
+“I did not mean to intrude,” explained Constance, flushing, “only it
+was my fault, and it hurts me to see him suffer more than seems
+necessary.”
+
+Abandoning the search for his glasses, and apparently unheeding of her
+explanation, the doctor began a hasty examination of the now naked boy,
+passing his hand over trunk and limbs with a firm touch that paid no
+heed to the child’s outcries, though each turned the onlooker faint and
+cold.
+
+Her anxiety presently overcoming the sense of rebuke, the overwrought
+girl asked, “He will live, won’t he?”
+
+The man straightened up from his examination. “Except for some
+contusion,” he replied, “it apparently is only a leg and a couple of
+ribs broken.” His voice and manner conveyed the idea that legs and ribs
+were but canes and corsets.
+“Take him into the accident ward,” he directed to the orderlies, “and
+I’ll attend to him presently.”
+
+“I will not have this boy neglected,” Constance said, excitedly and
+warmly. “Furthermore, I insist that he receive instant treatment, and
+not wait _your_ convenience.”
+
+Once again Dr. Armstrong began feeling for his glasses, as he asked,
+“Are you connected with this hospital, Miss Durant?”
+
+“No, but it was my carriage ran over him, and—”
+
+“And is it because you ran over the boy, Miss Durant,” he interrupted,
+“that you think it is your right to come here and issue instructions
+for our treatment of him?”
+
+“It is every one’s right to see that assistance is given to an injured
+person as quickly as possible,” retorted the girl, though flushing,
+“and to protest if human
+suffering, perhaps life itself, is made to wait the convenience of one
+who is paid to save both.”
+
+Finally discovering and adjusting his glasses, Dr. Armstrong eyed Miss
+Durant with a quality of imperturbability at once irritating and
+embarrassing. “I beg your pardon for the hasty remark I just made,” he
+apologised. “Not having my second sight at command, I did not realise I
+was speaking to so young a girl, and therefore I allowed myself to be
+offended, which was foolish. If you choose to go with the patient, I
+trust you will satisfy yourself that no one in this hospital is lacking
+in duty or kindness.”
+
+With a feeling much akin to that she had formerly suffered at the
+conclusion of her youthful spankings, Constance followed hurriedly
+after the orderlies, only too thankful that a reason had been given her
+permitting an escape from those steady eyes and amused accents, which
+she was still feeling when the litter was set down beside an empty bed.
+
+“Has dat slob tooken me money for keeps?” whimpered the boy the moment
+the orderlies had departed.
+
+“No, no,” Constance assured him, her hand in his.
+
+“Den w’y’d he pinch it so quick?”
+
+“He’s going to take care of it for you, that’s all.”
+
+“Will he guv me a wroten pape sayin’ dat?”
+
+“See,” said the girl, only eager to relieve his anxiety, “here is my
+purse, and there is a great deal more money in it than you had, and
+I’ll leave it with you, and if he doesn’t return you your money, why,
+you shall have mine.”
+
+“Youse cert’in dere’s more den Ise had?”
+
+“Certain. Look, here are two tens and three fives and a one, besides
+some change.”
+
+“Dat’s all hunky!” joyfully ejaculated the urchin. “Now, den, wheer kin
+we sneak it so he don’t git his hooks on it?”
+
+“This is to be your bed, and let’s hide it under the pillow,” suggested
+Constance, feeling as if she were playing a game. “Then you can feel of
+it whenever you want.”
+
+“Dat’s de way to steal a base off ’im,” acceded the waif. “We’ll show
+dese guys wese oin’t no bunch of easy grapes.”
+
+Scarcely was the purse concealed when a nurse appeared with a pail of
+water and rolls of some cloth, and after her came the doctor.
+
+“Now, my boy,” he said, with a kindness and gentleness in his voice
+which surprised Constance, “I’ve got to hurt you a little, and let’s
+see how brave you can be.” He took hold of the left leg the ankle and
+stretched it, at the same
+time manipulating the calf with the fingers of his other hand.
+
+The boy gave a cry of pain, and clutched Constance’s arm, squeezing it
+so as to almost make her scream; but she set her teeth determinedly and
+took his other hand in hers.
+
+At a word the nurse grasped the limb and held it as it was placed,
+while the doctor took one of the rolls, and, dipping it in the water,
+unrolled it round and round the leg, with a rapidity and deftness which
+had, to Constance, a quality of fascination in it. A second wet bandage
+was wound over the first, then a dry one, and the leg was gently laid
+back on the litter. “Take his temperature,” ordered the doctor, as he
+began to apply strips of adhesive plaster to the injured ribs; and
+though it required some persuasion by the nurse and Constance, the
+invalid finally was persuaded to let the little glass lie under his
+tongue. His
+task completed, Dr. Armstrong withdrew the tube and glanced at it.
+
+“Dat medicine oin’t got much taste, boss,” announced the urchin,
+cheerfully, “but it soytenly done me lots of good.”
+
+The doctor looked up at Constance with a pleasant smile. “There’s both
+the sense and the nonsense of the Christian Science idiocy,” he said;
+and half in response to his smile and half in nervous relief, Constance
+laughed merrily.
+
+“I am glad for anything that makes him feel better,” she replied; then,
+colouring once more, she added, “and will you let me express my regret
+for my impulsive words a little while ago, and my thanks to you for
+relieving the suffering for which I am, to a certain extent,
+responsible?”
+
+“There is no necessity for either, Miss Durant, though I am grateful
+for both,” he replied.
+
+“Will there be much suffering?”
+
+“Probably no more than ordinarily occurs in such simple fractures,”
+said the doctor; “and we’ll certainly do our best that there shall not
+be.”
+
+“And may I see him to-morrow?”
+
+“Certainly, if you come between eleven and one.”
+
+“Thank you,” said Constance. “And one last favour. Will you tell me the
+way to my carriage?”
+
+“If you will permit me, I’ll see you to it,” offered Dr. Armstrong.
+
+With an acknowledgment of the head, Constance turned and took the boy’s
+hand and said a good-bye.
+
+“Do you suppose all newsboys are so dreadfully sharp and suspicious?”
+she asked of her guide, as they began to descend the stairs, more
+because she was conscious that he was eyeing her with steady scrutiny
+than for any other reason.
+
+“I suppose the life is closer to that of the wild beast than anything
+we have in so-called civilisation. Even a criminal has his pals, but,
+like the forest animal, everyone—even his own kind—is an enemy to the
+street waif.”
+
+“It must be terrible to suspect and fear even kindness,” sighed the
+girl, with a slight shudder. “I shall try to teach him what it means.”
+
+“There does not appear to be any carriage here, Miss Durant,” announced
+her escort.
+
+“Surely there must be. The men can’t have been so stupid as not to
+wait!”
+
+The doctor tapped on the window of the lodge. “Didn’t this lady’s
+carriage remain here?” he asked, when the porter had opened it.
+
+“It stayed till the policeman came down, doctor. He ordered it to go to
+the police-station, and got in it.”
+
+“I forgot that my coachman must answer for the accident. Is there a
+cab-stand near here?”
+
+Dr. Armstrong looked into her eyes, with an amusement which yet did not
+entirely obliterate the look of admiration, of which the girl was
+becoming more and more conscious. “The denizens of Avenue A have
+several cab-stands, of course,” he replied, “but they prefer to keep
+them over on Fifth Avenue.”
+
+“It was a foolish question, I suppose” coldly retorted Constance, quite
+as moved thereto by the scrutiny as by the words, “but I did not even
+notice where the carriage was driving when we came here. Can you tell
+me the nearest car line which will take me to Washington Square?”
+
+“As it is five blocks away, and the neighbourhood is not of the nicest,
+I shall take the liberty of walking with you to it.”
+
+“Really, I would rather not. I haven’t the slightest fear,” protested
+the girl, eager to escape both the observation and the obligation.
+
+“But I have,” calmly said her companion, as if his wish were the only
+thing to be considered.
+
+For a moment Miss Durant vacillated, then, with a very slight
+inclination of her head, conveying the smallest quantity of consent and
+acknowledgment she could express, she walked out of the porte-cochere.
+
+The doctor put himself beside her, and; they turned down the street,
+but not one word did she say. “If he will force his society upon me, I
+will at least show him my dislike of it,” was her thought.
+
+Obviously Dr. Armstrong was not disturbed by Miss Durant’s programme,
+for the whole distance was walked in silence; and even when they halted
+on the corner, he said nothing, though the girl was conscious that his
+eyes still studied her face.
+
+“I will not be the first to speak,” she vowed to herself; but minute
+after minute
+passed without the slightest attempt or apparent wish on his part, and
+finally she asked, “Are you sure this line is running?”
+
+Her attendant pointed up the street. “That yellow light is your car. I
+don’t know why the intervals are so long this evening. Usually—”
+
+He was interrupted by the girl suddenly clutching at her dress, and
+then giving an exclamation of real consternation.
+
+“What is it?” he questioned.
+
+“Why, I—nothing—that is, I think—I prefer to walk home, after all,” she
+stammered.
+
+“You mustn’t do that. It’s over two miles, and through a really rough
+district.”
+
+“I choose to, none the less,” answered Constance, starting across the
+street.
+
+“Then you will have to submit to my safeguard for some time longer,
+Miss Durant,” asserted the doctor, as he overtook her.
+
+Constance stopped. “Dr. Armstrong,” she said, “I trust you will not
+insist on accompanying me farther, when I tell you I haven’t the
+slightest fear of anything.”
+
+“You have no fear, Miss Durant,” he answered, “because you are too
+young and inexperienced to even know the possibilities. This is no part
+of the city for you to walk alone in after dark. Your wisest course is
+to take a car, but if you prefer not, you had best let me go with you.”
+
+“I choose not to take a car,” replied the girl, warmly, “and you have
+no right to accompany me against my wish.”
+
+Dr. Armstrong raised his hat. “I beg your pardon. I did not realize
+that my presence was not desired,” he said.
+
+Angry at both herself and him, Constance merely bowed, and walked on.
+“I don’t see why men have to torment
+me so,” she thought, as she hurried along. “His face was really
+interesting, and if he only wouldn’t begin like—He never would have
+behaved so if—if I weren’t—” Miss Durant checked even her thoughts from
+the word “beautiful,” and allowed the words “well dressed” to explain
+her magnetism to the other sex. Then, as if to salve her conscience of
+her own hypocrisy, she added, “It really is an advantage to a girl, if
+she doesn’t want to be bothered by men, to be born plain.”
+
+The truth of her thought was brought home to her with unexpected
+suddenness, for as she passed a strip of sidewalk made light by the
+glare from a saloon brilliant with gas, a man just coming out of its
+door stared boldly, and then joined her.
+
+“Ahem!” he said.
+
+The girl quickened her pace, but the intruder only lengthened his.
+
+“Cold night, isn’t it, darling?” he remarked, and tried to take her
+arm.
+
+Constance shrank away from the familiarity with a loathing and fear
+which, as her persecutor followed, drove her to the curb.
+
+“How dare you?” she burst out, finding he was not to be avoided.
+
+“Now don’t be silly, and—”
+
+There the sentence ended, for the man was jerked backwards by the
+collar, and then shot forward, with a shove, full length into the
+gutter.
+
+“I feared you would need assistance, Miss Durant, and so took the
+liberty of following you at a distance,” explained Dr. Armstrong, as
+the cur picked himself up and slunk away.
+
+“You are very— Thank you deeply for your kindness, Dr. Armstrong,”
+gasped the girl, her voice trembling. “I ought to have been guided by
+your advice and taken the car, but the truth
+is, I suddenly remembered - that is, I happened to be without any
+money, and was ashamed to ask you for a loan. Now, if you’ll lend me
+five cents, I shall be most grateful.”
+
+“It is said to be a feminine trait never to think of contingencies,”
+remarked the doctor, “and I think, Miss Durant, that your suggested
+five cents has a tendency in that direction. I will walk with you to
+Lexington Avenue, which is now your nearest line, and if you still
+persist then in refusing my escort, I shall insist that you become my
+debtor for at least a dollar.”
+
+“I really need not take you any further than the car, thank you, Dr.
+Armstrong, for I can get a cab at Twenty-third Street.”
+
+It was a short walk to the car line,—too short, indeed, for Miss Durant
+to express her sense of obligation as she wished,—and she tried, even
+as she was
+mounting the steps, to say a last word, but the car swept her away with
+the sentence half spoken; and with a want of dignity that was not
+customary in her, she staggered to a seat. Then as she tendered a
+dollar bill to the conductor, she remarked to herself,—
+
+“Now, that’s a man I’d like for a friend, if only he wouldn’t be
+foolish.”
+
+At eleven on the following morning, Miss Durant’s carriage once more
+stopped at the hospital door; and, bearing a burden of flowers, and
+followed by the footman carrying a large basket, Constance entered the
+ward, and made her way to the waif’s bedside.
+
+“Good-morning,” she said to Dr. Armstrong, who stood beside the next
+patient. “How is our invalid doing?”
+
+“Good-morning,” responded the doctor, taking the hand she held out. “I
+think—”
+
+“We’s takin’ life dead easy, dat’s wot wese is,” came the prompt
+interruption from the pillow, in a voice at once youthful yet worn.
+“Say, dis oin’t no lead pipe cinch, oh, no!”
+
+It was a very different face the girl found, for soap and water had
+worked wonders with it, and the scissors and brush had reduced the
+tangled shag of hair to order. Yet the ferret eyes and the alert,
+over-sharp expression were unchanged.
+
+“I’ve brought you some flowers and goodies,” said Miss Durant. “I don’t
+know how much of it will be good for him,” she went on to the doctor,
+apologetically, “but I hope some will do.” Putting the flowers on the
+bed, from the basket she produced in succession two bottles of port, a
+mould of wine jelly, a jar of orange marmalade, a box of wafers, and a
+dish of grapes, apples, and bananas.
+
+“Gee! Won’t Ise have a hell of a gorge!” joyfully burst out the
+invalid.
+
+“We’ll see about that,” remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. “He can have
+all the other things you’ve brought, in reason, Miss Durant, except the
+wine. That must wait till we see how much fever he develops to-day,”
+
+“He is doing well?”
+
+“So far, yes.”
+
+“That is a great relief to me. And, Dr. Armstrong, in returning your
+loan to me, will you let me say once again how grateful I am to you for
+all your kindness, for which I thanked you so inadequately last night?
+I deserved all that came to me, and can only wonder how you ever
+resisted saying, ‘I told you so.’”
+
+“I have been too often wrong in my own diagnosing to find any
+satisfaction or triumph in the mistakes of others,” said the doctor, as
+he took the bill the
+girl held out to him, and, let it be confessed, the fingers that held
+it, “nor can I regret anything which gave me an opportunity to serve
+you.”
+
+The speaker put an emphasis on the last word, and eyed Miss Durant in a
+way that led her to hastily withdraw her fingers, and turn away from
+his unconcealed admiration. It was to find the keen eyes of the urchin
+observing them with the closest attention; and as she realised it, she
+coloured, half in embarrassment and half in irritation.
+
+“How is your leg?” she asked, in an attempt to divert the boy’s
+attention and to conceal her own feeling.
+
+“Say. Did youse know dey done it up in plaster, so dat it’s stiff as a
+bat?” responded the youngster, eagerly. “Wish de udder kids could see
+it, for dey’ll never believe it w’en Ise tells ’em. I’ll show it to
+youse if youse want?” he offered, in his joy over the novelty.
+
+“I saw it put on,” said Constance. “Don’t you remember?”
+
+“Why, cert! Ise remembers now dat—” A sudden change came over the boy’s
+face. “Wheer’s dem cloes youse promised me?” he demanded.
+
+“Oh, I entirely forgot—”
+
+“Ah, forgit youse mudder! Youse a peach, oin’t youse?” contemptuously
+broke in the child.
+
+Miss Durant and Dr. Armstrong both burst out laughing.
+
+“Youse t’ink youse a smarty, but Ise know’d de hull time it wuz only a
+big bluff dat youse wuz tryin’ to play on me, an’ it didn’t go wid me,
+nah!” went on the youngster, in an aggrieved tone.
+
+“Isn’t he perfectly incorrigible?” sighed Constance.
+
+“Ise oin’t,” denied the boy, indignantly. “Deyse only had me up onct.”
+
+With the question the girl had turned to Dr. Armstrong; then, finding
+his eyes
+still intently studying her, she once more gave her attention to the
+waif.
+
+“Really, I did forget them,” she asserted. “You shall have a new suit
+long before you need it.”
+
+“Cert’in dat oin’t no fake extry youse shoutin’?”
+
+“Truly. How old are you?”
+
+“Wotcher want to know for?” suspiciously asked the boy.
+
+“So I can buy a suit for that age.”
+
+“Dat goes. Ise ate.”
+
+“And what’s your name?”
+
+“Swot.”
+
+“What?” exclaimed the girl.
+
+“Nah. Swot,” he corrected.
+
+“How do you spell it?”
+
+“Dun’no’. Dat’s wot de newsies calls me, ’cause of wot Ise says to de
+preacher man.”
+
+“And what was that?”
+
+“It wuz one of dem religious mugs wot comes Sunday to de Mulberry Park,
+see, an’ dat day he wuz gassin’ to us kids ’bout lettin’ a guy as had
+hit youse onct doin’ it ag’in; an’ w’en he’d pumped hisself empty, he
+says to me, says he, ‘If a bad boy fetched youse a lick on youse cheek,
+wot would youse do to ’im?’ An’ Ise says, ‘I’d swot ’im in de gob, or
+punch ’im in de slats,’ says I; an’ so de swipes calls me by dat noime.
+Honest, now, oin’t dat kinder talk jus’ sickenin’?”
+
+“But you must have another name,” suggested Miss Durant, declining to
+commit herself on that question.
+
+“Sure.”
+
+“And what is that?”
+
+“McGarrigle.”
+
+“And have you no father or mother?”
+
+“Nah.”
+
+“Or brothers or sisters?”
+
+“Nah. Ise oin’t got nuttin’.”
+
+“Where do you live?”
+
+“Ah, rubber!” disgustedly remarked
+Swot. “Say, dis oin’t no police court, see?”
+
+During all these questions, and to a certain extent their cause,
+Constance had been quite conscious that the doctor was still watching
+her, and now she once more turned to him, to say, with an inflection of
+disapproval,—
+
+“When I spoke to you just now, Dr. Armstrong, I did not mean to
+interrupt you in your duties, and you must not let me detain you from
+them.”
+
+“I had made my morning rounds long before you came, Miss Durant,”
+equably answered the doctor, “and had merely come back for a moment to
+take a look at one of the patients.”
+
+“I feared you were neglecting—were allowing my arrival to interfere
+with more important matters,” replied Miss Durant, frigidly. “I never
+knew a denser man,” she added to herself, again seeking to ignore his
+presence by giving her attention to Swot. “I should have brought a book
+with me to-day, to read aloud to you, but I had no idea what kind of a
+story would interest you. If you know of one, I’ll get it and come
+to-morrow.”
+
+“Gee, Ise in it dis time wid bote feet, oin’t Ise? Say, will youse git
+one of de Old Sleuts? Deys de peachiest books dat wuz ever wroten.”
+
+“I will, if my bookshop has one, or can get it for me in time.”
+
+“There is little chance of your getting it there, Miss Durant,”
+interposed Dr. Armstrong; “but there is a place not far from here where
+stories of that character are kept; and if it will save you any
+trouble, I’ll gladly get one of them for you.”
+
+“I have already overtaxed your kindness,” replied Constance, “and so
+will not trouble you in this.”
+
+“It would be no trouble.”
+
+“Thank you, but I shall enjoy the search myself.”
+
+“Say,” broke in the urchin. “Youse ought to let de doc do it. Don’t
+youse see dat he wants to, ’cause he’s stuck on youse?”
+
+“Then I’ll come to-morrow and read to you, Swot,” hastily remarked Miss
+Durant, pulling her veil over her face. “Good-bye.” Without heeding the
+boy’s “Dat’s fine,” or giving Dr. Armstrong a word of farewell, she
+went hurrying along the ward, and then downstairs, to her carriage. Yet
+once within its shelter, the girl leaned back and laughed merrily.
+“It’s perfectly absurd for him to behave so before all the nurses and
+patients, and he ought to know better. It is to be hoped _that_ was a
+sufficiently broad hint for his comprehension, and that henceforth he
+won’t do it.”
+
+Yet it must be confessed that the boy’s remark frequently recurred that
+day to
+Miss Durant; and if it had no other result, it caused her to devote an
+amount of thought to Dr. Armstrong quite out of proportion to the
+length of the acquaintance.
+
+Whatever the inward effect, Miss Durant could discover no outward
+evidence that Swot’s bombshell had moved Dr. Armstrong a particle more
+than her less pointed attempts to bring to him a realisation that he
+was behaving in a manner displeasing to her. When she entered the ward
+the next morning, the doctor was again there, and this time at the
+waif’s bedside, making avoidance of him out of the question. So with a
+“this-is-my-busy-day” manner, she gave him the briefest of greetings,
+and then turned to the boy.
+
+“I’ve brought you some more goodies, Swot, and I found the story,” she
+announced triumphantly.
+
+“Say, youse a winner, dat’s wot youse is; oin’t she, doc? Wot’s de
+noime?”
+
+Constance held up to him the red and yellow covered tale. “_The
+Cracksman’s Spoil, or Young Sleuth’s Double Artifice”_ she read out
+proudly.
+
+“Ah, g’way! Dat oin’t no good. Say, dey didn’t do a t’ing to youse, did
+dey?”
+
+“What do you mean?”
+
+“Dey sold youse fresh, dat’s wot dey did. De Young Sleut books oin’t no
+good. Dey’s nuttin’ but a fake extry.”
+
+“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Constance, crestfallenly. “It took me the whole
+afternoon to find it, but I did think it was what you wanted.”
+
+“I was sceptical of your being able to get even an approach to newsboy
+literature, Miss Durant,” said Dr. Armstrong, “and so squandered the
+large sum of a dime myself. I think this is the genuine article, isn’t
+it?” he asked, as he handed
+to the boy a pamphlet labelled _Old Sleuth on the Trail_.
+
+“Dat’s de real t’ing,” jubilantly acceded Swot. “Say, oin’t de women
+doisies for havin’ bases stole off ’em? Didn’t Ise give youse de warm
+tip to let de doc git it?”
+
+“You should thank him for saving you from my stupid blunder,” answered
+the girl, artfully avoiding all possibility of personal obligation.
+“Would you like me to read it to you now?”
+
+“Wouldn’t Ise, just!”
+
+Still ignoring Dr. Armstrong, Constance took the seat at the bedside,
+and opening the book, launched into the wildest sea of blood-letting
+and crime. Yet thrillingly as it began, she was not oblivious to the
+fact that for some minutes the doctor stood watching her, and she was
+quite conscious of when he finally moved away, noiselessly as he went.
+Once he was gone, she was
+more at her ease; yet clearly her conscience troubled her a little, for
+in her carriage she again gave expression to some thought by remarking
+aloud, “It was rude, of course, but if he will behave so, it really
+isn’t my fault.”
+
+
+[Illustration: “Constance took the seat at the bedside”]
+
+
+The gory tale, in true serial style, was “continued” the next and
+succeeding mornings, to the enthralment of the listener and the
+amusement of the reader, the latter finding in her occupation as well a
+convenient reason for avoiding or putting a limit to the doctor’s
+undisguised endeavours to share, if not, indeed, to monopolise, her
+attention. Even serials, however, have an end, and on the morning of
+the sixth reading the impossibly shrewd detective successfully put out
+of existence, or safely incarcerated each one of the numerous
+scoundrels who had hitherto triumphed over the law, and Constance
+closed the book.
+
+“Hully gee!” sighed Swot, contentedly.
+“Say, dat Old Sleut, he’s up to de limit, oin’t he? It don’t matter wot
+dey does, he works it so’s de hull push comes his way, don’t he?”
+
+“He certainly was very far-seeing,” Constance conceded; “but what a
+pity it is that he—that he wasn’t in some finer calling.”
+
+“Finer wot?”
+
+“How much nobler it would have been if, instead of taking life, he had
+been saving it—like Dr. Armstrong, for instance,” she added, to bring
+her idea within the comprehension of the boy.
+
+“Ah, dat’s de talk for religious mugs an’ goils,” contemptuously
+exclaimed the waif, “but it guv’s me de sore ear. It don’t go wid me,
+not one little bit.”
+
+“Aren’t you grateful to Dr. Armstrong for all he’s done for you?”
+
+“Bet youse life,” assented Swot; “but Ise oin’t goin’ to be no doctor,
+nah! Ise goin’ to git on de force, dat’s de racket Ise outer. Say, will
+youse read me anudder of dem stories?”
+
+“Gladly, if I can find the right kind this time.”
+
+The boy raised his head to look about the ward. “Hey, doc,” called his
+cracked treble.
+
+“Hush, don’t!” protested the girl.
+
+“W’y not?”
+
+Before she could frame a reason, the doctor was at the bedside. “What
+is it?” he asked.
+
+“Say, wese got tru wid dis story, an’ Miss Constance says she’ll read
+me anudder, but dey’ll set de goime up on her, sure, she bein’ a goil;
+so will youse buy de real t’ing?”
+
+“That I will.”
+
+“Dat’s hunky.” Then he appealed to Constance. “Say, will youse pay for
+it?” he requested.
+
+“And why should she?” inquired Dr. Armstrong.
+
+“’Cause she’s got de dough, an Ise heard de nurse loidies talkin’ ’bout
+youse, an’ dey said dat youse wuz poor.”
+
+It was the doctor’s turn to colour, and flush he did.
+
+“Swot and I will both be very grateful, Dr. Armstrong, if you will get
+us another of the Old Sleuth books,” spoke up Miss Durant, hastily.
+
+“Won’t youse guv ’im de price?” reiterated the urchin.
+
+“Then we’ll expect it to-morrow morning,” went on the girl; and for the
+first time in days she held out her hand to Dr. Armstrong, “And thank
+you in advance for your kindness. Good-morning.”
+
+“Rats!” she heard, as she walked away. “I didn’t tink she’d do de grand
+sneak like dat, doc, jus’ ’cause I tried to touch her for de cash.”
+
+Constance slowed one step, then resumed her former pace. “He surely— Of
+course he’ll understand why I hurried away,” she murmured.
+
+Blind as he might be, Dr. Armstrong was not blind to the geniality of
+Miss Durant’s greeting the next morning, or the warmth of her thanks
+for the cheap-looking dime novel. She chatted pleasantly with him some
+moments before beginning on the new tale; and even when she at last
+opened the book, there was a subtle difference in the way she did it
+that made it include instead of exclude him from a share in the
+reading. And this was equally true of the succeeding days.
+
+The new doings of Old Sleuth did not achieve the success that the
+previous ones had. The invalid suddenly developed both restlessness and
+inattention, with such a tendency to frequent interruptions as to make
+reading well-nigh impossible.
+
+“Really, Swot,” Constance was driven
+to threaten one morning, when he had broken in on the narrative for the
+seventh time with questions which proved that he was giving no heed to
+the book, “unless you lie quieter, and don’t interrupt so often, I
+shall not go on reading.”
+
+“Dat goes,” acceded the little fellow; yet before she had so much as
+finished a page he asked, “Say, did youse ever play craps?”
+
+“No,” she answered, with a touch of severity.
+
+“It’s a jim dandy goime, Ise tells youse. Like me to learn youse?”
+
+“No,” replied the girl, as she closed the book.
+
+“Goils never oin’t no good,” remarked Swot, discontentedly.
+
+Really irritated, Miss Durant rose and adjusted her boa. “Swot,” she
+said, “you are the most ungrateful boy I ever knew, and I’m not merely
+not going to read any more to-day, but I have a good
+mind not to come to-morrow, just to punish you.”
+
+“Ah, chase youseself!” was the response. “Youse can’t pass dat gold
+brick on me, well, I guess!”
+
+“What are you talking about?” indignantly asked Constance.
+
+“Tink Ise oin’t onter youse curves? Tink Ise don’t hear wot de nurse
+loidies says? Gee! Ise know w’y youse so fond of comin’ here.”
+
+“Why do I come here?” asked Constance, in a voice full of warning.
+
+The tone was wasted on the boy.
+
+“’Cause youse dead gone on de doc.”
+
+“I am sorry you don’t know better than to talk like that, Swot,” said
+the girl, quietly, “because I wanted to be good to you, and now you
+have put an end to my being able to be. You will have to get some one
+else to read to you after this. Good-bye.” She passed her hand kindly
+over his forehead, and
+turned to find that Dr. Armstrong was standing close behind her, and
+must have overheard more or less of what had been said. Without a word,
+and looking straight before her, Constance walked away.
+
+Once out of the hospital, her conscience was not altogether easy; and
+though she kept away the next day, she sent her footman with the usual
+gift of fruits and other edibles; and this she did again on the morning
+following.
+
+“Of course he didn’t mean to be so atrociously impertinent,” she
+sighed, in truth missing what had come to be such an amusing and novel
+way of using up some of each twenty-four hours. “But I can’t, in
+self-respect, go to him any more.”
+
+These explanations were confided to her double in the mirror, as she
+eyed the effect of a new gown, donned for a dinner; and while she still
+studied the
+eminently satisfactory total, she was interrupted by a knock at the
+door, and her maid brought her a card the footman handed in.
+
+Constance took it, looked astonished, then frowned slightly, and
+finally glanced again in the mirror. Without a word, she took her
+gloves and fan from the maid, and descended to the drawing-room.
+
+“Good-evening, Dr. Armstrong,” she said, coolly.
+
+“I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,” awkwardly and
+hurriedly began the doctor, “because nothing else would satisfy Swot
+McGarrigle. I trust you will understand that I—He—he is to undergo an
+operation, and—well, I told him it was impossible, but he still begged
+me so to ask you, that I hadn’t the heart to refuse him.”
+
+
+[Illustration: “‘I have come here—I have intruded on you, Miss
+Durant,’ hurriedly began the doctor”]
+
+
+“An operation!” cried Constance.
+
+“Don’t be alarmed. It’s really nothing serious. He—Perhaps you may have
+noticed how restless and miserable he has been lately. It is due, we
+have decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been lacerated,
+and so I am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now
+pretty keen.”
+
+“Oh, I’m so sorry,” exclaimed the girl, regretfully. “I didn’t dream of
+it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn’t come any more.”
+
+“He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very
+hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came.”
+
+“Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him.”
+
+“If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are
+really grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings,
+and, besides, could not express them, even if they had the
+words, which they don’t. But if you could hear the little chap sing
+your praises to the nurses and to me, you would not think him
+heartless. ‘My loidy’ is his favourite description of you.”
+
+“He wants to see me?” questioned the girl, eagerly.
+
+“Yes. Like most of the poorer class, Miss Durant,” explained the
+doctor, “he has a great dread of the knife. To make him less frantic, I
+promised that I would come to you with his wish; and though I would not
+for a moment have you present at the actual operation, if you could
+yield so far as to come to him for a few minutes, and assure him that
+we are going to do it for his own good, I think it will make him more
+submissive.”
+
+“When do you want me?” asked Miss Durant.
+
+“It is—I am to operate as soon as I can get back to the hospital, Miss
+Durant.
+It has been regrettably postponed as it is.”
+
+The girl stood hesitating for a moment. “But what am I to do about my
+dinner?”
+
+Dr. Armstrong’s eyes travelled over her from head to foot, taking in
+the charming gown of satin and lace, the strings of pearls about her
+exquisite throat and wrists, and all the other details which made up
+such a beautiful picture. “I forgot,” he said, quietly, “that society
+duties now take precedence over all others.” Then, with an instant
+change of manner, he went on: “You do yourself an injustice, I think,
+Miss Durant, in even questioning what you are going to do. You know you
+are coming to the boy.”
+
+For the briefest instant the girl returned his intent look, trying to
+fathom what enabled him to speak with such absolute surety; then she
+said, “Let us
+lose no time,” as she turned back into the hall and hurried out of the
+front door, not even attending to the doctor’s protest about her going
+without a wrap; and she only said to him at the carriage door, “You
+will drive with me, of course, Dr. Armstrong?” Then to the footman,
+“Tell Murdock, the hospital, Maxwell, but you are to go at once to Mrs.
+Purdy, and say I shall be prevented from coming to her to-night by a
+call that was not to be disregarded,”
+
+“It was madness of you, Miss Durant, to come out without a cloak, and I
+insist on your wearing this,” said the doctor, the moment the carriage
+had started, as he removed his own overcoat.
+
+“Oh, I forgot—but I mustn’t take it from you, Dr. Armstrong.”
+
+“Have no thought of me. I am twice as warmly clad as you, and am better
+protected than usual.”
+
+Despite her protest he placed it about
+Constance’s shoulders and buttoned it up. “You know,” he said, “the
+society girl with her bare throat and arms is at once the marvel and
+the despair of us doctors, for every dinner or ball ought to have its
+death-list from pneumonia; but it never—”
+
+“Will it be a very painful operation?” asked the girl.
+
+“Not at all; and the anaesthetic prevents consciousness. If Swot were a
+little older, I should not have had to trouble you. It is a curious
+fact that boys, as a rule, face operations more bravely than any other
+class of patient we have.”
+
+“I wonder why that is?” queried Constance.
+
+“It is due to the same ambition which makes cigarette-smokers of them—a
+desire to be thought manly.”
+
+Once the carriage reached the hospital, Constance followed the doctor
+up the
+stairs and through the corridor. “Let me relieve you of the coat, Miss
+Durant,” he advised, and took it from her and passed it over to one of
+the orderlies. Then, opening a door, he made way for her to enter.
+
+
+[Illustration: “The two were quickly seated on the floot”]
+
+
+Constance passed into a medium-sized room, which a first glance showed
+her to be completely lined with marble; but there her investigations
+ceased, for her eyes rested on the glass table upon which lay the
+little fellow, while beside him stood a young doctor and a nurse. At
+the sound of her footsteps the boy turned his head till he caught sight
+of her, when, after an instant’s stare, he surprised the girl by hiding
+his eyes and beginning to cry.
+
+“Ise knowed all along youse wuz goin’ to kill me,” he sobbed.
+
+“Why, Swot,” cried Constance, going to his side. “Nobody is going to
+kill you.”
+
+The hands were removed from the eyes, and still full of tears, they
+blinkingly stared a moment at the girl.
+
+“Hully gee! Is dat youse?” he ejaculated. “Ise tought youse wuz de
+angel come for me.”
+
+“You may go many years in society, Miss Durant, without winning another
+compliment so genuine,” remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. “Nor is it
+surprising that he was misled,” he added.
+
+Constance smiled in return as she answered, “And it only proves how the
+value of a compliment is not in its truthfulness, but in its being
+truth to the one who speaks it.”
+
+“Say, youse won’t let dem do nuttin’ bad to me, will youse?” implored
+the boy.
+
+“They are only going to help you, Swot,” the girl assured him, as she
+took his hand.
+
+“Den w’y do dey want to put me to sleep for?”
+
+“To spare you suffering,”
+
+“Dis oin’t no knock-out drops, or dat sorter goime? Honest?”
+
+“No. I won’t let them do you any harm.”
+
+“Will youse watch dem all de time dey’s doin’ tings to me?”
+
+“Yes. And if you’ll be quiet and take it nicely, I’ll bring you a
+present to-morrow.”
+
+“Dat’s grand! Wot’ll youse guv me? Say, don’t do dat,” he protested, as
+the nurse applied the sponge and cone to his face.
+
+“Lie still, Swot,” said Constance, soothingly, “and tell me what you
+would best like me to give you. Shall it be a box of building-blocks—or
+some soldiers—or a fire-engine—or—”
+
+“Nah. Ise don’t want nuttin’ but one ting—an’ dat’s—wot wuz Ise
+tinkin’—Ise forgits wot it wuz—lemme see—Wot’s de matter? Wheer is
+youse all?—” The little frame relaxed and lay quiet.
+
+“That is all you can do for us, Miss Durant,” said Dr. Armstrong.
+
+“May I not stay, as I promised him I would?” begged Constance.
+
+“Can you bear the sight of blood?”
+
+“I don’t know—but see—I’ll turn my back.” Suiting the action to the
+word, the girl faced so that, still holding Swot’s hand, she was
+looking away from the injured leg.
+
+A succession of low-spoken orders to his assistants was the doctor’s
+way of telling her that he left her to do as she chose, She stood
+quietly for a few minutes, but presently her desire to know the
+progress of the operation, and her anxiety over the outcome, proved too
+strong for her, and she turned her head to take a furtive glance. She
+did not
+look away again, but with a strange mixture of fascination and
+squeamishness, she watched as the bleeding was stanched with sponges,
+each artery tied, and each muscle drawn aside, until finally the nerve
+was reached and removed; and she could not but feel both wonder and
+admiration as she noted how Dr. Armstrong’s hands, at other times
+seemingly so much in his way, now did their work so skilfully and
+rapidly. Not till the operation was over, and the resulting wound was
+being sprayed with antiseptics, did the girl realize how cold and faint
+she felt, or how she was trembling. Dropping the hand of the boy, she
+caught at the operating-table, and then the room turned black.
+
+“It’s really nothing,” she asserted. “I only felt dizzy for an instant.
+Why! Where am I?”
+
+“You fainted away, Miss Durant, and we brought you here,” explained the
+nurse, once again applying the salts. The woman rose and went to the
+door. “She is conscious now, Dr. Armstrong.”
+
+As the doctor entered Constance tried to rise, but a motion of his hand
+checked her. “Sit still a little yet, Miss Durant,” he ordered
+peremptorily. From a cupboard he produced a plate of crackers and a
+glass of milk, and brought them to her.
+
+“I really don’t want anything,” declared the girl.
+
+“You are to eat something at once,” insisted Dr. Armstrong, in a very
+domineering manner.
+
+He held the glass to her lips, and Constance, after a look at his face,
+took a swallow of the milk, and then a piece of cracker he broke off.
+
+“How silly of me to behave so,” she said, as she munched.
+
+“The folly was mine in letting you
+stay in the room when you had had no dinner. That was enough to knock
+up any one,” answered the doctor. “Here.” Once again the glass was held
+to her lips, and once again, after a look at his face, Constance drank,
+and then accepted a second bit of cracker from his fingers.
+
+“Do you keep these especially for faint-minded women?” she asked,
+trying to make a joke of the incident.
+
+“This is my particular sanctum, Miss Durant; and as I have a
+reprehensible habit of night-work, I keep them as a kind of sleeping
+potion.”
+
+Constance glanced about the room with more interest, and as she noticed
+the simplicity and the bareness, Swot’s remark concerning the doctor’s
+poverty came back to her. Only many books and innumerable glass
+bottles, a microscope, and other still more mysterious instruments,
+seemed to save it from the
+tenement-house, if not, indeed, the prison, aspect.
+
+“Are you wondering how it is possible for any one to live in such a
+way?” asked the doctor, as his eyes followed hers about the room.
+
+“If you will have my thought,” answered Constance, “it was that I am in
+the cave of the modern hermit, who, instead of seeking solitude,
+because of the sins of mankind, seeks it that he may do them good.”
+
+“We have each had a compliment to-night,” replied Dr. Armstrong, his
+face lighting up.
+
+The look in his eyes brought something into the girl’s thoughts, and
+with a slight effort she rose. “I think I am well enough now to relieve
+you of my intrusion,” she said.
+
+“You will not be allowed to leave the hermit’s cell till you have
+finished the cracker and the milk,” affirmed the man.
+“I only regret that I can’t keep up the character by offering you
+locusts and wild honey.”
+
+“At least don’t think it necessary to stay here with me,” said Miss
+Durant, as she dutifully began to eat and drink again. “If—oh—the
+operation—How is Swot?”
+
+“Back in the ward, though not yet conscious.”
+
+“And the operation?”
+
+“Absolutely successful.”
+
+“Despite my interruption?”
+
+“Another marvel to us M.D.’s is the way so sensitive a thing as a woman
+will hold herself in hand by sheer nerve force when it is necessary.
+You did not faint till the operation was completed.”
+
+“Now may I go?” asked the girl, with a touch of archness, as she held
+up the glass and the plate, both empty.
+
+“Yes, if you will let me share your carriage. Having led you into this
+predicament,
+the least I feel I can do is to see you safely out of it.”
+
+“Now the hermit is metamorphosing himself into a knight,” laughed
+Constance, merrily, “with a distressed damsel on his hands. I really
+need not put you to the trouble, but I shall be glad if you will take
+me home.”
+
+Once again the doctor put his overcoat about her, and they descended
+the stairs and entered the brougham.
+
+“Tell me the purpose of all those instruments I saw in your room,” she
+asked as they started.
+
+“They are principally for the investigation of bacteria. Not being
+ambitious to spend my life doctoring whooping-cough and indigestion, I
+am striving to make a scientist of myself.”
+
+“Then that is why you prefer hospital work?”
+
+“No. I happen to have been born
+with my own living to make in the world, and when I had worked my way
+through the medical school, I only too gladly became ‘Interne’ here,
+not because it is what I wish to do, but because I need the salary.”
+
+“Yet it seems such a noble work.”
+
+“Don’t think I depreciate it, but what I am doing is only remedial What
+I hope to do is to prevent.”
+
+“How is it possible?”
+
+“For four years my every free hour has been given to studying what is
+now called tuberculosis, and my dream is to demonstrate that it is in
+fact the parent disease—a breaking down—disintegration—of the bodily
+substance—the tissue, or cell—and to give to the world a specific.”
+
+“How splendid!” exclaimed Constance. “And you believe you can?”
+
+“Every day makes me more sure that both demonstration and specific are
+possible
+—but it is unlikely that I shall be the one to do it.”
+
+“I do not see why?”
+
+“Because there are many others studying the disease who are free from
+the necessity of supporting themselves, and so can give far more time
+and money to the investigation than is possible for me. Even the
+scientist must be rich in these days, Miss Durant, if he is to win the
+great prizes.”
+
+“Won’t you tell me something about yourself?” requested Constance,
+impulsively.
+
+“There really is nothing worth while yet. I was left an orphan young,
+in the care of an uncle who was able to do no better for me than to get
+me a place in a drug-store. By doing the night-work it was possible to
+take the course at the medical college; and as I made a good record,
+this position was offered to me.”
+
+“It—you could make it interesting if you tried.”
+
+“I’m afraid I am not a realist, Miss Durant. I dream of a future that
+shall be famous by the misery and death I save the world from, but my
+past is absolutely eventless.”
+
+As he ended, the carriage drew up at the house, and the doctor helped
+her out.
+
+“You will take Dr. Armstrong back to the hospital, Murdock,” she
+ordered.
+
+“Thank you, but I really prefer a walk before going to _my_ social
+intimates, the bacilli,” answered the doctor, as he went up the steps
+with her. Then, after he had rung the bell, he held out his hand and
+said: “Miss Durant, I need scarcely say, after what I have just told
+you, that my social training has been slight—so slight that I was quite
+unaware that the old adage, ‘Even a cat may look at a king,’ was no
+longer a fact until I overheard
+what was said the other day. My last wish is to keep you from coming to
+the hospital, and in expressing my regret at having been the cause of
+embarrassment to you, I wish to add a pledge that henceforth, if you
+will resume your visits, you and Swot shall be free from my intrusion.
+Good-night,” he ended, as he started down the steps.
+
+“But I never—really I have no right to exclude—nor do I wish—”
+protested the girl; and then, as the servant opened the front door,
+even this halting attempt at an explanation ceased. She echoed a
+“Good-night,” adding, “and thank you for all your kindness,” and very
+much startled and disturbed the footman, as she passed into the
+hallway, by audibly remarking, “Idiot!”
+
+She went upstairs slowly, as if thinking, and once in her room, seated
+herself at her desk and commenced a note. Before she had written a page
+she tore the
+paper in two and began anew. Twice she repeated this proceeding; then
+rose in evident irritation, and, walking to her fire, stood looking
+down into the flame. “I’ll think out what I had better do when I’m not
+so tired,” she finally remarked, as she rang for her maid. But once in
+bed, her thoughts, or the previous strain, kept her long hours awake;
+and when at last she dropped into unconsciousness her slumber was made
+miserable by dreams mixing in utter confusion operating-room and
+dinner, guests and microbes—dreams in which she was alternately
+striving to explain something to Dr. Armstrong, who could not be
+brought to understand, or to conceal something he was determined to
+discover. Finally she found herself stretched on the dinner-table, the
+doctor, knife in hand, standing over her, with the avowed intention of
+opening her heart to learn some secret, and it was her helpless
+protests
+and struggles which brought consciousness to her—to discover that she
+had slept far into the morning.
+
+With the one thought of a visit to the hospital during the permitted
+hours, she made a hasty toilet, followed by an equally speedy
+breakfast, and was actually on her way downstairs when she recalled her
+promise of a gift. A glance at her watch told her that there was not
+time to go to the shops, and hurrying back to her room, she glanced
+around for something among the knick-knacks scattered about. Finding
+nothing that she could conceive of as bringing pleasure to the waif,
+she took from a drawer of her desk a photograph of herself, and
+descended to the carriage.
+
+She had reason to be thankful for her recollection, as, once her
+greetings, and questions to the nurse about the patient’s condition
+were made, Swot demanded,
+
+“Wheer’s dat present dat youse promised me?”
+
+“I did not have time this morning to get something especially for you,”
+she explained, handing him the portrait, “so for want of anything
+better, I’ve brought you my picture.”
+
+The urchin took the gift and looked at both sides. “Wotinell’s dat good
+for?” he demanded contemptuously.
+
+“I thought—hoped it might please you, as showing you that I had
+forgiven—that I liked you.”
+
+“Ah, git on de floor an’ look at youseself,” disgustedly remarked Swot.
+“Dat talk don’t cut no ice wid me. W’y didn’t youse ask wot Ise wants?”
+
+“And what would you like?”
+
+“Will youse guv me a pistol?”
+
+“Why, what would you do with it?”
+
+“I’d trow a scare into de big newsies w’en dey starts to chase me off
+de good beats.”
+
+“Really, Swot, I don’t think I ought to give you anything so dangerous.
+You are very young to—”
+
+“Ah! Youse a goil, an’ deyse born frightened. Bet youse life, if youse
+ask de doc, he won’t tink it nuttin’ to be scared of.”
+
+“He isn’t here this morning,” remarked Constance, for some reason
+looking fixedly at the glove she was removing as she spoke.
+
+The urchin raised his head and peered about. “Dat’s funny!” he
+exclaimed. “It’s de first time he oin’t bin here w’en youse wuz at de
+bat.”
+
+“Has he seen you this morning?”
+
+“Why, cert!”
+
+The girl opened the dime novel and found the page at which the
+interruption had occurred, hesitated an instant, and remarked, “The
+next time he comes you might say that I would like to see him for a
+moment—to ask if I had better give
+you a pistol.” This said, she hastily began on the book. Thrillingly as
+the pursuits and pursuit of the criminal classes were pictured,
+however, there came several breaks in the reading; and had any keenly
+observant person been watching Miss Durant, he would have noticed that
+these pauses invariably happened whenever some one entered the ward.
+
+It was made evident to her that she and Swot gave value to entirely
+different parts of her message to the doctor; for, no sooner did she
+reach the waif’s bedside the next morning than the invalid announced,—
+
+“Say, Ise done my best to jolly de doc, but he stuck to it dat youse
+oughtn’t to guv me no pistol.”
+
+“Didn’t you tell him what I asked you to say?” demanded Constance,
+anxiously.
+
+“Soytenly. Ise says to ’im dat youse wanted to know wot he tought, an’
+he
+went back on me. Ise didn’t tink he’d trun me down like dat!”
+
+“I might better have written him,” murmured Miss Durant, thoughtfully.
+She sat for some time silently pondering, till the waif asked,—
+
+“Say, youse goin’ to guv me dat present just de same, oin’t youse?”
+
+“Yes, I’ll give you a present,” acceded the girl, opening the book. “I
+think, Swot,” she continued, “that we’ll have to trouble Dr. Armstrong
+for another Old Sleuth, as we shall probably finish this to-day. And
+tell him this time it is my turn to pay for it,” From her purse she
+produced a dime, started to give it to the boy, hastily drew back her
+hand, and replacing the coin, substituted for it a dollar bill. Then
+she began reading rapidly—so rapidly that the end of the story was
+attained some twenty minutes before the visitors’ time had expired.
+
+“Say,” was her greeting on the following day, as Swot held up another
+lurid-looking tale and the dollar bill, “Ise told de doc youse wuzn’t
+willin’ dat he, bein’ poor, should bleed de cash dis time, an’ dat
+youse guv me dis to—”
+
+“You didn’t put it that way, Swot?” demanded Miss Durant.
+
+“Wot way?”
+
+“That I said he was poor.”
+
+“Soytenly.”
+
+“Oh, Swot, how could you?”
+
+“Wot’s de matter?”
+
+“I never said that! Was he—was he—What did he say?”
+
+“Nuttin’ much, ’cept dat I wuz to guv youse back de dough, for de books
+wuz on ’im.”
+
+“I’m afraid you have pained him, Swot, and you certainly have pained
+me. Did he seem hurt or offended?”
+
+“Nop.”
+
+“I wish you would tell him I shall be greatly obliged if he will come
+to the ward to-morrow, for I wish to see him. Now don’t alter this
+message, please, Swot.”
+
+That her Mercury did her bidding more effectively was proved by her
+finding the doctor at the bedside when she arrived the next day.
+
+“Swot told me that you wished to see me, Miss Durant,” he said.
+
+“Yes, and I’m very much obliged to you for waiting. I—How soon will it
+be possible for him to be up?”
+
+“He is doing so famously that we’ll have him out of bed by Monday, I
+hope.”
+
+“I promised him a present, and I want to have a Christmas tree for him,
+if he can come to it.”
+
+“Wot’s dat?” came the quick question from the bed.
+
+“If you don’t know, I’m going to let it be a surprise to you, Swot. Do
+you think he will be well enough to come to my house? Of course I’ll
+send my carriage.”
+
+“If he continues to improve, he certainly will be.”
+
+“Say, is dat de ting dey has for de mugs wot goes to Sunday-school, an’
+dat dey has a party for?”
+
+“Yes, only this tree will be only for you, Swot,”
+
+“Youse oin’t goin’ to have no udder swipes but me?”
+
+“No.”
+
+“Den who’ll git all de presents wot’s on de tree?” inquired Swot,
+suggestively.
+
+“Guess!” laughed Constance.
+
+“Will dey all be for me?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Hully gee! But dat’s grand! Ise in it up to de limit, doc, oin’t Ise?”
+exclaimed the waif, turning to the doctor.
+
+Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded his head, but something in his face or
+manner seemed to give a change to the boy’s thoughts, for, after eyeing
+him intently, he said to Constance,—
+
+“Oin’t youse goin’ to invite de doc?”
+
+Miss Durant coloured as she said, with a touch of eagerness yet
+shyness, “Dr. Armstrong, I intended to ask you, and it will give me a
+great deal of pleasure if you will come to Swot’s and my festival.” And
+when the doctor seemed to hesitate, she added, “Please!” in a way that
+would have very much surprised any man of her own circle.
+
+“Thank you, Miss Durant; I’ll gladly come, if you are sure I sha’n’t be
+an interloper.”
+
+“Not at all,” responded the girl. “On the contrary, it would be sadly
+incomplete without you—”
+
+“Say,” broke in the youngster, “growed-up folks don’t git tings off de
+tree, does dey?”
+
+Both Constance and the doctor laughed at the obvious fear in the boy’s
+mind.
+
+“No, Swot,” the man replied; “and I’ve had my Christmas gift from Miss
+Durant already.”
+
+“Wot wuz dat?”
+
+“Ask her,” replied Dr. Armstrong, as he walked away.
+
+“Wot have youse guv ’im?”
+
+Constance laughed, and blushed still more deeply, as, after a slight
+pause, she replied, “It’s my turn, Swot, to say ‘rubber’?” This said,
+she stooped impulsively and kissed the boy’s forehead. “You are a dear,
+Swot,” she asserted, warmly.
+
+With the mooting of the Christmas tree, the interest in Old Sleuth
+markedly declined, being succeeded by innumerable
+surmises of the rapidly convalescing boy as to the probable nature and
+number of the gifts it would bear. In this he was not discouraged by
+Miss Durant, who, once the readings were discontinued, brought a bit of
+fancy-work for occupation.
+
+“Wot’s dat?” he inquired, the first time she produced it.
+
+“A case for handkerchiefs.”
+
+“For me?”
+
+“Did you ever have a handkerchief?”
+
+“Nop. An’ I’d radder have suttin’ else.”
+
+“Can you keep a secret, Swot?”
+
+“Bet youse life.”
+
+“This is for Dr. Armstrong.”
+
+Swot regarded it with new interest. “Youse goin’ to s’prise ’im?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Den youse must sneak it quick w’en he comes in.”
+
+“Haven’t you noticed that he doesn’t come here any longer, Swot?”
+quietly responded the girl, her head bowed over the work.
+
+“Oin’t dat luck!”
+
+“Why?” asked Constance, looking up in surprise.
+
+“’Cause youse can work on de present,” explained Swot. “Say,” he
+demanded after a pause, “if dere’s anyting on de tree dat Ise don’t
+cares for, can Ise give it to de doc?”
+
+“Certainly. Or better still, if you’ll find out what he would like,
+I’ll let you make him a present.”
+
+“Youse payin’ for it?” anxiously questioned the boy.
+
+“Of course.”
+
+“Dat’s Jim Dandy!”
+
+Miss Durant recurred to this offer twice in the succeeding week, but to
+her surprise, found Swot’s apparent enthusiasm over the gift had
+entirely cooled, and his one object was a seeming desire to avoid all
+discussion of it.
+
+“Don’t you want to give him something, or haven’t you found out what he
+wants?” she was driven to ask.
+
+“Oh, dat’s all right. Don’t youse tire youself ’bout dat,” was his
+mysterious reply. Nor could she extract anything more satisfactory.
+
+It was a very different Swot McGarrigle who was helped into Miss
+Durant’s carriage by the doctor on Christmas eve from the one who had
+been lifted out at the hospital some six weeks before. The wizened face
+had filled out into roundness, and the long-promised new clothes,
+donned for the first time in honor of the event, even more transformed
+him; so changed him, in fact, that Constance hesitated for an instant
+in her welcome, in doubt if it were he.
+
+“I have the tree in my own room, because I wanted all the fun to
+ourselves,” she explained, as she led the way upstairs, “and downstairs
+we should almost certainly be interrupted by callers, or something. But
+before you go, Dr. Armstrong, I want you to meet my family, and of
+course they all want to see Swot.”
+
+It was not a large nor particularly brilliant tree, but to Swot it was
+everything that was beautiful. At first he was afraid to approach, but
+after a little Constance persuaded him into a walk around it, and
+finally tempted him, by an artful mention of what was in one of the
+larger packages at the base, to treat it more familiarly. Once the ice
+was broken, the two were quickly seated on the floor, Constance cutting
+strings, and Swot giving shouts of delight at each new treasure.
+Presently, in especial joy over some prize, the boy turned to show
+it to the doctor, to discover that he was standing well back, watching,
+rather than sharing, in the pleasure of the two; and, as the little
+chap discovered the aloofness, he leaned over and whispered something
+to the girl.
+
+“I want to, but can’t get the courage yet,” whispered back Constance.
+“I don’t know what is the matter with me, Swot,” she added, blushing.
+
+“Like me to guv it to ’im?”
+
+“Oh, will you, Swot?” she eagerly demanded. “It’s the parcel in
+tissue-paper on my desk over there.”
+
+The waif rose to his feet and trotted to the place indicated. He gave a
+quick glance back at Miss Durant, and seeing that she was leaning over
+a bundle, he softly unfolded the tissue-paper, slipped something from
+his newly possessed breast pocket into the handkerchief-case, and
+refolded the paper. He crossed the room to where the doctor was
+standing,
+and handed him the parcel, with the remark, “Dat’s for youse, from Miss
+Constance an’ me, doc.” Then scurrying back to the side of the girl, he
+confided to her, “Ise guv de doc a present, too.”
+
+“What was it?” asked Constance, still not looking up.
+
+“Go an’ ask ’im,” chuckled Swot.
+
+Turned away as she might be, she was not unconscious of the doctor’s
+movements, and she was somewhat puzzled when, instead of coming to her
+with thanks, he crossed the room to a bay-window, where he was hidden
+by the tree from both of them. From that point he still further
+astonished her by the request,—
+
+“Can you—will you please come here for a moment, Miss Durant?”
+
+Constance rose and walked to where he stood. “I hope you like my gift?”
+she asked.
+
+“You could have given me nothing I have so wanted—nothing I shall
+treasure more,” said the man, speaking low and fervently. “But did you
+realise what this would mean to me?” As he spoke, he raised his hand,
+and Constance saw, not the handkerchief-case, but a photograph of
+herself.
+
+“Oh!” she gasped. “Where—I didn’t—that was a picture I gave to Swot.
+The case is my gift,”
+
+The doctor’s hand dropped, and all the hope and fire went from his
+eyes. “I beg your pardon for being so foolish, Miss Durant. I—I lost my
+senses for a moment—or I would have known that you never—that the other
+was your gift.” He stooped to pick it up from the floor where he had
+dropped it. “Thank you very deeply for your kindness, and—and try to
+forget my folly.”
+
+“I—I—couldn’t understand why Swot suddenly—why he—I never dreamed of
+his doing it,” faltered the girl.
+
+“His and my knowledge of social conventions are about on a par,”
+responded the man, with a set look to his mouth. “Shall I give it back
+to him or to you?”
+
+Constance drew a deep breath. “It wasn’t—my—gift—but—but—I don’t mind
+your keeping it if you wish.”
+
+“You mean—?” cried Dr. Armstrong, incredulously.
+
+“Oh,” said the girl, hurriedly, “isn’t that enough, now? Please, oh,
+please—wait—for a little.”
+
+The doctor caught her hand and kissed it. “Till death, if you ask it!”
+he said.
+
+Five minutes later Swot abstracted himself sufficiently from his gifts
+to
+peep around the tree and ecstatically inquire,—
+
+“Say, oin’t dis de doisiest Christmas dat ever wuz?”
+
+“Yes,” echoed the two in the bay-window.
+
+“Did youse like me present, doc?”
+
+“Yes,” reiterated the doctor, with something in his voice that gave the
+word tenfold meaning.
+
+“Ise tought youse ’ud freeze to it, an’ it wuzn’t no sorter good to
+me.”
+
+Constance laughed happily. “Still, I’m very glad I gave it to you,
+Swot,” she said, with a glance of the eyes, half shy and half arch, at
+the man beside her.
+
+“Did youse like Miss Constance’s present too, doc?”
+
+“Yes,” replied the doctor, “especially the one you haven’t seen, Swot.”
+
+“Wot wuz dat?”
+
+“A something called hope—which is the finest thing in the world.”
+
+“No. There is one thing better,” said Miss Durant.
+
+“What is it?”
+
+“Love!” whispered Constance, softly.
+
+
+
+
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+<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wanted—A Match Maker, by Paul Leicester Ford</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
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+at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you
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+country where you are located before using this eBook.
+</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Wanted—A Match Maker</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Paul Leicester Ford</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Howard Chandler Christy</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Decorations by: Margaret Armstrong</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: December 9, 2004 [eBook #14211]<br />
+[Most recently updated: January 24, 2022]</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Juliet Sutherland, Joshua Hutchinson and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team</div>
+<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WANTED—A MATCH MAKER ***</div>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:55%;">
+<img src="images/cover.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="[Illustration]" />
+</div>
+
+<h1>Wanted &mdash; A Matchmaker</h1>
+
+<h2 class="no-break">by Paul Leicester Ford</h2>
+
+<hr />
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus01"></a>
+<img src="images/image1.jpg" width="320" height="447" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, Swot,&rsquo; cried Constance,
+&lsquo;nobody is going to kill you&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<hr />
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<p class="center">
+To<br />
+Bond and Edith Thomas<br />
+as a Record of Our Friendship
+</p>
+
+<hr />
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2>Illustrations</h2>
+
+<table summary="" style="">
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus01">&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, Swot,&rsquo; cried Constance,&rsquo; nobody is going to kill you&rsquo;&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus02">&ldquo;Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus03">&ldquo;Constance took the seat at the bedside&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus04">&ldquo;&lsquo;I have come here&mdash;I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,&rsquo; hurriedly began the doctor&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#illus05">&ldquo;The two were quickly seated on the floor&rdquo;</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+</table>
+
+<hr />
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h2>Wanted: A Match-Maker</h2>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You understand, Josie, that I wouldn&rsquo;t for a moment wish Constance
+to marry without being in love, but&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Mrs. Durant hesitated long enough to convey the inference that she was
+unfeminine enough to place a value on her own words, and then, the pause having
+led to a change, or, at least, modification of what had almost found utterance,
+she continued, with a touch of petulance which suggested that the general
+principle had in the mind of the speaker a special application, &ldquo;It is
+certainly a great pity that the modern girl should be so
+unimpressionable!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I understand and sympathise with you perfectly, dear,&rdquo; consolingly
+acceded Mrs. Ferguson. &ldquo;And Constance has such advantages!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quite unnoting that her friend replied to her thought rather than to her words,
+Mrs. Durant responded at once eagerly, yet defensively: &ldquo;That is it. No
+one will deny that Muriel is quite Constance&rsquo;s equal in mind, and, though
+perhaps I am not the one to say it, Doris surely excels her in looks.
+Don&rsquo;t you think so, darling?&rdquo; she added.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Unquestionably,&rdquo; agreed the friend, with much the quality of firm
+promptness with which one would bolt a nauseous pill, or extrude an ailing
+oyster.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yet merely because Constance has been out so much longer, and therefore
+is much more experienced, she self&mdash;she monopolises the attentions of the
+men; you know she does, Josie.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Absolutely,&rdquo; once more concurred Mrs. Ferguson; and this time,
+though she spoke less quickly, her tone carried greater conviction. &ldquo;They
+are&mdash;well&mdash;she&mdash;she undoubtedly&mdash;that is, she
+contrives&mdash;somehow&mdash;to eclipse, or at least overshadow them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Exactly. I don&rsquo;t like to think that she manages&mdash;but whether
+she does or not, the results are as bad as if she did; and
+thoughtlessness&mdash;if it is only that, which I can&rsquo;t believe&mdash;is
+quite as blamable as&mdash;as more intentional scheming.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then of course,&rdquo; said Mrs. Ferguson, &ldquo;every one knows about
+her mother&rsquo;s fortune&mdash;and men are so mercenary in these days.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, Josie, I don&rsquo;t like to speak of that myself, but it is such a
+relief to have you say it. That is the whole trouble. What sort of a chance
+have my poor dears, who will inherit so little compared to her wealth, and that
+not till&mdash;till we are through with it&mdash;against Constance? I call it
+really shameful of her to keep on standing in their light!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have you&mdash;Couldn&rsquo;t you let her see&mdash;drop a hint&mdash;of
+the unconscious injury she is&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is the cruelty of my position,&rdquo; moaned Mrs. Durant. &ldquo;I
+should not hesitate a moment, but the world is so ill-natured about stepmothers
+that one has to be over-careful, and with daughters of my own, I&rsquo;m afraid
+people&mdash;perhaps my own husband&mdash;would think I was trying to sacrifice
+her to them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But have you no friend you could ask to&mdash;?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Josie! Would you?&rdquo; eagerly interrupted Mrs. Durant. &ldquo;She
+will be influenced, I know, by anything you&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gracious, my dear, I never dreamed of&mdash;of you asking me! Why, I
+don&rsquo;t
+
+know her in the least. I couldn&rsquo;t, really.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But for my sake? And you know her as well as&mdash;as any one else; for
+Constance has no intimates or&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you see that&rsquo;s it? I&rsquo;d as soon think
+of&mdash;of&mdash;From me she would only take it as an impertinence.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see why everybody stands so in awe of a girl of
+twenty-three, unless it&rsquo;s because she&rsquo;s rich,&rdquo; querulously
+sighed Mrs. Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s that, Anne. It&rsquo;s her proud face and
+reserved manner. And I believe those are the real reasons for her not marrying.
+However much men may admire her, they&mdash;they&mdash;Well, it&rsquo;s your
+kittenish, cuddling kind of a girl they marry.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No; you are entirely wrong. Doubtless it is her money, but Constance has
+had plenty of admirers, and if she were
+
+less self&mdash;if she considered the interests of the family&mdash;she would
+have married years ago. But she is wholly blind to her duty, and checks or
+rebuffs every man who attempts to show her devotion. And just because others
+take their places, she is puffed up into the belief that she is to go through
+life with an everlasting train of would-be suitors, and so enjoys her own
+triumph, with never a thought of my girls.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why not ask her father to speak to her?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My dear! As if I hadn&rsquo;t, a dozen times at the least,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what does he say?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That Constance shows her sense by not caring for the men <i>I</i> invite
+to the house! As if <i>I</i> could help it! Of course with three girls in the
+house one must cultivate dancing-men, and it&rsquo;s very unfair to blame me if
+they aren&rsquo;t all one could wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thought Constance gave up going to dances last winter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She did, but still I must ask them to my dinners, for if I don&rsquo;t
+they won&rsquo;t show Muriel and Doris attention. Mr. Durant should realise
+that I only do it for their sakes; yet to listen to him you&rsquo;d suppose it
+was my duty to close my doors to dancing-men, and spend my time seeking out the
+kind one never hears of&mdash;who certainly don&rsquo;t know how to dance, and
+who would either not talk at my dinners, or would lecture upon one subject to
+the whole table&mdash;just because they are what he calls &lsquo;purposeful
+men.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He probably recognises that the society man is not a marrying species,
+while the other is.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But there are several who would marry Constance in a minute if
+she&rsquo;d only give any one of them the smallest encouragement; and
+that&rsquo;s what I mean when I complain of her being so unimpressionable.
+Muriel and Doris like our set of men well enough, and I don&rsquo;t see what
+right she has to be so over-particular.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Mrs. Ferguson rose and began the adjustment of her wrap, while saying,
+&ldquo;It seems to me there is but one thing for you to do, Anne.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What?&rdquo; eagerly questioned Mrs. Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Indulge in a little judicious matchmaking,&rdquo; suggested the friend,
+as she held out her hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s utterly useless, Josie. I&rsquo;ve tried again and again, and
+every time have only done harm.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She won&rsquo;t&mdash;she is so suspicious. Now, last winter, Weston
+Curtis was sending her flowers and&mdash;and, oh, all that sort of thing, and
+so I invited him to dinner several times, and always put him next Constance,
+and tried to help
+
+him in other ways, until she&mdash;well, what do you think that girl
+did?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Mrs. Ferguson&rsquo;s interest led her to drop her outstretched hand.
+&ldquo;Requested you not to?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not one word did she have the grace to say to me, Josie, but she wrote
+to him, and asked him not to send her any more flowers! Just think of
+it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then that&rsquo;s why he went to India.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. Of course if she had come and told me she didn&rsquo;t care for
+him, I never would have kept on inviting him; but she is so secretive it is
+impossible to tell what she is thinking about. I never dreamed that she was
+conscious that I was trying to&mdash;to help her; and I have always been so
+discreet that I think she never would have been if Mr. Durant hadn&rsquo;t
+begun to joke about it. Only guess, darling, what he said to me once right
+before her, just as I thought I
+
+was getting her interested in young Schenck!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t imagine.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, it was some of his Wall Street talk about promoters of trusts always
+securing options on the properties to be taken in, before attempting a
+consolidation, or something of that sort. I shouldn&rsquo;t have known what he
+meant if the boys hadn&rsquo;t laughed and looked at Constance. And then Jack
+made matters worse by saying that my interest would be satisfied with common
+stock, but Constance would only accept preferred for hers. Men do blurt things
+out so&mdash;and yet they assert that we women haven&rsquo;t tongue discretion.
+No, dear, with them about it&rsquo;s perfectly useless for me to do so much as
+lift a finger to marry Constance off, let alone her own naturally distrustful
+nature.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Well, then, can&rsquo;t you get some one to do it for you&mdash;some
+friend of hers?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t believe there is a person in the world who could influence
+Constance as regards marriage,&rdquo; moaned Mrs. Durant. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t
+think that I want to sacrifice her, dear; but she really isn&rsquo;t happy
+herself&mdash;for&mdash;well&mdash;she is a stepdaughter, you know&mdash;and so
+can never quite be the same in the family life; and now that she has tired of
+society, she really doesn&rsquo;t find enough to do to keep busy. Constance
+wanted to go into the Settlement work, but her father wouldn&rsquo;t hear of
+it&mdash;and really, Josie, every one would be happier and better if she only
+would marry&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I beg your pardon for interrupting you, mama. I thought you were
+alone,&rdquo; came a voice from the doorway. &ldquo;How do you do, Mrs.
+Ferguson?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; ejaculated both ladies, as they looked up, to find standing
+in the doorway a handsome girl, with clear-cut patrician features, and an erect
+carriage
+
+which gave her an air of marked distinction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I only stopped to ask about the errand you asked me to do when I went
+out,&rdquo; explained the girl, quietly, as the two women hunted for something
+to say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh. Yes. Thank you for remembering, darling,&rdquo; stammered Mrs.
+Durant, finding her voice at last. &ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you please order a bunch
+of something sent to Miss Porter&mdash;and&mdash;and&mdash;I&rsquo;ll be very
+much obliged if you&rsquo;ll attend to it, Constance, my dear.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl merely nodded her head as she disappeared, but neither woman spoke
+till the front door was heard to close, when Mrs. Durant exclaimed, &ldquo;How
+long had she been standing there?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I hope she didn&rsquo;t hear!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think she could have, or she would have shown it
+more,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t mean anything. She
+
+never shows anything outwardly. And really, though I wouldn&rsquo;t purposely
+have said it to her, I&rsquo;m not sure that I hope she didn&rsquo;t hear
+it&mdash;for&mdash;well, I do wish some one would give her just such
+advice.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;My dear, it isn&rsquo;t a case for advice; it&rsquo;s a case for
+match-making,&rdquo; reiterated Mrs. Ferguson, as she once more held out her
+hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Meanwhile Miss Durant thoughtfully went down the steps to her carriage, so
+abstracted from what she was doing that after the footman tucked the fur robe
+about her feet, he stood waiting for his orders; and finally, realising his
+mistress&rsquo;s unconsciousness, touched his hat and asked,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where to, Miss Constance?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a slight start the girl came back from her meditations, and, after a
+moment&rsquo;s hesitation, gave a direction.
+
+Then, as the man mounted to his seat and the brougham started, the girl&rsquo;s
+face, which had hitherto been pale, suddenly flushed, and she leaned back in
+the carriage, so that no one should see her wipe her eyes with her
+handkerchief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do wish,&rdquo; she murmured, with a slight break in her voice,
+&ldquo;that at least mama wouldn&rsquo;t talk about it to outsiders.
+I&mdash;I&rsquo;d marry to-morrow, just to escape it
+all&mdash;if&mdash;if&mdash;a loveless marriage wasn&rsquo;t even worse.&rdquo;
+The girl shivered slightly, and laid her head against the cushioned side, as if
+weary.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She was still so busy with her thoughts that she failed to notice when the
+brougham stopped at the florist&rsquo;s, and once more was only recalled to
+concrete concerns by the footman opening the door. The ordering of some flowers
+for a débutante evidently steadied her and allowed her to regain self-control,
+for she drove in succession to the jeweller&rsquo;s
+
+to select a wedding gift, and to the dressmaker&rsquo;s for a fitting, at each
+place giving the closest attention to the matter in hand. These nominal duties,
+but in truth pleasures, concluded, nominal pleasures, but in truth duties,
+succeeded them, and the carriage halted at four houses long enough to ascertain
+that the especial objects of Miss Durant&rsquo;s visits &ldquo;begged to be
+excused,&rdquo; or were &ldquo;not at home,&rdquo; each of which pieces of
+information, or, to speak more correctly, the handing in by the footman, in
+response to the information, of her card or cards, drew forth an unmistakable
+sigh of relief from that young lady. Evidently Miss Durant was bored by people,
+and this to those experienced in the world should be proof that Miss Durant
+was, in fact, badly bored by herself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+One consequence of her escape, however, was that the girl remained with an hour
+which must be got through with
+
+in some manner, and so, in a voice totally without desire or eagerness, she
+said, &ldquo;The Park, Wallace;&rdquo; and in the Park some fifty minutes were
+spent, her greatest variation from the monotony of the wonted and familiar
+roads being an occasional nod of the head to people driving or riding, with a
+glance at those with each, or at the costumes they wore.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was with a distinct note of anticipation in her voice, therefore, that Miss
+Durant finally ordered, &ldquo;Home, now, Murdock;&rdquo; and, if the truth
+were to be told, the chill in her hands and feet, due to the keen November
+cold, with a mental picture of the blazing wood fire of her own room, and of
+the cup of tea that would be drank in front of it, was producing almost the
+first pleasurable prospect of the day to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Seemingly the coachman was as eager to be in-doors as his mistress, for he
+whipped up the horses, and the carriage
+
+was quickly crossing the plaza and speeding down the avenue. Though the street
+was crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, the growing darkness put an end to
+Miss Durant&rsquo;s nods of recognition, and she leaned back, once more buried
+in her own thoughts.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At Forty-second Street she was sharply recalled from whatever her mind was
+dwelling upon by a sudden jar, due to the checking of the carriage, and
+simultaneously with it came the sound of crashing of glass and splintering of
+wood. So abrupt was the halt that Miss Durant was pitched forward, and as she
+put out her hand to save herself from being thrown into the bottom of the
+brougham, she caught a moment&rsquo;s glimpse of a ragged boy close beside her
+window, and heard, even above the hurly-burly of the pack of carriages and
+street-crossers, his shrill cry,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Extry <i>Woild</i>&rsquo;r <i>Joinal</i>. Terrible&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There the words ended, for the distraught horses shied backwards and sideways,
+and the fore wheel, swung outwards by the sharp turn, struck the little fellow
+and threw him down. Miss Durant attempted a warning cry, but it was too late;
+and even as it rang out, the carriage gave a jolt and then a jar as it passed
+over the body. Instantly came a dozen warning shouts and shrieks and curses,
+and the horses reared and plunged wildly, with the new fright of something
+under their feet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+White with terror, the girl caught at the handle, but she did no more than
+throw open the door, for, as if they sprang from the ground, a crowd of men
+were pressing about the brougham. All was confusion for a moment; then the
+tangle of vehicles seemed to open out and the mob of people, struggling and
+gesticulating, fell back before a policeman while another, aided by some one,
+
+caught the heads of the two horses, just as the footman drew out from under
+their feet into the cleared space something which looked like a bundle of rags
+and newspapers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Thinking of nothing save that limp little body, Miss Durant sprang out, and
+kneeling beside it, lifted the head gently into her lap, and smoothed back from
+the pallid face the unkempt hair. &ldquo;He isn&rsquo;t dead, Wallace?&rdquo;
+she gasped out.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think he is, Miss Constance, though he looks like he was
+bad hurt. An&rsquo;, indeed, Miss Constance, it wasn&rsquo;t Murdock&rsquo;s
+fault. The coupé backed right into our pole without&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Here,&rdquo; interrupted a man&rsquo;s voice from the circle of
+spectators, &ldquo;give him this;&rdquo; and some one handed to the girl the
+cup of a flask half full of brandy. Dipping her fingers into it, she rubbed
+them across the mouth and forehead; then, raising the head with one of her
+
+arms, she parted the lips and poured a few drops between them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, mum,&rdquo; suggested the policeman. &ldquo;Just you let go of it,
+and we&rsquo;ll lift it to where it can stay till the ambulance gets
+here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; begged Miss Durant. &ldquo;He shouldn&rsquo;t be
+moved until&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Like as not it&rsquo;ll take ten minutes to get it here, and we
+can&rsquo;t let the street stay blocked like this.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ten minutes!&rdquo; exclaimed the girl. &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t it
+possible&mdash;We must get help sooner, or he&mdash;&rdquo; She broke in upon
+her own words, &ldquo;Lift him into my carriage, and I&rsquo;ll take him to the
+hospital.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t let you, miss,&rdquo; spoke up a police sergeant, who
+meantime had forced his way through the crowd. &ldquo;Your coachman&rsquo;s got
+to stay and answer for this.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He shall, but not now,&rdquo; protested Miss Durant. &ldquo;I will be
+responsible for
+
+him. Wallace, give them one of my cards from the case in the carriage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus02"></a>
+<img src="images/image2.jpg" width="320" height="458" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+The officer took the bit of pasteboard and looked at it. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s
+all right, miss,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Here, Casey, together now and
+easy.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The two big men in uniform lifted the urchin as if he were without weight, and
+laid him as gently as might be on the seat of the brougham. This done, the
+roundsman dropped the small front seat, helped Miss Durant in, and once she was
+seated upon it, took his place beside her. The sergeant closed the door, gave
+an order to the coachman, and, wheeling about, the carriage turned up the
+avenue, followed by the eyes of the crowd and by a trail of the more curious.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Better give it another swig, mum,&rdquo; counselled her companion; and
+the girl, going on her knees, raised the head, and administered a second
+swallow of the brandy. She did not resume her seat,
+
+but kept her arm about the boy, in an attempt to render his position easier. It
+was a wizened, pinched little face she gazed down at, and now the mouth was
+drawn as if there was physical suffering, even in the unconsciousness. Neither
+head nor hands had apparently ever known soap, but the dirt only gave
+picturesqueness, and, indeed, to Miss Durant an added pathos; and the tears
+came into her eyes as she noted that under the ragged coat was only a flimsy
+cotton shirt, so bereft of buttons that the whole chest was exposed to the cold
+which but a little while before the girl, clad in furs and sheltered by the
+carriage, had yet found so nipping. She raised her free hand and laid it gently
+on the exposed breast, and slightly shivered as she felt how little warmth
+there was.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Please put the fur rug over him,&rdquo; she requested; and her companion
+pulled it
+
+from under their feet, and laid it over the coiled-up legs and body.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The weight, or the second dose of the stimulant, had an effect, for Miss Durant
+felt the body quiver, and then the eyes unclosed. At first they apparently saw
+nothing, but slowly the dulness left them, and they, and seemingly the whole
+face, sharpened into comprehension, and then, as they fastened on the blue coat
+of the policeman, into the keenest apprehension.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; he moaned, &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t do nuttin&rsquo;, dis time,
+honest.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t takin&rsquo; you to the station-house,&rdquo; denied the
+officer, colouring and looking sideways at his companion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You were run over, and we are carrying you to where a doctor can see how
+much you are hurt,&rdquo; said the gently.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The eyes of the boy turned to hers, and the face lost some of its fright and
+
+suspicion. &ldquo;Is dat on de level?&rdquo; he asked, after a moment&rsquo;s
+scrutiny. &ldquo;Youse oin&rsquo;t runnin&rsquo; me in?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; answered Miss Durant. &ldquo;We are taking you to the
+hospital.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;De horspital!&rdquo; exclaimed the little chap, his eyes brightening.
+&ldquo;Is Ise in de rattler?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The what?&rdquo; asked Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;De rattler,&rdquo; repeated the questioner, &ldquo;de ding-dong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, you ain&rsquo;t in no ambulance,&rdquo; spoke up the officer.
+&ldquo;You&rsquo;re in this young lady&rsquo;s carriage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The look of hope and pride faded out of the boy&rsquo;s face. &ldquo;Ise
+oin&rsquo;t playin&rsquo; in no sorter luck dese days,&rdquo; he sighed.
+Suddenly the expression of alarm reappeared in his face. &ldquo;Wheer&rsquo;s
+me papes?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They&rsquo;re all right. Don&rsquo;t you work yourself up over
+them,&rdquo; said the roundsman, heartily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse didn&rsquo;t let de udder newsies swipe dem, did youse?&rdquo; the
+lad appealed anxiously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll pay you for every one you lost,&rdquo; offered Constance.
+&ldquo;How many did you have?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The ragamuffin stared at her for a moment, his face an essence of disbelief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, hell!&rdquo; he ejaculated. &ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s dis song an&rsquo;
+dance youse givin&rsquo; us?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, I will,&rdquo; insisted the girl. She reached back of her and
+took her purse from the rack, and as well as she could with her one hand opened
+it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The sight of the bills and coin brought doubt to the sceptic.
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; he demanded, his eyes burning with avidity, &ldquo;does
+youse mean dat? Dere oin&rsquo;t no crawl in dis?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. How much were they worth?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The boy hesitated, and scanned her face, as if he were measuring the girl more
+than he was his loss. &ldquo;Dere wuz
+
+twinty <i>Joinals</i>&rdquo; he said, speaking slowly, and his eyes watching
+her as a cat might a mouse, &ldquo;an&rsquo;&mdash;an&rsquo;&mdash;twinty
+<i>Woilds</i>&mdash;an&rsquo;&mdash;an&rsquo; tirty <i>Telegrams</i>&mdash;
+an&rsquo;&mdash;an&rsquo;&mdash;&rdquo; He drew a fresh breath, as if needing
+strength, shot an apprehensive glance at the roundsman, and went on hurriedly,
+in a lower voice, &ldquo;an&rsquo; tirty-five <i>Posts</i>&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, g&rsquo;long with you,&rdquo; broke in the policeman, disgustedly.
+&ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t have mor&rsquo;n twenty in all, that I know.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hope I may die if Ise didn&rsquo;t have all dem papes, boss,&rdquo;
+protested the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You deserve to be run in, that&rsquo;s what you do,&rdquo; asserted the
+officer of the law, angrily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, don&rsquo;t threaten him,&rdquo; begged Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you be fooled by him, mum. He ain&rsquo;t the kind as sells
+<i>Posts</i>, an&rsquo; if he was, he wouldn&rsquo;t have more&rsquo;n
+five.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s de gospel trute Ise chuckin&rsquo; at youse dis time,&rdquo;
+asserted the youngster.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gospel Ananias&mdash;!&rdquo; began the officer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Never mind,&rdquo; interrupted Miss Durant. &ldquo;Would ten dollars pay
+for them all?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, I know&rsquo;d youse wuz tryin&rsquo; to stuff me,&rdquo; dejectedly
+exclaimed the boy; then, in an evident attempt to save his respect for his own
+acuteness, he added: &ldquo;But youse didn&rsquo;t. I seed de goime youse wuz
+settin&rsquo; up right from de start.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Out of the purse Constance, with some difficulty, drew a crisp ten-dollar bill,
+the boy watching the one-handed operation half doubtingly and half eagerly; and
+when it was finally achieved, at the first movement of her hand toward him, his
+arm shot out, and the money was snatched, more than taken. With the quick
+motion, however, the look of eagerness and joy changed to one of agony; he gave
+a
+
+sharp cry, and, despite the grime, the cheeks whitened perceptibly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, please stay quiet,&rdquo; implored Miss Durant. &ldquo;You
+mustn&rsquo;t move.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee, but dat hurted!&rdquo; gasped the youngster, yet clinging to
+the new wealth. He lay quiet for a few breaths; then, as if he feared the sight
+of the bill might in time tempt a change of mind in the giver, he stole the
+hand to his trousers pocket and endeavoured to smuggle the money into it, his
+teeth set, but his lips trembling, with the pain the movement cost him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Not understanding the fear in the boy&rsquo;s mind, Constance put her free hand
+down and tried to assist him; but the instant he felt her fingers, his
+tightened violently. &ldquo;Youse guv it me,&rdquo; he wailed.
+&ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t she guv it me?&rdquo; he appealed desperately to the
+policeman.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m only trying to help put it in your pocket,&rdquo; explained
+the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, chase youseself!&rdquo; exclaimed the doubter, contemptuously.
+&ldquo;Dat don&rsquo;t go wid me. Nah!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What doesn&rsquo;t go?&rdquo; bewilderedly questioned Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wotcher tink youse up aginst? Suttin&rsquo; easy? Well, I guess not!
+Youse don&rsquo;t get youse pickers in me pocket on dat racket.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;She ain&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to take none of your money!&rdquo; asserted
+the policeman, indignantly. &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you tell a real lady when you
+see her?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den let her quit tryin&rsquo; to go tru me,&rdquo; protested the anxious
+capitalist; and Constance desisted from her misinterpreted attempt, with a
+laugh which died as the little fellow, at last successful in his endeavour to
+secrete the money, moaned again at the pain it cost him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Shall we never get there?&rdquo; she demanded impatiently, and, as if an
+answer were granted her, the carriage slowed,
+
+and turning, passed into a porte-cochère, in which the shoes of the horses rang
+out sharply, and halted.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Stay quiet a bit, mum,&rdquo; advised the policeman, as he got out; and
+Constance remained, still supporting the urchin, until two men with a stretcher
+appeared, upon which they lifted the little sufferer, who screamed with pain
+that even this gentlest of handling cost him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her heart wrung with sympathy for him, Miss Durant followed after them into the
+reception-ward. At the door she hesitated, in doubt as to whether it was right
+or proper for her to follow, till the sight of a nurse reassured her, and she
+entered; but her boldness carried her no farther than to stand quietly while
+the orderlies set down the litter. Without a moment&rsquo;s delay the nurse
+knelt beside the boy, and with her scissors began slitting up the sleeves of
+the tattered coat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hey! Wotcher up to?&rdquo; demanded the waif, suspiciously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting you ready for the doctor,&rdquo; said the nurse,
+soothingly. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all right.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Toin&rsquo;t nuttin&rsquo; of de sort,&rdquo; moaned the boy.
+&ldquo;Youse spoilin&rsquo; me cloes, an&rsquo; if youse wuzn&rsquo;t a loidy,
+you&rsquo;d get youse face poked in, dat&rsquo;s wot would happen to
+youse.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance came forward and laid her hand on the little fellow&rsquo;s cheek.
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t mind,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and I&rsquo;ll give you a new
+suit of clothes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wen?&rdquo; came the quick question.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To-morrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Does youse mean dat? Honest? Dere oin&rsquo;t no string to dis?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Honest,&rdquo; echoed the girl, heartily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Reassured, the boy lay quietly while the nurse completed the dismemberment of
+the ragged coat, the apology for a shirt, and the bit of twine which served in
+lieu
+
+of suspenders. But the moment she began on the trousers, the wail was renewed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Quit, I say, or I&rsquo;ll soak de two of youse; see if I don&rsquo;t.
+Ah, won&rsquo;t youse&mdash;&rdquo; The words became inarticulate howls which
+the prayers and assurances of the two women could not lessen.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, then, stop this noise and tell me what is the matter,&rdquo;
+ordered a masculine voice; and turning from the boy, Constance found a tall,
+strong-featured man with tired-looking eyes standing at the other side of the
+litter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Hopeful that the diversion might mean assistance, the waif&rsquo;s howls once
+more became lingual. &ldquo;Dey&rsquo;s tryin&rsquo; to swipe me money,
+boss,&rdquo; he whined. &ldquo;Hope I may die if deys oin&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And where is your money?&rdquo; asked the doctor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wotcher want to know for?&rdquo; demanded the urchin, with recurrent
+suspicion in his face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s in the pocket of his trousers, Dr. Armstrong,&rdquo; said the
+nurse.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Without the slightest attempt to reassure the boy, the doctor forced loose the
+boy&rsquo;s hold on the pocket, and inserting his hand, drew out the ten-dollar
+bill and a medley of small coins.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve taken your money, so they
+can&rsquo;t. Understand?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The urchin began to snivel.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, you have no right to be so cruel to him,&rdquo; protested Miss
+Durant. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s perfectly natural. Just think how we would feel if we
+didn&rsquo;t understand.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor fumbled for his eye-glasses, but not finding them quickly enough,
+squinted his eyelids in an endeavour to see the speaker. &ldquo;And who are
+you?&rdquo; he demanded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, I am&mdash;that is&mdash;I am Miss Durant, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+stuttered the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Not giving her time to finish her speech, Dr. Armstrong asked, &ldquo;Why are
+
+you here?&rdquo; while searching for his glasses.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I did not mean to intrude,&rdquo; explained Constance, flushing,
+&ldquo;only it was my fault, and it hurts me to see him suffer more than seems
+necessary.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Abandoning the search for his glasses, and apparently unheeding of her
+explanation, the doctor began a hasty examination of the now naked boy, passing
+his hand over trunk and limbs with a firm touch that paid no heed to the
+child&rsquo;s outcries, though each turned the onlooker faint and cold.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her anxiety presently overcoming the sense of rebuke, the overwrought girl
+asked, &ldquo;He will live, won&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The man straightened up from his examination. &ldquo;Except for some
+contusion,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;it apparently is only a leg and a couple
+of ribs broken.&rdquo; His voice and manner conveyed the idea that legs and
+ribs were but canes and corsets.
+
+&ldquo;Take him into the accident ward,&rdquo; he directed to the orderlies,
+&ldquo;and I&rsquo;ll attend to him presently.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will not have this boy neglected,&rdquo; Constance said, excitedly and
+warmly. &ldquo;Furthermore, I insist that he receive instant treatment, and not
+wait <i>your</i> convenience.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once again Dr. Armstrong began feeling for his glasses, as he asked, &ldquo;Are
+you connected with this hospital, Miss Durant?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, but it was my carriage ran over him, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And is it because you ran over the boy, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he
+interrupted, &ldquo;that you think it is your right to come here and issue
+instructions for our treatment of him?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is every one&rsquo;s right to see that assistance is given to an
+injured person as quickly as possible,&rdquo; retorted the girl, though
+flushing, &ldquo;and to protest if human
+
+suffering, perhaps life itself, is made to wait the convenience of one who is
+paid to save both.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Finally discovering and adjusting his glasses, Dr. Armstrong eyed Miss Durant
+with a quality of imperturbability at once irritating and embarrassing.
+&ldquo;I beg your pardon for the hasty remark I just made,&rdquo; he
+apologised. &ldquo;Not having my second sight at command, I did not realise I
+was speaking to so young a girl, and therefore I allowed myself to be offended,
+which was foolish. If you choose to go with the patient, I trust you will
+satisfy yourself that no one in this hospital is lacking in duty or
+kindness.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With a feeling much akin to that she had formerly suffered at the conclusion of
+her youthful spankings, Constance followed hurriedly after the orderlies, only
+too thankful that a reason had been given her permitting an escape from those
+steady eyes and amused accents, which
+
+she was still feeling when the litter was set down beside an empty bed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has dat slob tooken me money for keeps?&rdquo; whimpered the boy the
+moment the orderlies had departed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; Constance assured him, her hand in his.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den w&rsquo;y&rsquo;d he pinch it so quick?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going to take care of it for you, that&rsquo;s all.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will he guv me a wroten pape sayin&rsquo; dat?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;See,&rdquo; said the girl, only eager to relieve his anxiety,
+&ldquo;here is my purse, and there is a great deal more money in it than you
+had, and I&rsquo;ll leave it with you, and if he doesn&rsquo;t return you your
+money, why, you shall have mine.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse cert&rsquo;in dere&rsquo;s more den Ise had?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certain. Look, here are two tens and three fives and a one, besides some
+change.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s all hunky!&rdquo; joyfully ejaculated the urchin.
+&ldquo;Now, den, wheer kin we sneak it so he don&rsquo;t git his hooks on
+it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is to be your bed, and let&rsquo;s hide it under the pillow,&rdquo;
+suggested Constance, feeling as if she were playing a game. &ldquo;Then you can
+feel of it whenever you want.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s de way to steal a base off &rsquo;im,&rdquo; acceded the
+waif. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll show dese guys wese oin&rsquo;t no bunch of easy
+grapes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Scarcely was the purse concealed when a nurse appeared with a pail of water and
+rolls of some cloth, and after her came the doctor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, my boy,&rdquo; he said, with a kindness and gentleness in his voice
+which surprised Constance, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to hurt you a little, and
+let&rsquo;s see how brave you can be.&rdquo; He took hold of the left leg the
+ankle and stretched it, at the same
+
+time manipulating the calf with the fingers of his other hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The boy gave a cry of pain, and clutched Constance&rsquo;s arm, squeezing it so
+as to almost make her scream; but she set her teeth determinedly and took his
+other hand in hers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At a word the nurse grasped the limb and held it as it was placed, while the
+doctor took one of the rolls, and, dipping it in the water, unrolled it round
+and round the leg, with a rapidity and deftness which had, to Constance, a
+quality of fascination in it. A second wet bandage was wound over the first,
+then a dry one, and the leg was gently laid back on the litter. &ldquo;Take his
+temperature,&rdquo; ordered the doctor, as he began to apply strips of adhesive
+plaster to the injured ribs; and though it required some persuasion by the
+nurse and Constance, the invalid finally was persuaded to let the little glass
+lie under his tongue. His
+
+task completed, Dr. Armstrong withdrew the tube and glanced at it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat medicine oin&rsquo;t got much taste, boss,&rdquo; announced the
+urchin, cheerfully, &ldquo;but it soytenly done me lots of good.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor looked up at Constance with a pleasant smile. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s
+both the sense and the nonsense of the Christian Science idiocy,&rdquo; he
+said; and half in response to his smile and half in nervous relief, Constance
+laughed merrily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am glad for anything that makes him feel better,&rdquo; she replied;
+then, colouring once more, she added, &ldquo;and will you let me express my
+regret for my impulsive words a little while ago, and my thanks to you for
+relieving the suffering for which I am, to a certain extent,
+responsible?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is no necessity for either, Miss Durant, though I am grateful for
+both,&rdquo; he replied.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will there be much suffering?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Probably no more than ordinarily occurs in such simple fractures,&rdquo;
+said the doctor; &ldquo;and we&rsquo;ll certainly do our best that there shall
+not be.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And may I see him to-morrow?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certainly, if you come between eleven and one.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; said Constance. &ldquo;And one last favour. Will you
+tell me the way to my carriage?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will permit me, I&rsquo;ll see you to it,&rdquo; offered Dr.
+Armstrong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With an acknowledgment of the head, Constance turned and took the boy&rsquo;s
+hand and said a good-bye.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you suppose all newsboys are so dreadfully sharp and
+suspicious?&rdquo; she asked of her guide, as they began to descend the stairs,
+more because she was conscious that he was eyeing her with steady scrutiny than
+for any other reason.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I suppose the life is closer to that of the wild beast than anything we
+have in so-called civilisation. Even a criminal has his pals, but, like the
+forest animal, everyone&mdash;even his own kind&mdash;is an enemy to the street
+waif.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It must be terrible to suspect and fear even kindness,&rdquo; sighed the
+girl, with a slight shudder. &ldquo;I shall try to teach him what it
+means.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There does not appear to be any carriage here, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+announced her escort.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Surely there must be. The men can&rsquo;t have been so stupid as not to
+wait!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor tapped on the window of the lodge. &ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t this
+lady&rsquo;s carriage remain here?&rdquo; he asked, when the porter had opened
+it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It stayed till the policeman came down, doctor. He ordered it to go to
+the police-station, and got in it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I forgot that my coachman must answer for the accident. Is there a
+cab-stand near here?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong looked into her eyes, with an amusement which yet did not
+entirely obliterate the look of admiration, of which the girl was becoming more
+and more conscious. &ldquo;The denizens of Avenue A have several cab-stands, of
+course,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;but they prefer to keep them over on Fifth
+Avenue.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was a foolish question, I suppose&rdquo; coldly retorted Constance,
+quite as moved thereto by the scrutiny as by the words, &ldquo;but I did not
+even notice where the carriage was driving when we came here. Can you tell me
+the nearest car line which will take me to Washington Square?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;As it is five blocks away, and the neighbourhood is not of the nicest, I
+shall take the liberty of walking with you to it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, I would rather not. I haven&rsquo;t the slightest fear,&rdquo;
+protested the girl, eager to escape both the observation and the obligation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I have,&rdquo; calmly said her companion, as if his wish were the
+only thing to be considered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For a moment Miss Durant vacillated, then, with a very slight inclination of
+her head, conveying the smallest quantity of consent and acknowledgment she
+could express, she walked out of the porte-cochere.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor put himself beside her, and; they turned down the street, but not
+one word did she say. &ldquo;If he will force his society upon me, I will at
+least show him my dislike of it,&rdquo; was her thought.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Obviously Dr. Armstrong was not disturbed by Miss Durant&rsquo;s programme, for
+the whole distance was walked in silence; and even when they halted on the
+corner, he said nothing, though the girl was conscious that his eyes still
+studied her face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will not be the first to speak,&rdquo; she vowed to herself; but
+minute after minute
+
+passed without the slightest attempt or apparent wish on his part, and finally
+she asked, &ldquo;Are you sure this line is running?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Her attendant pointed up the street. &ldquo;That yellow light is your car. I
+don&rsquo;t know why the intervals are so long this evening.
+Usually&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He was interrupted by the girl suddenly clutching at her dress, and then giving
+an exclamation of real consternation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo; he questioned.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, I&mdash;nothing&mdash;that is, I think&mdash;I prefer to walk home,
+after all,&rdquo; she stammered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You mustn&rsquo;t do that. It&rsquo;s over two miles, and through a
+really rough district.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I choose to, none the less,&rdquo; answered Constance, starting across
+the street.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then you will have to submit to my safeguard for some time longer,
+
+Miss Durant,&rdquo; asserted the doctor, as he overtook her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance stopped. &ldquo;Dr. Armstrong,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I trust you
+will not insist on accompanying me farther, when I tell you I haven&rsquo;t the
+slightest fear of anything.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You have no fear, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he answered, &ldquo;because you
+are too young and inexperienced to even know the possibilities. This is no part
+of the city for you to walk alone in after dark. Your wisest course is to take
+a car, but if you prefer not, you had best let me go with you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I choose not to take a car,&rdquo; replied the girl, warmly, &ldquo;and
+you have no right to accompany me against my wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong raised his hat. &ldquo;I beg your pardon. I did not realize that
+my presence was not desired,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Angry at both herself and him, Constance merely bowed, and walked on. &ldquo;I
+don&rsquo;t see why men have to torment
+
+me so,&rdquo; she thought, as she hurried along. &ldquo;His face was really
+interesting, and if he only wouldn&rsquo;t begin like&mdash;He never would have
+behaved so if&mdash;if I weren&rsquo;t&mdash;&rdquo; Miss Durant checked even
+her thoughts from the word &ldquo;beautiful,&rdquo; and allowed the words
+&ldquo;well dressed&rdquo; to explain her magnetism to the other sex. Then, as
+if to salve her conscience of her own hypocrisy, she added, &ldquo;It really is
+an advantage to a girl, if she doesn&rsquo;t want to be bothered by men, to be
+born plain.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The truth of her thought was brought home to her with unexpected suddenness,
+for as she passed a strip of sidewalk made light by the glare from a saloon
+brilliant with gas, a man just coming out of its door stared boldly, and then
+joined her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ahem!&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl quickened her pace, but the intruder only lengthened his.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Cold night, isn&rsquo;t it, darling?&rdquo; he remarked, and tried to
+take her arm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance shrank away from the familiarity with a loathing and fear which, as
+her persecutor followed, drove her to the curb.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How dare you?&rdquo; she burst out, finding he was not to be avoided.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now don&rsquo;t be silly, and&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+There the sentence ended, for the man was jerked backwards by the collar, and
+then shot forward, with a shove, full length into the gutter.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I feared you would need assistance, Miss Durant, and so took the liberty
+of following you at a distance,&rdquo; explained Dr. Armstrong, as the cur
+picked himself up and slunk away.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are very&mdash; Thank you deeply for your kindness, Dr.
+Armstrong,&rdquo; gasped the girl, her voice trembling. &ldquo;I ought to have
+been guided by your advice and taken the car, but the truth
+
+is, I suddenly remembered - that is, I happened to be without any money, and
+was ashamed to ask you for a loan. Now, if you&rsquo;ll lend me five cents, I
+shall be most grateful.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is said to be a feminine trait never to think of
+contingencies,&rdquo; remarked the doctor, &ldquo;and I think, Miss Durant,
+that your suggested five cents has a tendency in that direction. I will walk
+with you to Lexington Avenue, which is now your nearest line, and if you still
+persist then in refusing my escort, I shall insist that you become my debtor
+for at least a dollar.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I really need not take you any further than the car, thank you, Dr.
+Armstrong, for I can get a cab at Twenty-third Street.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a short walk to the car line,&mdash;too short, indeed, for Miss Durant
+to express her sense of obligation as she wished,&mdash;and she tried, even as
+she was
+
+mounting the steps, to say a last word, but the car swept her away with the
+sentence half spoken; and with a want of dignity that was not customary in her,
+she staggered to a seat. Then as she tendered a dollar bill to the conductor,
+she remarked to herself,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now, that&rsquo;s a man I&rsquo;d like for a friend, if only he
+wouldn&rsquo;t be foolish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At eleven on the following morning, Miss Durant&rsquo;s carriage once more
+stopped at the hospital door; and, bearing a burden of flowers, and followed by
+the footman carrying a large basket, Constance entered the ward, and made her
+way to the waif&rsquo;s bedside.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-morning,&rdquo; she said to Dr. Armstrong, who stood beside the
+next patient. &ldquo;How is our invalid doing?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-morning,&rdquo; responded the doctor, taking the hand she held out.
+&ldquo;I think&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;s takin&rsquo; life dead easy, dat&rsquo;s wot wese is,&rdquo;
+came the prompt interruption from the pillow, in a voice at once youthful yet
+worn. &ldquo;Say, dis oin&rsquo;t no lead pipe cinch, oh, no!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a very different face the girl found, for soap and water had worked
+wonders with it, and the scissors and brush had reduced the tangled shag of
+hair to order. Yet the ferret eyes and the alert, over-sharp expression were
+unchanged.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve brought you some flowers and goodies,&rdquo; said Miss
+Durant. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know how much of it will be good for him,&rdquo;
+she went on to the doctor, apologetically, &ldquo;but I hope some will
+do.&rdquo; Putting the flowers on the bed, from the basket she produced in
+succession two bottles of port, a mould of wine jelly, a jar of orange
+marmalade, a box of wafers, and a dish of grapes, apples, and bananas.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gee! Won&rsquo;t Ise have a hell of a gorge!&rdquo; joyfully burst out
+the invalid.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see about that,&rdquo; remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling.
+&ldquo;He can have all the other things you&rsquo;ve brought, in reason, Miss
+Durant, except the wine. That must wait till we see how much fever he develops
+to-day,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is doing well?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;So far, yes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is a great relief to me. And, Dr. Armstrong, in returning your loan
+to me, will you let me say once again how grateful I am to you for all your
+kindness, for which I thanked you so inadequately last night? I deserved all
+that came to me, and can only wonder how you ever resisted saying, &lsquo;I
+told you so.&rsquo;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have been too often wrong in my own diagnosing to find any
+satisfaction or triumph in the mistakes of others,&rdquo; said the doctor, as
+he took the bill the
+
+girl held out to him, and, let it be confessed, the fingers that held it,
+&ldquo;nor can I regret anything which gave me an opportunity to serve
+you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The speaker put an emphasis on the last word, and eyed Miss Durant in a way
+that led her to hastily withdraw her fingers, and turn away from his
+unconcealed admiration. It was to find the keen eyes of the urchin observing
+them with the closest attention; and as she realised it, she coloured, half in
+embarrassment and half in irritation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How is your leg?&rdquo; she asked, in an attempt to divert the
+boy&rsquo;s attention and to conceal her own feeling.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say. Did youse know dey done it up in plaster, so dat it&rsquo;s stiff
+as a bat?&rdquo; responded the youngster, eagerly. &ldquo;Wish de udder kids
+could see it, for dey&rsquo;ll never believe it w&rsquo;en Ise tells &rsquo;em.
+I&rsquo;ll show it to youse if youse want?&rdquo; he offered, in his joy over
+the novelty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I saw it put on,&rdquo; said Constance. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you
+remember?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, cert! Ise remembers now dat&mdash;&rdquo; A sudden change came over
+the boy&rsquo;s face. &ldquo;Wheer&rsquo;s dem cloes youse promised me?&rdquo;
+he demanded.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, I entirely forgot&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, forgit youse mudder! Youse a peach, oin&rsquo;t youse?&rdquo;
+contemptuously broke in the child.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Miss Durant and Dr. Armstrong both burst out laughing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse t&rsquo;ink youse a smarty, but Ise know&rsquo;d de hull time it
+wuz only a big bluff dat youse wuz tryin&rsquo; to play on me, an&rsquo; it
+didn&rsquo;t go wid me, nah!&rdquo; went on the youngster, in an aggrieved
+tone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t he perfectly incorrigible?&rdquo; sighed Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ise oin&rsquo;t,&rdquo; denied the boy, indignantly. &ldquo;Deyse only
+had me up onct.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the question the girl had turned to Dr. Armstrong; then, finding his eyes
+
+still intently studying her, she once more gave her attention to the waif.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, I did forget them,&rdquo; she asserted. &ldquo;You shall have a
+new suit long before you need it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Cert&rsquo;in dat oin&rsquo;t no fake extry youse shoutin&rsquo;?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Truly. How old are you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wotcher want to know for?&rdquo; suspiciously asked the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;So I can buy a suit for that age.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat goes. Ise ate.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what&rsquo;s your name?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What?&rdquo; exclaimed the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah. Swot,&rdquo; he corrected.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How do you spell it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dun&rsquo;no&rsquo;. Dat&rsquo;s wot de newsies calls me, &rsquo;cause
+of wot Ise says to de preacher man.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what was that?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It wuz one of dem religious mugs wot comes Sunday to de Mulberry Park,
+
+see, an&rsquo; dat day he wuz gassin&rsquo; to us kids &rsquo;bout
+lettin&rsquo; a guy as had hit youse onct doin&rsquo; it ag&rsquo;in; an&rsquo;
+w&rsquo;en he&rsquo;d pumped hisself empty, he says to me, says he, &lsquo;If a
+bad boy fetched youse a lick on youse cheek, wot would youse do to
+&rsquo;im?&rsquo; An&rsquo; Ise says, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d swot &rsquo;im in de
+gob, or punch &rsquo;im in de slats,&rsquo; says I; an&rsquo; so de swipes
+calls me by dat noime. Honest, now, oin&rsquo;t dat kinder talk jus&rsquo;
+sickenin&rsquo;?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But you must have another name,&rdquo; suggested Miss Durant, declining
+to commit herself on that question.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Sure.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what is that?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;McGarrigle.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And have you no father or mother?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Or brothers or sisters?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah. Ise oin&rsquo;t got nuttin&rsquo;.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Where do you live?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, rubber!&rdquo; disgustedly remarked
+
+Swot. &ldquo;Say, dis oin&rsquo;t no police court, see?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+During all these questions, and to a certain extent their cause, Constance had
+been quite conscious that the doctor was still watching her, and now she once
+more turned to him, to say, with an inflection of disapproval,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When I spoke to you just now, Dr. Armstrong, I did not mean to interrupt
+you in your duties, and you must not let me detain you from them.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I had made my morning rounds long before you came, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+equably answered the doctor, &ldquo;and had merely come back for a moment to
+take a look at one of the patients.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I feared you were neglecting&mdash;were allowing my arrival to interfere
+with more important matters,&rdquo; replied Miss Durant, frigidly. &ldquo;I
+never knew a denser man,&rdquo; she added to herself, again seeking to ignore
+his presence by giving her attention to Swot. &ldquo;I should have brought a
+book with me to-day, to read aloud to you, but I had no idea what kind of a
+story would interest you. If you know of one, I&rsquo;ll get it and come
+to-morrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gee, Ise in it dis time wid bote feet, oin&rsquo;t Ise? Say, will youse
+git one of de Old Sleuts? Deys de peachiest books dat wuz ever wroten.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I will, if my bookshop has one, or can get it for me in time.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There is little chance of your getting it there, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+interposed Dr. Armstrong; &ldquo;but there is a place not far from here where
+stories of that character are kept; and if it will save you any trouble,
+I&rsquo;ll gladly get one of them for you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have already overtaxed your kindness,&rdquo; replied Constance,
+&ldquo;and so will not trouble you in this.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It would be no trouble.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, but I shall enjoy the search myself.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; broke in the urchin. &ldquo;Youse ought to let de doc do it.
+Don&rsquo;t youse see dat he wants to, &rsquo;cause he&rsquo;s stuck on
+youse?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then I&rsquo;ll come to-morrow and read to you, Swot,&rdquo; hastily
+remarked Miss Durant, pulling her veil over her face. &ldquo;Good-bye.&rdquo;
+Without heeding the boy&rsquo;s &ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s fine,&rdquo; or giving Dr.
+Armstrong a word of farewell, she went hurrying along the ward, and then
+downstairs, to her carriage. Yet once within its shelter, the girl leaned back
+and laughed merrily. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s perfectly absurd for him to behave so
+before all the nurses and patients, and he ought to know better. It is to be
+hoped <i>that</i> was a sufficiently broad hint for his comprehension, and that
+henceforth he won&rsquo;t do it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Yet it must be confessed that the boy&rsquo;s remark frequently recurred that
+day to
+
+Miss Durant; and if it had no other result, it caused her to devote an amount
+of thought to Dr. Armstrong quite out of proportion to the length of the
+acquaintance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Whatever the inward effect, Miss Durant could discover no outward evidence that
+Swot&rsquo;s bombshell had moved Dr. Armstrong a particle more than her less
+pointed attempts to bring to him a realisation that he was behaving in a manner
+displeasing to her. When she entered the ward the next morning, the doctor was
+again there, and this time at the waif&rsquo;s bedside, making avoidance of him
+out of the question. So with a &ldquo;this-is-my-busy-day&rdquo; manner, she
+gave him the briefest of greetings, and then turned to the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve brought you some more goodies, Swot, and I found the
+story,&rdquo; she announced triumphantly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, youse a winner, dat&rsquo;s wot youse is; oin&rsquo;t she, doc?
+Wot&rsquo;s de noime?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance held up to him the red and yellow covered tale. &ldquo;<i>The
+Cracksman&rsquo;s Spoil, or Young Sleuth&rsquo;s Double Artifice&rdquo;</i> she
+read out proudly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, g&rsquo;way! Dat oin&rsquo;t no good. Say, dey didn&rsquo;t do a
+t&rsquo;ing to youse, did dey?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What do you mean?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dey sold youse fresh, dat&rsquo;s wot dey did. De Young Sleut books
+oin&rsquo;t no good. Dey&rsquo;s nuttin&rsquo; but a fake extry.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, dear!&rdquo; exclaimed Constance, crestfallenly. &ldquo;It took me
+the whole afternoon to find it, but I did think it was what you wanted.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I was sceptical of your being able to get even an approach to newsboy
+literature, Miss Durant,&rdquo; said Dr. Armstrong, &ldquo;and so squandered
+the large sum of a dime myself. I think this is the genuine article,
+isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; he asked, as he handed
+
+to the boy a pamphlet labelled <i>Old Sleuth on the Trail</i>.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s de real t&rsquo;ing,&rdquo; jubilantly acceded Swot.
+&ldquo;Say, oin&rsquo;t de women doisies for havin&rsquo; bases stole off
+&rsquo;em? Didn&rsquo;t Ise give youse de warm tip to let de doc git it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You should thank him for saving you from my stupid blunder,&rdquo;
+answered the girl, artfully avoiding all possibility of personal obligation.
+&ldquo;Would you like me to read it to you now?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wouldn&rsquo;t Ise, just!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Still ignoring Dr. Armstrong, Constance took the seat at the bedside, and
+opening the book, launched into the wildest sea of blood-letting and crime. Yet
+thrillingly as it began, she was not oblivious to the fact that for some
+minutes the doctor stood watching her, and she was quite conscious of when he
+finally moved away, noiselessly as he went. Once he was gone, she was
+
+more at her ease; yet clearly her conscience troubled her a little, for in her
+carriage she again gave expression to some thought by remarking aloud,
+&ldquo;It was rude, of course, but if he will behave so, it really isn&rsquo;t
+my fault.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus03"></a>
+<img src="images/image3.jpg" width="320" height="445" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;Constance took the seat at the bedside&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+The gory tale, in true serial style, was &ldquo;continued&rdquo; the next and
+succeeding mornings, to the enthralment of the listener and the amusement of
+the reader, the latter finding in her occupation as well a convenient reason
+for avoiding or putting a limit to the doctor&rsquo;s undisguised endeavours to
+share, if not, indeed, to monopolise, her attention. Even serials, however,
+have an end, and on the morning of the sixth reading the impossibly shrewd
+detective successfully put out of existence, or safely incarcerated each one of
+the numerous scoundrels who had hitherto triumphed over the law, and Constance
+closed the book.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee!&rdquo; sighed Swot, contentedly.
+
+&ldquo;Say, dat Old Sleut, he&rsquo;s up to de limit, oin&rsquo;t he? It
+don&rsquo;t matter wot dey does, he works it so&rsquo;s de hull push comes his
+way, don&rsquo;t he?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He certainly was very far-seeing,&rdquo; Constance conceded; &ldquo;but
+what a pity it is that he&mdash;that he wasn&rsquo;t in some finer
+calling.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Finer wot?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How much nobler it would have been if, instead of taking life, he had
+been saving it&mdash;like Dr. Armstrong, for instance,&rdquo; she added, to
+bring her idea within the comprehension of the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, dat&rsquo;s de talk for religious mugs an&rsquo; goils,&rdquo;
+contemptuously exclaimed the waif, &ldquo;but it guv&rsquo;s me de sore ear. It
+don&rsquo;t go wid me, not one little bit.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Aren&rsquo;t you grateful to Dr. Armstrong for all he&rsquo;s done for
+you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Bet youse life,&rdquo; assented Swot; &ldquo;but Ise oin&rsquo;t
+goin&rsquo; to be no doctor, nah! Ise goin&rsquo; to git on de force,
+dat&rsquo;s de racket Ise outer. Say, will youse read me anudder of dem
+stories?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Gladly, if I can find the right kind this time.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The boy raised his head to look about the ward. &ldquo;Hey, doc,&rdquo; called
+his cracked treble.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hush, don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; protested the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;W&rsquo;y not?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Before she could frame a reason, the doctor was at the bedside. &ldquo;What is
+it?&rdquo; he asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, wese got tru wid dis story, an&rsquo; Miss Constance says
+she&rsquo;ll read me anudder, but dey&rsquo;ll set de goime up on her, sure,
+she bein&rsquo; a goil; so will youse buy de real t&rsquo;ing?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That I will.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s hunky.&rdquo; Then he appealed to Constance. &ldquo;Say,
+will youse pay for it?&rdquo; he requested.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And why should she?&rdquo; inquired Dr. Armstrong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause she&rsquo;s got de dough, an Ise heard de nurse loidies
+talkin&rsquo; &rsquo;bout youse, an&rsquo; dey said dat youse wuz poor.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was the doctor&rsquo;s turn to colour, and flush he did.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Swot and I will both be very grateful, Dr. Armstrong, if you will get us
+another of the Old Sleuth books,&rdquo; spoke up Miss Durant, hastily.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t youse guv &rsquo;im de price?&rdquo; reiterated the urchin.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then we&rsquo;ll expect it to-morrow morning,&rdquo; went on the girl;
+and for the first time in days she held out her hand to Dr. Armstrong,
+&ldquo;And thank you in advance for your kindness. Good-morning.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Rats!&rdquo; she heard, as she walked away. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t tink
+she&rsquo;d do de grand sneak like dat, doc, jus&rsquo; &rsquo;cause I tried to
+touch her for de cash.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance slowed one step, then resumed her former pace. &ldquo;He
+surely&mdash; Of course he&rsquo;ll understand why I hurried away,&rdquo; she
+murmured.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Blind as he might be, Dr. Armstrong was not blind to the geniality of Miss
+Durant&rsquo;s greeting the next morning, or the warmth of her thanks for the
+cheap-looking dime novel. She chatted pleasantly with him some moments before
+beginning on the new tale; and even when she at last opened the book, there was
+a subtle difference in the way she did it that made it include instead of
+exclude him from a share in the reading. And this was equally true of the
+succeeding days.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The new doings of Old Sleuth did not achieve the success that the previous ones
+had. The invalid suddenly developed both restlessness and inattention, with
+such a tendency to frequent interruptions as to make reading well-nigh
+impossible.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, Swot,&rdquo; Constance was driven
+
+to threaten one morning, when he had broken in on the narrative for the seventh
+time with questions which proved that he was giving no heed to the book,
+&ldquo;unless you lie quieter, and don&rsquo;t interrupt so often, I shall not
+go on reading.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat goes,&rdquo; acceded the little fellow; yet before she had so much
+as finished a page he asked, &ldquo;Say, did youse ever play craps?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she answered, with a touch of severity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a jim dandy goime, Ise tells youse. Like me to learn
+youse?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied the girl, as she closed the book.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Goils never oin&rsquo;t no good,&rdquo; remarked Swot, discontentedly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Really irritated, Miss Durant rose and adjusted her boa. &ldquo;Swot,&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;you are the most ungrateful boy I ever knew, and I&rsquo;m not
+merely not going to read any more to-day, but I have a good
+
+mind not to come to-morrow, just to punish you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, chase youseself!&rdquo; was the response. &ldquo;Youse can&rsquo;t
+pass dat gold brick on me, well, I guess!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What are you talking about?&rdquo; indignantly asked Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Tink Ise oin&rsquo;t onter youse curves? Tink Ise don&rsquo;t hear wot
+de nurse loidies says? Gee! Ise know w&rsquo;y youse so fond of comin&rsquo;
+here.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why do I come here?&rdquo; asked Constance, in a voice full of warning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The tone was wasted on the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause youse dead gone on de doc.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I am sorry you don&rsquo;t know better than to talk like that,
+Swot,&rdquo; said the girl, quietly, &ldquo;because I wanted to be good to you,
+and now you have put an end to my being able to be. You will have to get some
+one else to read to you after this. Good-bye.&rdquo; She passed her hand kindly
+over his forehead, and
+
+turned to find that Dr. Armstrong was standing close behind her, and must have
+overheard more or less of what had been said. Without a word, and looking
+straight before her, Constance walked away.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once out of the hospital, her conscience was not altogether easy; and though
+she kept away the next day, she sent her footman with the usual gift of fruits
+and other edibles; and this she did again on the morning following.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Of course he didn&rsquo;t mean to be so atrociously impertinent,&rdquo;
+she sighed, in truth missing what had come to be such an amusing and novel way
+of using up some of each twenty-four hours. &ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t, in
+self-respect, go to him any more.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+These explanations were confided to her double in the mirror, as she eyed the
+effect of a new gown, donned for a dinner; and while she still studied the
+
+eminently satisfactory total, she was interrupted by a knock at the door, and
+her maid brought her a card the footman handed in.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance took it, looked astonished, then frowned slightly, and finally
+glanced again in the mirror. Without a word, she took her gloves and fan from
+the maid, and descended to the drawing-room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Good-evening, Dr. Armstrong,&rdquo; she said, coolly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have come here&mdash;I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,&rdquo;
+awkwardly and hurriedly began the doctor, &ldquo;because nothing else would
+satisfy Swot McGarrigle. I trust you will understand that I&mdash;He&mdash;he
+is to undergo an operation, and&mdash;well, I told him it was impossible, but
+he still begged me so to ask you, that I hadn&rsquo;t the heart to refuse
+him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus04"></a>
+<img src="images/image4.jpg" width="320" height="420" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;I have come here&mdash;I have intruded on you,
+Miss Durant,&rsquo; hurriedly began the doctor&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;An operation!&rdquo; cried Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be alarmed. It&rsquo;s really nothing serious.
+He&mdash;Perhaps you may have noticed how restless and miserable he has been
+lately. It is due, we have decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been
+lacerated, and so I am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now
+pretty keen.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, I&rsquo;m so sorry,&rdquo; exclaimed the girl, regretfully. &ldquo;I
+didn&rsquo;t dream of it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn&rsquo;t
+come any more.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very
+hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are really
+grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings, and, besides,
+could not express them, even if they had the
+
+words, which they don&rsquo;t. But if you could hear the little chap sing your
+praises to the nurses and to me, you would not think him heartless. &lsquo;My
+loidy&rsquo; is his favourite description of you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He wants to see me?&rdquo; questioned the girl, eagerly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. Like most of the poorer class, Miss Durant,&rdquo; explained the
+doctor, &ldquo;he has a great dread of the knife. To make him less frantic, I
+promised that I would come to you with his wish; and though I would not for a
+moment have you present at the actual operation, if you could yield so far as
+to come to him for a few minutes, and assure him that we are going to do it for
+his own good, I think it will make him more submissive.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;When do you want me?&rdquo; asked Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is&mdash;I am to operate as soon as I can get back to the hospital,
+Miss Durant.
+
+It has been regrettably postponed as it is.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl stood hesitating for a moment. &ldquo;But what am I to do about my
+dinner?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong&rsquo;s eyes travelled over her from head to foot, taking in the
+charming gown of satin and lace, the strings of pearls about her exquisite
+throat and wrists, and all the other details which made up such a beautiful
+picture. &ldquo;I forgot,&rdquo; he said, quietly, &ldquo;that society duties
+now take precedence over all others.&rdquo; Then, with an instant change of
+manner, he went on: &ldquo;You do yourself an injustice, I think, Miss Durant,
+in even questioning what you are going to do. You know you are coming to the
+boy.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+For the briefest instant the girl returned his intent look, trying to fathom
+what enabled him to speak with such absolute surety; then she said, &ldquo;Let
+us
+
+lose no time,&rdquo; as she turned back into the hall and hurried out of the
+front door, not even attending to the doctor&rsquo;s protest about her going
+without a wrap; and she only said to him at the carriage door, &ldquo;You will
+drive with me, of course, Dr. Armstrong?&rdquo; Then to the footman,
+&ldquo;Tell Murdock, the hospital, Maxwell, but you are to go at once to Mrs.
+Purdy, and say I shall be prevented from coming to her to-night by a call that
+was not to be disregarded,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It was madness of you, Miss Durant, to come out without a cloak, and I
+insist on your wearing this,&rdquo; said the doctor, the moment the carriage
+had started, as he removed his own overcoat.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, I forgot&mdash;but I mustn&rsquo;t take it from you, Dr.
+Armstrong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Have no thought of me. I am twice as warmly clad as you, and am better
+protected than usual.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Despite her protest he placed it about
+
+Constance&rsquo;s shoulders and buttoned it up. &ldquo;You know,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;the society girl with her bare throat and arms is at once the
+marvel and the despair of us doctors, for every dinner or ball ought to have
+its death-list from pneumonia; but it never&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will it be a very painful operation?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not at all; and the anaesthetic prevents consciousness. If Swot were a
+little older, I should not have had to trouble you. It is a curious fact that
+boys, as a rule, face operations more bravely than any other class of patient
+we have.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wonder why that is?&rdquo; queried Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It is due to the same ambition which makes cigarette-smokers of
+them&mdash;a desire to be thought manly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once the carriage reached the hospital, Constance followed the doctor up the
+
+stairs and through the corridor. &ldquo;Let me relieve you of the coat, Miss
+Durant,&rdquo; he advised, and took it from her and passed it over to one of
+the orderlies. Then, opening a door, he made way for her to enter.
+</p>
+
+<div class="fig" style="width:100%;">
+<a name="illus05"></a>
+<img src="images/image5.jpg" width="320" height="466" alt="[Illustration: ]" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;The two were quickly seated on the floot&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+Constance passed into a medium-sized room, which a first glance showed her to
+be completely lined with marble; but there her investigations ceased, for her
+eyes rested on the glass table upon which lay the little fellow, while beside
+him stood a young doctor and a nurse. At the sound of her footsteps the boy
+turned his head till he caught sight of her, when, after an instant&rsquo;s
+stare, he surprised the girl by hiding his eyes and beginning to cry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ise knowed all along youse wuz goin&rsquo; to kill me,&rdquo; he sobbed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, Swot,&rdquo; cried Constance, going to his side. &ldquo;Nobody is
+going to kill you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The hands were removed from the eyes, and still full of tears, they blinkingly
+stared a moment at the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee! Is dat youse?&rdquo; he ejaculated. &ldquo;Ise tought youse
+wuz de angel come for me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You may go many years in society, Miss Durant, without winning another
+compliment so genuine,&rdquo; remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. &ldquo;Nor is it
+surprising that he was misled,&rdquo; he added.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance smiled in return as she answered, &ldquo;And it only proves how the
+value of a compliment is not in its truthfulness, but in its being truth to the
+one who speaks it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, youse won&rsquo;t let dem do nuttin&rsquo; bad to me, will
+youse?&rdquo; implored the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They are only going to help you, Swot,&rdquo; the girl assured him, as
+she took his hand.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den w&rsquo;y do dey want to put me to sleep for?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;To spare you suffering,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dis oin&rsquo;t no knock-out drops, or dat sorter goime? Honest?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. I won&rsquo;t let them do you any harm.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will youse watch dem all de time dey&rsquo;s doin&rsquo; tings to
+me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes. And if you&rsquo;ll be quiet and take it nicely, I&rsquo;ll bring
+you a present to-morrow.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s grand! Wot&rsquo;ll youse guv me? Say, don&rsquo;t do
+dat,&rdquo; he protested, as the nurse applied the sponge and cone to his face.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Lie still, Swot,&rdquo; said Constance, soothingly, &ldquo;and tell me
+what you would best like me to give you. Shall it be a box of
+building-blocks&mdash;or some soldiers&mdash;or a
+fire-engine&mdash;or&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nah. Ise don&rsquo;t want nuttin&rsquo; but one ting&mdash;an&rsquo;
+dat&rsquo;s&mdash;wot wuz Ise
+
+tinkin&rsquo;&mdash;Ise forgits wot it wuz&mdash;lemme see&mdash;Wot&rsquo;s de
+matter? Wheer is youse all?&mdash;&rdquo; The little frame relaxed and lay
+quiet.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That is all you can do for us, Miss Durant,&rdquo; said Dr. Armstrong.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;May I not stay, as I promised him I would?&rdquo; begged Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can you bear the sight of blood?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know&mdash;but see&mdash;I&rsquo;ll turn my back.&rdquo;
+Suiting the action to the word, the girl faced so that, still holding
+Swot&rsquo;s hand, she was looking away from the injured leg.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+A succession of low-spoken orders to his assistants was the doctor&rsquo;s way
+of telling her that he left her to do as she chose, She stood quietly for a few
+minutes, but presently her desire to know the progress of the operation, and
+her anxiety over the outcome, proved too strong for her, and she turned her
+head to take a furtive glance. She did not
+
+look away again, but with a strange mixture of fascination and squeamishness,
+she watched as the bleeding was stanched with sponges, each artery tied, and
+each muscle drawn aside, until finally the nerve was reached and removed; and
+she could not but feel both wonder and admiration as she noted how Dr.
+Armstrong&rsquo;s hands, at other times seemingly so much in his way, now did
+their work so skilfully and rapidly. Not till the operation was over, and the
+resulting wound was being sprayed with antiseptics, did the girl realize how
+cold and faint she felt, or how she was trembling. Dropping the hand of the
+boy, she caught at the operating-table, and then the room turned black.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nothing,&rdquo; she asserted. &ldquo;I only felt dizzy
+for an instant. Why! Where am I?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You fainted away, Miss Durant, and we brought you here,&rdquo; explained
+the
+
+nurse, once again applying the salts. The woman rose and went to the door.
+&ldquo;She is conscious now, Dr. Armstrong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As the doctor entered Constance tried to rise, but a motion of his hand checked
+her. &ldquo;Sit still a little yet, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he ordered
+peremptorily. From a cupboard he produced a plate of crackers and a glass of
+milk, and brought them to her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t want anything,&rdquo; declared the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You are to eat something at once,&rdquo; insisted Dr. Armstrong, in a
+very domineering manner.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+He held the glass to her lips, and Constance, after a look at his face, took a
+swallow of the milk, and then a piece of cracker he broke off.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How silly of me to behave so,&rdquo; she said, as she munched.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;The folly was mine in letting you
+
+stay in the room when you had had no dinner. That was enough to knock up any
+one,&rdquo; answered the doctor. &ldquo;Here.&rdquo; Once again the glass was
+held to her lips, and once again, after a look at his face, Constance drank,
+and then accepted a second bit of cracker from his fingers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Do you keep these especially for faint-minded women?&rdquo; she asked,
+trying to make a joke of the incident.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is my particular sanctum, Miss Durant; and as I have a
+reprehensible habit of night-work, I keep them as a kind of sleeping
+potion.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance glanced about the room with more interest, and as she noticed the
+simplicity and the bareness, Swot&rsquo;s remark concerning the doctor&rsquo;s
+poverty came back to her. Only many books and innumerable glass bottles, a
+microscope, and other still more mysterious instruments, seemed to save it from
+the
+
+tenement-house, if not, indeed, the prison, aspect.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Are you wondering how it is possible for any one to live in such a
+way?&rdquo; asked the doctor, as his eyes followed hers about the room.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you will have my thought,&rdquo; answered Constance, &ldquo;it was
+that I am in the cave of the modern hermit, who, instead of seeking solitude,
+because of the sins of mankind, seeks it that he may do them good.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;We have each had a compliment to-night,&rdquo; replied Dr. Armstrong,
+his face lighting up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The look in his eyes brought something into the girl&rsquo;s thoughts, and with
+a slight effort she rose. &ldquo;I think I am well enough now to relieve you of
+my intrusion,&rdquo; she said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will not be allowed to leave the hermit&rsquo;s cell till you have
+finished the cracker and the milk,&rdquo; affirmed the man.
+
+&ldquo;I only regret that I can&rsquo;t keep up the character by offering you
+locusts and wild honey.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;At least don&rsquo;t think it necessary to stay here with me,&rdquo;
+said Miss Durant, as she dutifully began to eat and drink again.
+&ldquo;If&mdash;oh&mdash;the operation&mdash;How is Swot?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Back in the ward, though not yet conscious.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And the operation?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Absolutely successful.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Despite my interruption?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Another marvel to us M.D.&rsquo;s is the way so sensitive a thing as a
+woman will hold herself in hand by sheer nerve force when it is necessary. You
+did not faint till the operation was completed.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now may I go?&rdquo; asked the girl, with a touch of archness, as she
+held up the glass and the plate, both empty.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, if you will let me share your carriage. Having led you into this
+predicament,
+
+the least I feel I can do is to see you safely out of it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Now the hermit is metamorphosing himself into a knight,&rdquo; laughed
+Constance, merrily, &ldquo;with a distressed damsel on his hands. I really need
+not put you to the trouble, but I shall be glad if you will take me
+home.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Once again the doctor put his overcoat about her, and they descended the stairs
+and entered the brougham.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Tell me the purpose of all those instruments I saw in your room,&rdquo;
+she asked as they started.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;They are principally for the investigation of bacteria. Not being
+ambitious to spend my life doctoring whooping-cough and indigestion, I am
+striving to make a scientist of myself.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Then that is why you prefer hospital work?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. I happen to have been born
+
+with my own living to make in the world, and when I had worked my way through
+the medical school, I only too gladly became &lsquo;Interne&rsquo; here, not
+because it is what I wish to do, but because I need the salary.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yet it seems such a noble work.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t think I depreciate it, but what I am doing is only remedial
+What I hope to do is to prevent.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How is it possible?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For four years my every free hour has been given to studying what is now
+called tuberculosis, and my dream is to demonstrate that it is in fact the
+parent disease&mdash;a breaking down&mdash;disintegration&mdash;of the bodily
+substance&mdash;the tissue, or cell&mdash;and to give to the world a
+specific.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;How splendid!&rdquo; exclaimed Constance. &ldquo;And you believe you
+can?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Every day makes me more sure that both demonstration and specific are
+possible
+
+&mdash;but it is unlikely that I shall be the one to do it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I do not see why?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Because there are many others studying the disease who are free from the
+necessity of supporting themselves, and so can give far more time and money to
+the investigation than is possible for me. Even the scientist must be rich in
+these days, Miss Durant, if he is to win the great prizes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Won&rsquo;t you tell me something about yourself?&rdquo; requested
+Constance, impulsively.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;There really is nothing worth while yet. I was left an orphan young, in
+the care of an uncle who was able to do no better for me than to get me a place
+in a drug-store. By doing the night-work it was possible to take the course at
+the medical college; and as I made a good record, this position was offered to
+me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;It&mdash;you could make it interesting if you tried.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid I am not a realist, Miss Durant. I dream of a future
+that shall be famous by the misery and death I save the world from, but my past
+is absolutely eventless.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As he ended, the carriage drew up at the house, and the doctor helped her out.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You will take Dr. Armstrong back to the hospital, Murdock,&rdquo; she
+ordered.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, but I really prefer a walk before going to <i>my</i> social
+intimates, the bacilli,&rdquo; answered the doctor, as he went up the steps
+with her. Then, after he had rung the bell, he held out his hand and said:
+&ldquo;Miss Durant, I need scarcely say, after what I have just told you, that
+my social training has been slight&mdash;so slight that I was quite unaware
+that the old adage, &lsquo;Even a cat may look at a king,&rsquo; was no longer
+a fact until I overheard
+
+what was said the other day. My last wish is to keep you from coming to the
+hospital, and in expressing my regret at having been the cause of embarrassment
+to you, I wish to add a pledge that henceforth, if you will resume your visits,
+you and Swot shall be free from my intrusion. Good-night,&rdquo; he ended, as
+he started down the steps.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;But I never&mdash;really I have no right to exclude&mdash;nor do I
+wish&mdash;&rdquo; protested the girl; and then, as the servant opened the
+front door, even this halting attempt at an explanation ceased. She echoed a
+&ldquo;Good-night,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;and thank you for all your
+kindness,&rdquo; and very much startled and disturbed the footman, as she
+passed into the hallway, by audibly remarking, &ldquo;Idiot!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She went upstairs slowly, as if thinking, and once in her room, seated herself
+at her desk and commenced a note. Before she had written a page she tore the
+
+paper in two and began anew. Twice she repeated this proceeding; then rose in
+evident irritation, and, walking to her fire, stood looking down into the
+flame. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll think out what I had better do when I&rsquo;m not so
+tired,&rdquo; she finally remarked, as she rang for her maid. But once in bed,
+her thoughts, or the previous strain, kept her long hours awake; and when at
+last she dropped into unconsciousness her slumber was made miserable by dreams
+mixing in utter confusion operating-room and dinner, guests and
+microbes&mdash;dreams in which she was alternately striving to explain
+something to Dr. Armstrong, who could not be brought to understand, or to
+conceal something he was determined to discover. Finally she found herself
+stretched on the dinner-table, the doctor, knife in hand, standing over her,
+with the avowed intention of opening her heart to learn some secret, and it was
+her helpless protests
+
+and struggles which brought consciousness to her&mdash;to discover that she had
+slept far into the morning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the one thought of a visit to the hospital during the permitted hours, she
+made a hasty toilet, followed by an equally speedy breakfast, and was actually
+on her way downstairs when she recalled her promise of a gift. A glance at her
+watch told her that there was not time to go to the shops, and hurrying back to
+her room, she glanced around for something among the knick-knacks scattered
+about. Finding nothing that she could conceive of as bringing pleasure to the
+waif, she took from a drawer of her desk a photograph of herself, and descended
+to the carriage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She had reason to be thankful for her recollection, as, once her greetings, and
+questions to the nurse about the patient&rsquo;s condition were made, Swot
+demanded,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wheer&rsquo;s dat present dat youse promised me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I did not have time this morning to get something especially for
+you,&rdquo; she explained, handing him the portrait, &ldquo;so for want of
+anything better, I&rsquo;ve brought you my picture.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The urchin took the gift and looked at both sides. &ldquo;Wotinell&rsquo;s dat
+good for?&rdquo; he demanded contemptuously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I thought&mdash;hoped it might please you, as showing you that I had
+forgiven&mdash;that I liked you.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah, git on de floor an&rsquo; look at youseself,&rdquo; disgustedly
+remarked Swot. &ldquo;Dat talk don&rsquo;t cut no ice wid me. W&rsquo;y
+didn&rsquo;t youse ask wot Ise wants?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;And what would you like?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will youse guv me a pistol?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, what would you do with it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;d trow a scare into de big newsies w&rsquo;en dey starts to
+chase me off de good beats.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Really, Swot, I don&rsquo;t think I ought to give you anything so
+dangerous. You are very young to&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ah! Youse a goil, an&rsquo; deyse born frightened. Bet youse life, if
+youse ask de doc, he won&rsquo;t tink it nuttin&rsquo; to be scared of.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He isn&rsquo;t here this morning,&rdquo; remarked Constance, for some
+reason looking fixedly at the glove she was removing as she spoke.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The urchin raised his head and peered about. &ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s funny!&rdquo;
+he exclaimed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s de first time he oin&rsquo;t bin here
+w&rsquo;en youse wuz at de bat.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Has he seen you this morning?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why, cert!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The girl opened the dime novel and found the page at which the interruption had
+occurred, hesitated an instant, and remarked, &ldquo;The next time he comes you
+might say that I would like to see him for a moment&mdash;to ask if I had
+better give
+
+you a pistol.&rdquo; This said, she hastily began on the book. Thrillingly as
+the pursuits and pursuit of the criminal classes were pictured, however, there
+came several breaks in the reading; and had any keenly observant person been
+watching Miss Durant, he would have noticed that these pauses invariably
+happened whenever some one entered the ward.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was made evident to her that she and Swot gave value to entirely different
+parts of her message to the doctor; for, no sooner did she reach the
+waif&rsquo;s bedside the next morning than the invalid announced,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, Ise done my best to jolly de doc, but he stuck to it dat youse
+oughtn&rsquo;t to guv me no pistol.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Didn&rsquo;t you tell him what I asked you to say?&rdquo; demanded
+Constance, anxiously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Soytenly. Ise says to &rsquo;im dat youse wanted to know wot he tought,
+an&rsquo; he
+
+went back on me. Ise didn&rsquo;t tink he&rsquo;d trun me down like dat!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I might better have written him,&rdquo; murmured Miss Durant,
+thoughtfully. She sat for some time silently pondering, till the waif
+asked,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, youse goin&rsquo; to guv me dat present just de same, oin&rsquo;t
+youse?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, I&rsquo;ll give you a present,&rdquo; acceded the girl, opening the
+book. &ldquo;I think, Swot,&rdquo; she continued, &ldquo;that we&rsquo;ll have
+to trouble Dr. Armstrong for another Old Sleuth, as we shall probably finish
+this to-day. And tell him this time it is my turn to pay for it,&rdquo; From
+her purse she produced a dime, started to give it to the boy, hastily drew back
+her hand, and replacing the coin, substituted for it a dollar bill. Then she
+began reading rapidly&mdash;so rapidly that the end of the story was attained
+some twenty minutes before the visitors&rsquo; time had expired.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; was her greeting on the following day, as Swot held up
+another lurid-looking tale and the dollar bill, &ldquo;Ise told de doc youse
+wuzn&rsquo;t willin&rsquo; dat he, bein&rsquo; poor, should bleed de cash dis
+time, an&rsquo; dat youse guv me dis to&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You didn&rsquo;t put it that way, Swot?&rdquo; demanded Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot way?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;That I said he was poor.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Soytenly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, Swot, how could you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s de matter?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I never said that! Was he&mdash;was he&mdash;What did he say?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nuttin&rsquo; much, &rsquo;cept dat I wuz to guv youse back de dough,
+for de books wuz on &rsquo;im.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid you have pained him, Swot, and you certainly have
+pained me. Did he seem hurt or offended?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nop.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I wish you would tell him I shall be greatly obliged if he will come to
+the ward to-morrow, for I wish to see him. Now don&rsquo;t alter this message,
+please, Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+That her Mercury did her bidding more effectively was proved by her finding the
+doctor at the bedside when she arrived the next day.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Swot told me that you wished to see me, Miss Durant,&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, and I&rsquo;m very much obliged to you for waiting. I&mdash;How
+soon will it be possible for him to be up?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;He is doing so famously that we&rsquo;ll have him out of bed by Monday,
+I hope.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I promised him a present, and I want to have a Christmas tree for him,
+if he can come to it.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s dat?&rdquo; came the quick question from the bed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t know, I&rsquo;m going to let it be a surprise to you,
+Swot. Do you think he will be well enough to come to my house? Of course
+I&rsquo;ll send my carriage.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;If he continues to improve, he certainly will be.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, is dat de ting dey has for de mugs wot goes to Sunday-school,
+an&rsquo; dat dey has a party for?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes, only this tree will be only for you, Swot,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse oin&rsquo;t goin&rsquo; to have no udder swipes but me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den who&rsquo;ll git all de presents wot&rsquo;s on de tree?&rdquo;
+inquired Swot, suggestively.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Guess!&rdquo; laughed Constance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Will dey all be for me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Hully gee! But dat&rsquo;s grand! Ise in it up to de limit, doc,
+oin&rsquo;t Ise?&rdquo; exclaimed the waif, turning to the doctor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded his head, but something in his face or manner
+seemed to give a change to the boy&rsquo;s thoughts, for, after eyeing him
+intently, he said to Constance,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oin&rsquo;t youse goin&rsquo; to invite de doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Miss Durant coloured as she said, with a touch of eagerness yet shyness,
+&ldquo;Dr. Armstrong, I intended to ask you, and it will give me a great deal
+of pleasure if you will come to Swot&rsquo;s and my festival.&rdquo; And when
+the doctor seemed to hesitate, she added, &ldquo;Please!&rdquo; in a way that
+would have very much surprised any man of her own circle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Thank you, Miss Durant; I&rsquo;ll gladly come, if you are sure I
+sha&rsquo;n&rsquo;t be an interloper.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Not at all,&rdquo; responded the girl. &ldquo;On the contrary, it would
+be sadly incomplete without you&mdash;&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; broke in the youngster, &ldquo;growed-up folks don&rsquo;t
+git tings off de tree, does dey?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Both Constance and the doctor laughed at the obvious fear in the boy&rsquo;s
+mind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No, Swot,&rdquo; the man replied; &ldquo;and I&rsquo;ve had my Christmas
+gift from Miss Durant already.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot wuz dat?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ask her,&rdquo; replied Dr. Armstrong, as he walked away.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot have youse guv &rsquo;im?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance laughed, and blushed still more deeply, as, after a slight pause, she
+replied, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my turn, Swot, to say &lsquo;rubber&rsquo;?&rdquo;
+This said, she stooped impulsively and kissed the boy&rsquo;s forehead.
+&ldquo;You are a dear, Swot,&rdquo; she asserted, warmly.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+With the mooting of the Christmas tree, the interest in Old Sleuth markedly
+declined, being succeeded by innumerable
+
+surmises of the rapidly convalescing boy as to the probable nature and number
+of the gifts it would bear. In this he was not discouraged by Miss Durant, who,
+once the readings were discontinued, brought a bit of fancy-work for
+occupation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot&rsquo;s dat?&rdquo; he inquired, the first time she produced it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A case for handkerchiefs.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;For me?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did you ever have a handkerchief?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Nop. An&rsquo; I&rsquo;d radder have suttin&rsquo; else.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can you keep a secret, Swot?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Bet youse life.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;This is for Dr. Armstrong.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Swot regarded it with new interest. &ldquo;Youse goin&rsquo; to s&rsquo;prise
+&rsquo;im?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Den youse must sneak it quick w&rsquo;en he comes in.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Haven&rsquo;t you noticed that he doesn&rsquo;t come here any longer,
+Swot?&rdquo; quietly responded the girl, her head bowed over the work.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oin&rsquo;t dat luck!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Why?&rdquo; asked Constance, looking up in surprise.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;&rsquo;Cause youse can work on de present,&rdquo; explained Swot.
+&ldquo;Say,&rdquo; he demanded after a pause, &ldquo;if dere&rsquo;s anyting on
+de tree dat Ise don&rsquo;t cares for, can Ise give it to de doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Certainly. Or better still, if you&rsquo;ll find out what he would like,
+I&rsquo;ll let you make him a present.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Youse payin&rsquo; for it?&rdquo; anxiously questioned the boy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Of course.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s Jim Dandy!&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Miss Durant recurred to this offer twice in the succeeding week, but to her
+surprise, found Swot&rsquo;s apparent enthusiasm over the gift had
+
+entirely cooled, and his one object was a seeming desire to avoid all
+discussion of it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you want to give him something, or haven&rsquo;t you found
+out what he wants?&rdquo; she was driven to ask.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, dat&rsquo;s all right. Don&rsquo;t youse tire youself &rsquo;bout
+dat,&rdquo; was his mysterious reply. Nor could she extract anything more
+satisfactory.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was a very different Swot McGarrigle who was helped into Miss Durant&rsquo;s
+carriage by the doctor on Christmas eve from the one who had been lifted out at
+the hospital some six weeks before. The wizened face had filled out into
+roundness, and the long-promised new clothes, donned for the first time in
+honor of the event, even more transformed him; so changed him, in fact, that
+Constance hesitated for an instant in her welcome, in doubt if it were he.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I have the tree in my own room, because I wanted all the fun to
+ourselves,&rdquo; she explained, as she led the way upstairs, &ldquo;and
+downstairs we should almost certainly be interrupted by callers, or something.
+But before you go, Dr. Armstrong, I want you to meet my family, and of course
+they all want to see Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+It was not a large nor particularly brilliant tree, but to Swot it was
+everything that was beautiful. At first he was afraid to approach, but after a
+little Constance persuaded him into a walk around it, and finally tempted him,
+by an artful mention of what was in one of the larger packages at the base, to
+treat it more familiarly. Once the ice was broken, the two were quickly seated
+on the floor, Constance cutting strings, and Swot giving shouts of delight at
+each new treasure. Presently, in especial joy over some prize, the boy turned
+to show
+
+it to the doctor, to discover that he was standing well back, watching, rather
+than sharing, in the pleasure of the two; and, as the little chap discovered
+the aloofness, he leaned over and whispered something to the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I want to, but can&rsquo;t get the courage yet,&rdquo; whispered back
+Constance. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what is the matter with me, Swot,&rdquo;
+she added, blushing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Like me to guv it to &rsquo;im?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh, will you, Swot?&rdquo; she eagerly demanded. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the
+parcel in tissue-paper on my desk over there.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The waif rose to his feet and trotted to the place indicated. He gave a quick
+glance back at Miss Durant, and seeing that she was leaning over a bundle, he
+softly unfolded the tissue-paper, slipped something from his newly possessed
+breast pocket into the handkerchief-case, and refolded the paper. He crossed
+the room to where the doctor was standing,
+
+and handed him the parcel, with the remark, &ldquo;Dat&rsquo;s for youse, from
+Miss Constance an&rsquo; me, doc.&rdquo; Then scurrying back to the side of the
+girl, he confided to her, &ldquo;Ise guv de doc a present, too.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What was it?&rdquo; asked Constance, still not looking up.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Go an&rsquo; ask &rsquo;im,&rdquo; chuckled Swot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Turned away as she might be, she was not unconscious of the doctor&rsquo;s
+movements, and she was somewhat puzzled when, instead of coming to her with
+thanks, he crossed the room to a bay-window, where he was hidden by the tree
+from both of them. From that point he still further astonished her by the
+request,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Can you&mdash;will you please come here for a moment, Miss
+Durant?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance rose and walked to where he stood. &ldquo;I hope you like my
+gift?&rdquo; she asked.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You could have given me nothing I have so wanted&mdash;nothing I shall
+treasure more,&rdquo; said the man, speaking low and fervently. &ldquo;But did
+you realise what this would mean to me?&rdquo; As he spoke, he raised his hand,
+and Constance saw, not the handkerchief-case, but a photograph of herself.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; she gasped. &ldquo;Where&mdash;I didn&rsquo;t&mdash;that was
+a picture I gave to Swot. The case is my gift,&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor&rsquo;s hand dropped, and all the hope and fire went from his eyes.
+&ldquo;I beg your pardon for being so foolish, Miss Durant. I&mdash;I lost my
+senses for a moment&mdash;or I would have known that you never&mdash;that the
+other was your gift.&rdquo; He stooped to pick it up from the floor where he
+had dropped it. &ldquo;Thank you very deeply for your kindness, and&mdash;and
+try to forget my folly.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;I&mdash;I&mdash;couldn&rsquo;t understand why Swot suddenly&mdash;why
+he&mdash;I never dreamed of his doing it,&rdquo; faltered the girl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;His and my knowledge of social conventions are about on a par,&rdquo;
+responded the man, with a set look to his mouth. &ldquo;Shall I give it back to
+him or to you?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance drew a deep breath. &ldquo;It
+wasn&rsquo;t&mdash;my&mdash;gift&mdash;but&mdash;but&mdash;I don&rsquo;t mind
+your keeping it if you wish.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;You mean&mdash;?&rdquo; cried Dr. Armstrong, incredulously.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said the girl, hurriedly, &ldquo;isn&rsquo;t that enough,
+now? Please, oh, please&mdash;wait&mdash;for a little.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The doctor caught her hand and kissed it. &ldquo;Till death, if you ask
+it!&rdquo; he said.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Five minutes later Swot abstracted himself sufficiently from his gifts to
+
+peep around the tree and ecstatically inquire,&mdash;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Say, oin&rsquo;t dis de doisiest Christmas dat ever wuz?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; echoed the two in the bay-window.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did youse like me present, doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; reiterated the doctor, with something in his voice that gave
+the word tenfold meaning.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Ise tought youse &rsquo;ud freeze to it, an&rsquo; it wuzn&rsquo;t no
+sorter good to me.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Constance laughed happily. &ldquo;Still, I&rsquo;m very glad I gave it to you,
+Swot,&rdquo; she said, with a glance of the eyes, half shy and half arch, at
+the man beside her.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Did youse like Miss Constance&rsquo;s present too, doc?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied the doctor, &ldquo;especially the one you
+haven&rsquo;t seen, Swot.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Wot wuz dat?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;A something called hope&mdash;which is the finest thing in the
+world.&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;No. There is one thing better,&rdquo; said Miss Durant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;What is it?&rdquo;
+</p>
+
+<p>
+&ldquo;Love!&rdquo; whispered Constance, softly.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
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@@ -0,0 +1,2506 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wanted--A Match Maker, by Paul Leicester Ford
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Wanted--A Match Maker
+
+Author: Paul Leicester Ford
+
+Illustrator: Howard Chandler Christy.
+             Decorations by Margaret Armstrong
+
+Release Date: December 9, 2004 [EBook #14211]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WANTED--A MATCH MAKER ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Joshua Hutchinson, and the Project
+Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Wanted - A Matchmaker
+
+
+by
+Paul Leicester Ford
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: "'Why, Swot,' cried Constance, 'nobody is going to
+kill you'"]
+
+
+
+
+
+Contents
+========
+
+
+Contents
+Illustrations
+Wanted: A Match-Maker
+
+
+
+
+
+                                   -*-
+
+
+                                    To
+
+                          Bond and Edith Thomas
+
+                      as a Record of Our Friendship
+
+
+
+
+
+Illustrations
+=============
+
+
+"'Why, Swot,' cried Constance, 'nobody is going to kill you'"
+
+"Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently"
+
+"Constance took the seat at the bedside"
+
+"'I have come here--I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,' hurriedly began
+the doctor"
+
+"The two were quickly seated on the floor"
+
+
+
+
+
+Wanted: A Match-Maker
+=====================
+
+
+"You understand, Josie, that I wouldn't for a moment wish Constance to
+marry without being in love, but--"
+
+Mrs. Durant hesitated long enough to convey the inference that she was
+unfeminine enough to place a value on her own words, and then, the pause
+having led to a change, or, at least, modification of what had almost
+found utterance, she continued, with a touch of petulance which suggested
+that the general principle had in the mind of the speaker a special
+application, "It is certainly a great pity that the modern girl should be
+so unimpressionable!"
+
+"I understand and sympathise with you perfectly, dear," consolingly
+acceded Mrs. Ferguson. "And Constance has such advantages!"
+
+Quite unnoting that her friend replied to her thought rather than to her
+words, Mrs. Durant responded at once eagerly, yet defensively: "That is
+it. No one will deny that Muriel is quite Constance's equal in mind, and,
+though perhaps I am not the one to say it, Doris surely excels her in
+looks. Don't you think so, darling?" she added.
+
+"Unquestionably," agreed the friend, with much the quality of firm
+promptness with which one would bolt a nauseous pill, or extrude an ailing
+oyster.
+
+"Yet merely because Constance has been out so much longer, and therefore
+is much more experienced, she self--she monopolises the attentions of the
+men; you know she does, Josie."
+
+"Absolutely," once more concurred Mrs. Ferguson; and this time, though she
+spoke less quickly, her tone carried greater conviction. "They
+are--well--she--she undoubtedly--that is, she contrives--somehow--to
+eclipse, or at least overshadow them."
+
+"Exactly. I don't like to think that she manages--but whether she does or
+not, the results are as bad as if she did; and thoughtlessness--if it is
+only that, which I can't believe--is quite as blamable as--as more
+intentional scheming."
+
+"Then of course," said Mrs. Ferguson, "every one knows about her mother's
+fortune--and men are so mercenary in these days."
+
+"Oh, Josie, I don't like to speak of that myself, but it is such a relief
+to have you say it. That is the whole trouble. What sort of a chance have
+my poor dears, who will inherit so little compared to her wealth, and that
+not till--till we are through with it--against Constance? I call it really
+shameful of her to keep on standing in their light!"
+
+"Have you--Couldn't you let her see--drop a hint--of the unconscious
+injury she is--"
+
+"That is the cruelty of my position," moaned Mrs. Durant. "I should not
+hesitate a moment, but the world is so ill-natured about stepmothers that
+one has to be over-careful, and with daughters of my own, I'm afraid
+people--perhaps my own husband--would think I was trying to sacrifice her
+to them."
+
+"But have you no friend you could ask to--?"
+
+"Josie! Would you?" eagerly interrupted Mrs. Durant. "She will be
+influenced, I know, by anything you--"
+
+"Gracious, my dear, I never dreamed of--of you asking me! Why, I don't
+know her in the least. I couldn't, really."
+
+"But for my sake? And you know her as well as--as any one else; for
+Constance has no intimates or--"
+
+"Don't you see that's it? I'd as soon think of--of--From me she would only
+take it as an impertinence."
+
+"I don't see why everybody stands so in awe of a girl of twenty-three,
+unless it's because she's rich," querulously sighed Mrs. Durant.
+
+"I don't think it's that, Anne. It's her proud face and reserved manner.
+And I believe those are the real reasons for her not marrying. However
+much men may admire her, they--they--Well, it's your kittenish, cuddling
+kind of a girl they marry."
+
+"No; you are entirely wrong. Doubtless it is her money, but Constance has
+had plenty of admirers, and if she were less self--if she considered the
+interests of the family--she would have married years ago. But she is
+wholly blind to her duty, and checks or rebuffs every man who attempts to
+show her devotion. And just because others take their places, she is
+puffed up into the belief that she is to go through life with an
+everlasting train of would-be suitors, and so enjoys her own triumph, with
+never a thought of my girls."
+
+"Why not ask her father to speak to her?"
+
+"My dear! As if I hadn't, a dozen times at the least,"
+
+"And what does he say?"
+
+"That Constance shows her sense by not caring for the men _I_ invite to
+the house! As if _I_ could help it! Of course with three girls in the
+house one must cultivate dancing-men, and it's very unfair to blame me if
+they aren't all one could wish."
+
+"I thought Constance gave up going to dances last winter?"
+
+"She did, but still I must ask them to my dinners, for if I don't they
+won't show Muriel and Doris attention. Mr. Durant should realise that I
+only do it for their sakes; yet to listen to him you'd suppose it was my
+duty to close my doors to dancing-men, and spend my time seeking out the
+kind one never hears of--who certainly don't know how to dance, and who
+would either not talk at my dinners, or would lecture upon one subject to
+the whole table--just because they are what he calls 'purposeful men.'"
+
+"He probably recognises that the society man is not a marrying species,
+while the other is."
+
+"But there are several who would marry Constance in a minute if she'd only
+give any one of them the smallest encouragement; and that's what I mean
+when I complain of her being so unimpressionable. Muriel and Doris like
+our set of men well enough, and I don't see what right she has to be so
+over-particular."
+
+Mrs. Ferguson rose and began the adjustment of her wrap, while saying, "It
+seems to me there is but one thing for you to do, Anne."
+
+"What?" eagerly questioned Mrs. Durant.
+
+"Indulge in a little judicious matchmaking," suggested the friend, as she
+held out her hand.
+
+"It's utterly useless, Josie. I've tried again and again, and every time
+have only done harm."
+
+"How?"
+
+"She won't--she is so suspicious. Now, last winter, Weston Curtis was
+sending her flowers and--and, oh, all that sort of thing, and so I invited
+him to dinner several times, and always put him next Constance, and tried
+to help him in other ways, until she--well, what do you think that girl
+did?"
+
+Mrs. Ferguson's interest led her to drop her outstretched hand. "Requested
+you not to?" she asked.
+
+"Not one word did she have the grace to say to me, Josie, but she wrote to
+him, and asked him not to send her any more flowers! Just think of it."
+
+"Then that's why he went to India."
+
+"Yes. Of course if she had come and told me she didn't care for him, I
+never would have kept on inviting him; but she is so secretive it is
+impossible to tell what she is thinking about. I never dreamed that she
+was conscious that I was trying to--to help her; and I have always been so
+discreet that I think she never would have been if Mr. Durant hadn't begun
+to joke about it. Only guess, darling, what he said to me once right
+before her, just as I thought I was getting her interested in young
+Schenck!"
+
+"I can't imagine."
+
+"Oh, it was some of his Wall Street talk about promoters of trusts always
+securing options on the properties to be taken in, before attempting a
+consolidation, or something of that sort. I shouldn't have known what he
+meant if the boys hadn't laughed and looked at Constance. And then Jack
+made matters worse by saying that my interest would be satisfied with
+common stock, but Constance would only accept preferred for hers. Men do
+blurt things out so--and yet they assert that we women haven't tongue
+discretion. No, dear, with them about it's perfectly useless for me to do
+so much as lift a finger to marry Constance off, let alone her own
+naturally distrustful nature."
+
+"Well, then, can't you get some one to do it for you--some friend of
+hers?"
+
+"I don't believe there is a person in the world who could influence
+Constance as regards marriage," moaned Mrs. Durant. "Don't think that I
+want to sacrifice her, dear; but she really isn't happy
+herself--for--well--she is a stepdaughter, you know--and so can never
+quite be the same in the family life; and now that she has tired of
+society, she really doesn't find enough to do to keep busy. Constance
+wanted to go into the Settlement work, but her father wouldn't hear of
+it--and really, Josie, every one would be happier and better if she only
+would marry--"
+
+"I beg your pardon for interrupting you, mama. I thought you were alone,"
+came a voice from the doorway. "How do you do, Mrs. Ferguson?"
+
+"Oh!" ejaculated both ladies, as they looked up, to find standing in the
+doorway a handsome girl, with clear-cut patrician features, and an erect
+carriage which gave her an air of marked distinction.
+
+"I only stopped to ask about the errand you asked me to do when I went
+out," explained the girl, quietly, as the two women hunted for something
+to say.
+
+"Oh. Yes. Thank you for remembering, darling," stammered Mrs. Durant,
+finding her voice at last. "Won't you please order a bunch of something
+sent to Miss Porter--and--and--I'll be very much obliged if you'll attend
+to it, Constance, my dear."
+
+The girl merely nodded her head as she disappeared, but neither woman
+spoke till the front door was heard to close, when Mrs. Durant exclaimed,
+"How long had she been standing there?"
+
+"I don't know."
+
+"I hope she didn't hear!"
+
+"I don't think she could have, or she would have shown it more,"
+
+"That doesn't mean anything. She never shows anything outwardly. And
+really, though I wouldn't purposely have said it to her, I'm not sure that
+I hope she didn't hear it--for--well, I do wish some one would give her
+just such advice."
+
+"My dear, it isn't a case for advice; it's a case for match-making,"
+reiterated Mrs. Ferguson, as she once more held out her hand.
+
+Meanwhile Miss Durant thoughtfully went down the steps to her carriage, so
+abstracted from what she was doing that after the footman tucked the fur
+robe about her feet, he stood waiting for his orders; and finally,
+realising his mistress's unconsciousness, touched his hat and asked,--
+
+"Where to, Miss Constance?"
+
+With a slight start the girl came back from her meditations, and, after a
+moment's hesitation, gave a direction. Then, as the man mounted to his
+seat and the brougham started, the girl's face, which had hitherto been
+pale, suddenly flushed, and she leaned back in the carriage, so that no
+one should see her wipe her eyes with her handkerchief.
+
+"I do wish," she murmured, with a slight break in her voice, "that at
+least mama wouldn't talk about it to outsiders. I--I'd marry to-morrow,
+just to escape it all--if--if--a loveless marriage wasn't even worse." The
+girl shivered slightly, and laid her head against the cushioned side, as
+if weary.
+
+She was still so busy with her thoughts that she failed to notice when the
+brougham stopped at the florist's, and once more was only recalled to
+concrete concerns by the footman opening the door. The ordering of some
+flowers for a d�butante evidently steadied her and allowed her to regain
+self-control, for she drove in succession to the jeweller's to select a
+wedding gift, and to the dressmaker's for a fitting, at each place giving
+the closest attention to the matter in hand. These nominal duties, but in
+truth pleasures, concluded, nominal pleasures, but in truth duties,
+succeeded them, and the carriage halted at four houses long enough to
+ascertain that the especial objects of Miss Durant's visits "begged to be
+excused," or were "not at home," each of which pieces of information, or,
+to speak more correctly, the handing in by the footman, in response to the
+information, of her card or cards, drew forth an unmistakable sigh of
+relief from that young lady. Evidently Miss Durant was bored by people,
+and this to those experienced in the world should be proof that Miss
+Durant was, in fact, badly bored by herself.
+
+One consequence of her escape, however, was that the girl remained with an
+hour which must be got through with in some manner, and so, in a voice
+totally without desire or eagerness, she said, "The Park, Wallace;" and in
+the Park some fifty minutes were spent, her greatest variation from the
+monotony of the wonted and familiar roads being an occasional nod of the
+head to people driving or riding, with a glance at those with each, or at
+the costumes they wore.
+
+It was with a distinct note of anticipation in her voice, therefore, that
+Miss Durant finally ordered, "Home, now, Murdock;" and, if the truth were
+to be told, the chill in her hands and feet, due to the keen November
+cold, with a mental picture of the blazing wood fire of her own room, and
+of the cup of tea that would be drank in front of it, was producing almost
+the first pleasurable prospect of the day to her.
+
+Seemingly the coachman was as eager to be in-doors as his mistress, for he
+whipped up the horses, and the carriage was quickly crossing the plaza and
+speeding down the avenue. Though the street was crowded with vehicles and
+pedestrians, the growing darkness put an end to Miss Durant's nods of
+recognition, and she leaned back, once more buried in her own thoughts.
+
+At Forty-second Street she was sharply recalled from whatever her mind was
+dwelling upon by a sudden jar, due to the checking of the carriage, and
+simultaneously with it came the sound of crashing of glass and splintering
+of wood. So abrupt was the halt that Miss Durant was pitched forward, and
+as she put out her hand to save herself from being thrown into the bottom
+of the brougham, she caught a moment's glimpse of a ragged boy close
+beside her window, and heard, even above the hurly-burly of the pack of
+carriages and street-crossers, his shrill cry,--
+
+"Extry _Woild_'r _Joinal_. Terrible--"
+
+There the words ended, for the distraught horses shied backwards and
+sideways, and the fore wheel, swung outwards by the sharp turn, struck the
+little fellow and threw him down. Miss Durant attempted a warning cry, but
+it was too late; and even as it rang out, the carriage gave a jolt and
+then a jar as it passed over the body. Instantly came a dozen warning
+shouts and shrieks and curses, and the horses reared and plunged wildly,
+with the new fright of something under their feet.
+
+White with terror, the girl caught at the handle, but she did no more than
+throw open the door, for, as if they sprang from the ground, a crowd of
+men were pressing about the brougham. All was confusion for a moment; then
+the tangle of vehicles seemed to open out and the mob of people,
+struggling and gesticulating, fell back before a policeman while another,
+aided by some one, caught the heads of the two horses, just as the footman
+drew out from under their feet into the cleared space something which
+looked like a bundle of rags and newspapers.
+
+Thinking of nothing save that limp little body, Miss Durant sprang out,
+and kneeling beside it, lifted the head gently into her lap, and smoothed
+back from the pallid face the unkempt hair. "He isn't dead, Wallace?" she
+gasped out.
+
+"I don't think he is, Miss Constance, though he looks like he was bad
+hurt. An', indeed, Miss Constance, it wasn't Murdock's fault. The coup�
+backed right into our pole without--"
+
+"Here," interrupted a man's voice from the circle of spectators, "give him
+this;" and some one handed to the girl the cup of a flask half full of
+brandy. Dipping her fingers into it, she rubbed them across the mouth and
+forehead; then, raising the head with one of her arms, she parted the lips
+and poured a few drops between them.
+
+"Now, mum," suggested the policeman. "Just you let go of it, and we'll
+lift it to where it can stay till the ambulance gets here."
+
+"Oh, don't," begged Miss Durant. "He shouldn't be moved until--"
+
+"Like as not it'll take ten minutes to get it here, and we can't let the
+street stay blocked like this."
+
+"Ten minutes!" exclaimed the girl. "Isn't it possible--We must get help
+sooner, or he--" She broke in upon her own words, "Lift him into my
+carriage, and I'll take him to the hospital."
+
+"Can't let you, miss," spoke up a police sergeant, who meantime had forced
+his way through the crowd. "Your coachman's got to stay and answer for
+this."
+
+"He shall, but not now," protested Miss Durant. "I will be responsible for
+him. Wallace, give them one of my cards from the case in the carriage."
+
+[Illustration: "Miss Durant sprang out and lifted the head gently"]
+
+The officer took the bit of pasteboard and looked at it. "That's all
+right, miss," he said. "Here, Casey, together now and easy."
+
+The two big men in uniform lifted the urchin as if he were without weight,
+and laid him as gently as might be on the seat of the brougham. This done,
+the roundsman dropped the small front seat, helped Miss Durant in, and
+once she was seated upon it, took his place beside her. The sergeant
+closed the door, gave an order to the coachman, and, wheeling about, the
+carriage turned up the avenue, followed by the eyes of the crowd and by a
+trail of the more curious.
+
+"Better give it another swig, mum," counselled her companion; and the
+girl, going on her knees, raised the head, and administered a second
+swallow of the brandy. She did not resume her seat, but kept her arm about
+the boy, in an attempt to render his position easier. It was a wizened,
+pinched little face she gazed down at, and now the mouth was drawn as if
+there was physical suffering, even in the unconsciousness. Neither head
+nor hands had apparently ever known soap, but the dirt only gave
+picturesqueness, and, indeed, to Miss Durant an added pathos; and the
+tears came into her eyes as she noted that under the ragged coat was only
+a flimsy cotton shirt, so bereft of buttons that the whole chest was
+exposed to the cold which but a little while before the girl, clad in furs
+and sheltered by the carriage, had yet found so nipping. She raised her
+free hand and laid it gently on the exposed breast, and slightly shivered
+as she felt how little warmth there was.
+
+"Please put the fur rug over him," she requested; and her companion pulled
+it from under their feet, and laid it over the coiled-up legs and body.
+
+The weight, or the second dose of the stimulant, had an effect, for Miss
+Durant felt the body quiver, and then the eyes unclosed. At first they
+apparently saw nothing, but slowly the dulness left them, and they, and
+seemingly the whole face, sharpened into comprehension, and then, as they
+fastened on the blue coat of the policeman, into the keenest apprehension.
+
+"Say," he moaned, "I didn't do nuttin', dis time, honest."
+
+"I ain't takin' you to the station-house," denied the officer, colouring
+and looking sideways at his companion.
+
+"You were run over, and we are carrying you to where a doctor can see how
+much you are hurt," said the gently.
+
+The eyes of the boy turned to hers, and the face lost some of its fright
+and suspicion. "Is dat on de level?" he asked, after a moment's scrutiny.
+"Youse oin't runnin' me in?"
+
+"No," answered Miss Durant. "We are taking you to the hospital."
+
+"De horspital!" exclaimed the little chap, his eyes brightening. "Is Ise
+in de rattler?"
+
+"The what?" asked Constance.
+
+"De rattler," repeated the questioner, "de ding-dong."
+
+"No, you ain't in no ambulance," spoke up the officer. "You're in this
+young lady's carriage."
+
+The look of hope and pride faded out of the boy's face. "Ise oin't playin'
+in no sorter luck dese days," he sighed. Suddenly the expression of alarm
+reappeared in his face. "Wheer's me papes?"
+
+"They're all right. Don't you work yourself up over them," said the
+roundsman, heartily.
+
+"Youse didn't let de udder newsies swipe dem, did youse?" the lad appealed
+anxiously.
+
+"I'll pay you for every one you lost," offered Constance. "How many did
+you have?"
+
+The ragamuffin stared at her for a moment, his face an essence of
+disbelief.
+
+"Ah, hell!" he ejaculated. "Wot's dis song an' dance youse givin' us?"
+
+"Really, I will," insisted the girl. She reached back of her and took her
+purse from the rack, and as well as she could with her one hand opened it.
+
+The sight of the bills and coin brought doubt to the sceptic. "Say," he
+demanded, his eyes burning with avidity, "does youse mean dat? Dere oin't
+no crawl in dis?"
+
+"No. How much were they worth?"
+
+The boy hesitated, and scanned her face, as if he were measuring the girl
+more than he was his loss. "Dere wuz twinty _Joinals_" he said, speaking
+slowly, and his eyes watching her as a cat might a mouse,
+"an'--an'--twinty _Woilds_--an'--an' tirty _Telegrams_--an'--an'--" He
+drew a fresh breath, as if needing strength, shot an apprehensive glance
+at the roundsman, and went on hurriedly, in a lower voice, "an' tirty-five
+_Posts_--"
+
+"Ah, g'long with you," broke in the policeman, disgustedly. "He didn't
+have mor'n twenty in all, that I know."
+
+"Hope I may die if Ise didn't have all dem papes, boss," protested the
+boy.
+
+"You deserve to be run in, that's what you do," asserted the officer of
+the law, angrily.
+
+"Oh, don't threaten him," begged Miss Durant.
+
+"Don't you be fooled by him, mum. He ain't the kind as sells _Posts_, an'
+if he was, he wouldn't have more'n five."
+
+"It's de gospel trute Ise chuckin' at youse dis time," asserted the
+youngster.
+
+"Gospel Ananias--!" began the officer.
+
+"Never mind," interrupted Miss Durant. "Would ten dollars pay for them
+all?"
+
+"Ah, I know'd youse wuz tryin' to stuff me," dejectedly exclaimed the boy;
+then, in an evident attempt to save his respect for his own acuteness, he
+added: "But youse didn't. I seed de goime youse wuz settin' up right from
+de start."
+
+Out of the purse Constance, with some difficulty, drew a crisp ten-dollar
+bill, the boy watching the one-handed operation half doubtingly and half
+eagerly; and when it was finally achieved, at the first movement of her
+hand toward him, his arm shot out, and the money was snatched, more than
+taken. With the quick motion, however, the look of eagerness and joy
+changed to one of agony; he gave a sharp cry, and, despite the grime, the
+cheeks whitened perceptibly.
+
+"Oh, please stay quiet," implored Miss Durant. "You mustn't move."
+
+"Hully gee, but dat hurted!" gasped the youngster, yet clinging to the new
+wealth. He lay quiet for a few breaths; then, as if he feared the sight of
+the bill might in time tempt a change of mind in the giver, he stole the
+hand to his trousers pocket and endeavoured to smuggle the money into it,
+his teeth set, but his lips trembling, with the pain the movement cost
+him.
+
+Not understanding the fear in the boy's mind, Constance put her free hand
+down and tried to assist him; but the instant he felt her fingers, his
+tightened violently. "Youse guv it me," he wailed. "Didn't she guv it me?"
+he appealed desperately to the policeman.
+
+"I'm only trying to help put it in your pocket," explained the girl.
+
+"Ah, chase youseself!" exclaimed the doubter, contemptuously. "Dat don't
+go wid me. Nah!"
+
+"What doesn't go?" bewilderedly questioned Miss Durant.
+
+"Wotcher tink youse up aginst? Suttin' easy? Well, I guess not! Youse
+don't get youse pickers in me pocket on dat racket."
+
+"She ain't goin' to take none of your money!" asserted the policeman,
+indignantly. "Can't you tell a real lady when you see her?"
+
+"Den let her quit tryin' to go tru me," protested the anxious capitalist;
+and Constance desisted from her misinterpreted attempt, with a laugh which
+died as the little fellow, at last successful in his endeavour to secrete
+the money, moaned again at the pain it cost him.
+
+"Shall we never get there?" she demanded impatiently, and, as if an answer
+were granted her, the carriage slowed, and turning, passed into a
+porte-coch�re, in which the shoes of the horses rang out sharply, and
+halted.
+
+"Stay quiet a bit, mum," advised the policeman, as he got out; and
+Constance remained, still supporting the urchin, until two men with a
+stretcher appeared, upon which they lifted the little sufferer, who
+screamed with pain that even this gentlest of handling cost him.
+
+Her heart wrung with sympathy for him, Miss Durant followed after them
+into the reception-ward. At the door she hesitated, in doubt as to whether
+it was right or proper for her to follow, till the sight of a nurse
+reassured her, and she entered; but her boldness carried her no farther
+than to stand quietly while the orderlies set down the litter. Without a
+moment's delay the nurse knelt beside the boy, and with her scissors began
+slitting up the sleeves of the tattered coat.
+
+"Hey! Wotcher up to?" demanded the waif, suspiciously.
+
+"I'm getting you ready for the doctor," said the nurse, soothingly. "It's
+all right."
+
+"Toin't nuttin' of de sort," moaned the boy. "Youse spoilin' me cloes,
+an' if youse wuzn't a loidy, you'd get youse face poked in, dat's wot
+would happen to youse."
+
+Constance came forward and laid her hand on the little fellow's cheek.
+"Don't mind," she said, "and I'll give you a new suit of clothes."
+
+"Wen?" came the quick question.
+
+"To-morrow."
+
+"Does youse mean dat? Honest? Dere oin't no string to dis?"
+
+"Honest," echoed the girl, heartily.
+
+Reassured, the boy lay quietly while the nurse completed the dismemberment
+of the ragged coat, the apology for a shirt, and the bit of twine which
+served in lieu of suspenders. But the moment she began on the trousers,
+the wail was renewed.
+
+"Quit, I say, or I'll soak de two of youse; see if I don't. Ah, won't
+youse--" The words became inarticulate howls which the prayers and
+assurances of the two women could not lessen.
+
+"Now, then, stop this noise and tell me what is the matter," ordered a
+masculine voice; and turning from the boy, Constance found a tall,
+strong-featured man with tired-looking eyes standing at the other side
+of the litter.
+
+Hopeful that the diversion might mean assistance, the waif's howls once
+more became lingual. "Dey's tryin' to swipe me money, boss," he whined.
+"Hope I may die if deys oin't."
+
+"And where is your money?" asked the doctor.
+
+"Wotcher want to know for?" demanded the urchin, with recurrent suspicion
+in his face.
+
+"It's in the pocket of his trousers, Dr. Armstrong," said the nurse.
+
+Without the slightest attempt to reassure the boy, the doctor forced loose
+the boy's hold on the pocket, and inserting his hand, drew out the
+ten-dollar bill and a medley of small coins.
+
+"Now," he said, "I've taken your money, so they can't. Understand?"
+
+The urchin began to snivel.
+
+"Ah, you have no right to be so cruel to him," protested Miss Durant.
+"It's perfectly natural. Just think how we would feel if we didn't
+understand."
+
+The doctor fumbled for his eye-glasses, but not finding them quickly
+enough, squinted his eyelids in an endeavour to see the speaker. "And who
+are you?" he demanded.
+
+"Why, I am--that is--I am Miss Durant, and--" stuttered the girl.
+
+Not giving her time to finish her speech, Dr. Armstrong asked, "Why are
+you here?" while searching for his glasses.
+
+"I did not mean to intrude," explained Constance, flushing, "only it was
+my fault, and it hurts me to see him suffer more than seems necessary."
+
+Abandoning the search for his glasses, and apparently unheeding of her
+explanation, the doctor began a hasty examination of the now naked boy,
+passing his hand over trunk and limbs with a firm touch that paid no heed
+to the child's outcries, though each turned the onlooker faint and cold.
+
+Her anxiety presently overcoming the sense of rebuke, the overwrought girl
+asked, "He will live, won't he?"
+
+The man straightened up from his examination. "Except for some contusion,"
+he replied, "it apparently is only a leg and a couple of ribs broken." His
+voice and manner conveyed the idea that legs and ribs were but canes and
+corsets. "Take him into the accident ward," he directed to the orderlies,
+"and I'll attend to him presently."
+
+"I will not have this boy neglected," Constance said, excitedly and
+warmly. "Furthermore, I insist that he receive instant treatment, and not
+wait _your_ convenience."
+
+Once again Dr. Armstrong began feeling for his glasses, as he asked, "Are
+you connected with this hospital, Miss Durant?"
+
+"No, but it was my carriage ran over him, and--"
+
+"And is it because you ran over the boy, Miss Durant," he interrupted,
+"that you think it is your right to come here and issue instructions for
+our treatment of him?"
+
+"It is every one's right to see that assistance is given to an injured
+person as quickly as possible," retorted the girl, though flushing, "and
+to protest if human suffering, perhaps life itself, is made to wait the
+convenience of one who is paid to save both."
+
+Finally discovering and adjusting his glasses, Dr. Armstrong eyed Miss
+Durant with a quality of imperturbability at once irritating and
+embarrassing. "I beg your pardon for the hasty remark I just made," he
+apologised. "Not having my second sight at command, I did not realise I
+was speaking to so young a girl, and therefore I allowed myself to be
+offended, which was foolish. If you choose to go with the patient, I trust
+you will satisfy yourself that no one in this hospital is lacking in duty
+or kindness."
+
+With a feeling much akin to that she had formerly suffered at the
+conclusion of her youthful spankings, Constance followed hurriedly after
+the orderlies, only too thankful that a reason had been given her
+permitting an escape from those steady eyes and amused accents, which she
+was still feeling when the litter was set down beside an empty bed.
+
+"Has dat slob tooken me money for keeps?" whimpered the boy the moment the
+orderlies had departed.
+
+"No, no," Constance assured him, her hand in his.
+
+"Den w'y'd he pinch it so quick?"
+
+"He's going to take care of it for you, that's all."
+
+"Will he guv me a wroten pape sayin' dat?"
+
+"See," said the girl, only eager to relieve his anxiety, "here is my
+purse, and there is a great deal more money in it than you had, and I'll
+leave it with you, and if he doesn't return you your money, why, you shall
+have mine."
+
+"Youse cert'in dere's more den Ise had?"
+
+"Certain. Look, here are two tens and three fives and a one, besides some
+change."
+
+"Dat's all hunky!" joyfully ejaculated the urchin. "Now, den, wheer kin
+we sneak it so he don't git his hooks on it?"
+
+"This is to be your bed, and let's hide it under the pillow," suggested
+Constance, feeling as if she were playing a game. "Then you can feel of it
+whenever you want."
+
+"Dat's de way to steal a base off 'im," acceded the waif. "We'll show dese
+guys wese oin't no bunch of easy grapes."
+
+Scarcely was the purse concealed when a nurse appeared with a pail of
+water and rolls of some cloth, and after her came the doctor.
+
+"Now, my boy," he said, with a kindness and gentleness in his voice which
+surprised Constance, "I've got to hurt you a little, and let's see how
+brave you can be." He took hold of the left leg the ankle and stretched
+it, at the same time manipulating the calf with the fingers of his other
+hand.
+
+The boy gave a cry of pain, and clutched Constance's arm, squeezing it so
+as to almost make her scream; but she set her teeth determinedly and took
+his other hand in hers.
+
+At a word the nurse grasped the limb and held it as it was placed, while
+the doctor took one of the rolls, and, dipping it in the water, unrolled
+it round and round the leg, with a rapidity and deftness which had, to
+Constance, a quality of fascination in it. A second wet bandage was wound
+over the first, then a dry one, and the leg was gently laid back on the
+litter. "Take his temperature," ordered the doctor, as he began to apply
+strips of adhesive plaster to the injured ribs; and though it required
+some persuasion by the nurse and Constance, the invalid finally was
+persuaded to let the little glass lie under his tongue. His task
+completed, Dr. Armstrong withdrew the tube and glanced at it.
+
+"Dat medicine oin't got much taste, boss," announced the urchin,
+cheerfully, "but it soytenly done me lots of good."
+
+The doctor looked up at Constance with a pleasant smile. "There's both the
+sense and the nonsense of the Christian Science idiocy," he said; and half
+in response to his smile and half in nervous relief, Constance laughed
+merrily.
+
+"I am glad for anything that makes him feel better," she replied; then,
+colouring once more, she added, "and will you let me express my regret for
+my impulsive words a little while ago, and my thanks to you for relieving
+the suffering for which I am, to a certain extent, responsible?"
+
+"There is no necessity for either, Miss Durant, though I am grateful for
+both," he replied.
+
+"Will there be much suffering?"
+
+"Probably no more than ordinarily occurs in such simple fractures," said
+the doctor; "and we'll certainly do our best that there shall not be."
+
+"And may I see him to-morrow?"
+
+"Certainly, if you come between eleven and one."
+
+"Thank you," said Constance. "And one last favour. Will you tell me the
+way to my carriage?"
+
+"If you will permit me, I'll see you to it," offered Dr. Armstrong.
+
+With an acknowledgment of the head, Constance turned and took the boy's
+hand and said a good-bye.
+
+"Do you suppose all newsboys are so dreadfully sharp and suspicious?" she
+asked of her guide, as they began to descend the stairs, more because she
+was conscious that he was eyeing her with steady scrutiny than for any
+other reason.
+
+"I suppose the life is closer to that of the wild beast than anything we
+have in so-called civilisation. Even a criminal has his pals, but, like
+the forest animal, everyone--even his own kind--is an enemy to the street
+waif."
+
+"It must be terrible to suspect and fear even kindness," sighed the girl,
+with a slight shudder. "I shall try to teach him what it means."
+
+"There does not appear to be any carriage here, Miss Durant," announced
+her escort.
+
+"Surely there must be. The men can't have been so stupid as not to wait!"
+
+The doctor tapped on the window of the lodge. "Didn't this lady's carriage
+remain here?" he asked, when the porter had opened it.
+
+"It stayed till the policeman came down, doctor. He ordered it to go to
+the police-station, and got in it."
+
+"I forgot that my coachman must answer for the accident. Is there a
+cab-stand near here?"
+
+Dr. Armstrong looked into her eyes, with an amusement which yet did not
+entirely obliterate the look of admiration, of which the girl was becoming
+more and more conscious. "The denizens of Avenue A have several
+cab-stands, of course," he replied, "but they prefer to keep them over
+on Fifth Avenue."
+
+"It was a foolish question, I suppose" coldly retorted Constance, quite as
+moved thereto by the scrutiny as by the words, "but I did not even notice
+where the carriage was driving when we came here. Can you tell me the
+nearest car line which will take me to Washington Square?"
+
+"As it is five blocks away, and the neighbourhood is not of the nicest, I
+shall take the liberty of walking with you to it."
+
+"Really, I would rather not. I haven't the slightest fear," protested the
+girl, eager to escape both the observation and the obligation.
+
+"But I have," calmly said her companion, as if his wish were the only
+thing to be considered.
+
+For a moment Miss Durant vacillated, then, with a very slight inclination
+of her head, conveying the smallest quantity of consent and acknowledgment
+she could express, she walked out of the porte-cochere.
+
+The doctor put himself beside her, and; they turned down the street, but
+not one word did she say. "If he will force his society upon me, I will at
+least show him my dislike of it," was her thought.
+
+Obviously Dr. Armstrong was not disturbed by Miss Durant's programme, for
+the whole distance was walked in silence; and even when they halted on the
+corner, he said nothing, though the girl was conscious that his eyes still
+studied her face.
+
+"I will not be the first to speak," she vowed to herself; but minute after
+minute passed without the slightest attempt or apparent wish on his part,
+and finally she asked, "Are you sure this line is running?"
+
+Her attendant pointed up the street. "That yellow light is your car. I
+don't know why the intervals are so long this evening. Usually--"
+
+He was interrupted by the girl suddenly clutching at her dress, and then
+giving an exclamation of real consternation.
+
+"What is it?" he questioned.
+
+"Why, I--nothing--that is, I think--I prefer to walk home, after all," she
+stammered.
+
+"You mustn't do that. It's over two miles, and through a really rough
+district."
+
+"I choose to, none the less," answered Constance, starting across the
+street.
+
+"Then you will have to submit to my safeguard for some time longer, Miss
+Durant," asserted the doctor, as he overtook her.
+
+Constance stopped. "Dr. Armstrong," she said, "I trust you will not insist
+on accompanying me farther, when I tell you I haven't the slightest fear
+of anything."
+
+"You have no fear, Miss Durant," he answered, "because you are too young
+and inexperienced to even know the possibilities. This is no part of the
+city for you to walk alone in after dark. Your wisest course is to take a
+car, but if you prefer not, you had best let me go with you."
+
+"I choose not to take a car," replied the girl, warmly, "and you have no
+right to accompany me against my wish."
+
+Dr. Armstrong raised his hat. "I beg your pardon. I did not realize that
+my presence was not desired," he said.
+
+Angry at both herself and him, Constance merely bowed, and walked on. "I
+don't see why men have to torment me so," she thought, as she hurried
+along. "His face was really interesting, and if he only wouldn't begin
+like--He never would have behaved so if--if I weren't--" Miss Durant
+checked even her thoughts from the word "beautiful," and allowed the words
+"well dressed" to explain her magnetism to the other sex. Then, as if to
+salve her conscience of her own hypocrisy, she added, "It really is an
+advantage to a girl, if she doesn't want to be bothered by men, to be born
+plain."
+
+The truth of her thought was brought home to her with unexpected
+suddenness, for as she passed a strip of sidewalk made light by the glare
+from a saloon brilliant with gas, a man just coming out of its door stared
+boldly, and then joined her.
+
+"Ahem!" he said.
+
+The girl quickened her pace, but the intruder only lengthened his.
+
+"Cold night, isn't it, darling?" he remarked, and tried to take her arm.
+
+Constance shrank away from the familiarity with a loathing and fear which,
+as her persecutor followed, drove her to the curb.
+
+"How dare you?" she burst out, finding he was not to be avoided.
+
+"Now don't be silly, and--"
+
+There the sentence ended, for the man was jerked backwards by the collar,
+and then shot forward, with a shove, full length into the gutter.
+
+"I feared you would need assistance, Miss Durant, and so took the liberty
+of following you at a distance," explained Dr. Armstrong, as the cur
+picked himself up and slunk away.
+
+"You are very--Thank you deeply for your kindness, Dr. Armstrong," gasped
+the girl, her voice trembling. "I ought to have been guided by your advice
+and taken the car, but the truth is, I suddenly remembered--that is, I
+happened to be without any money, and was ashamed to ask you for a loan.
+Now, if you'll lend me five cents, I shall be most grateful."
+
+"It is said to be a feminine trait never to think of contingencies,"
+remarked the doctor, "and I think, Miss Durant, that your suggested five
+cents has a tendency in that direction. I will walk with you to Lexington
+Avenue, which is now your nearest line, and if you still persist then in
+refusing my escort, I shall insist that you become my debtor for at least
+a dollar."
+
+"I really need not take you any further than the car, thank you, Dr.
+Armstrong, for I can get a cab at Twenty-third Street."
+
+It was a short walk to the car line,--too short, indeed, for Miss Durant
+to express her sense of obligation as she wished,--and she tried, even as
+she was mounting the steps, to say a last word, but the car swept her away
+with the sentence half spoken; and with a want of dignity that was not
+customary in her, she staggered to a seat. Then as she tendered a dollar
+bill to the conductor, she remarked to herself,--
+
+"Now, that's a man I'd like for a friend, if only he wouldn't be foolish."
+
+At eleven on the following morning, Miss Durant's carriage once more
+stopped at the hospital door; and, bearing a burden of flowers, and
+followed by the footman carrying a large basket, Constance entered the
+ward, and made her way to the waif's bedside.
+
+"Good-morning," she said to Dr. Armstrong, who stood beside the next
+patient. "How is our invalid doing?"
+
+"Good-morning," responded the doctor, taking the hand she held out. "I
+think--"
+
+"We's takin' life dead easy, dat's wot wese is," came the prompt
+interruption from the pillow, in a voice at once youthful yet worn. "Say,
+dis oin't no lead pipe cinch, oh, no!"
+
+It was a very different face the girl found, for soap and water had worked
+wonders with it, and the scissors and brush had reduced the tangled shag
+of hair to order. Yet the ferret eyes and the alert, over-sharp expression
+were unchanged.
+
+"I've brought you some flowers and goodies," said Miss Durant. "I don't
+know how much of it will be good for him," she went on to the doctor,
+apologetically, "but I hope some will do." Putting the flowers on the bed,
+from the basket she produced in succession two bottles of port, a mould of
+wine jelly, a jar of orange marmalade, a box of wafers, and a dish of
+grapes, apples, and bananas.
+
+"Gee! Won't Ise have a hell of a gorge!" joyfully burst out the invalid.
+
+"We'll see about that," remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. "He can have all
+the other things you've brought, in reason, Miss Durant, except the wine.
+That must wait till we see how much fever he develops to-day,"
+
+"He is doing well?"
+
+"So far, yes."
+
+"That is a great relief to me. And, Dr. Armstrong, in returning your loan
+to me, will you let me say once again how grateful I am to you for all
+your kindness, for which I thanked you so inadequately last night? I
+deserved all that came to me, and can only wonder how you ever resisted
+saying, 'I told you so.'"
+
+"I have been too often wrong in my own diagnosing to find any satisfaction
+or triumph in the mistakes of others," said the doctor, as he took the
+bill the girl held out to him, and, let it be confessed, the fingers that
+held it, "nor can I regret anything which gave me an opportunity to serve
+you."
+
+The speaker put an emphasis on the last word, and eyed Miss Durant in a
+way that led her to hastily withdraw her fingers, and turn away from his
+unconcealed admiration. It was to find the keen eyes of the urchin
+observing them with the closest attention; and as she realised it, she
+coloured, half in embarrassment and half in irritation.
+
+"How is your leg?" she asked, in an attempt to divert the boy's attention
+and to conceal her own feeling.
+
+"Say. Did youse know dey done it up in plaster, so dat it's stiff as a
+bat?" responded the youngster, eagerly. "Wish de udder kids could see it,
+for dey'll never believe it w'en Ise tells 'em. I'll show it to youse if
+youse want?" he offered, in his joy over the novelty.
+
+"I saw it put on," said Constance. "Don't you remember?"
+
+"Why, cert! Ise remembers now dat--" A sudden change came over the boy's
+face. "Wheer's dem cloes youse promised me?" he demanded.
+
+"Oh, I entirely forgot--"
+
+"Ah, forgit youse mudder! Youse a peach, oin't youse?" contemptuously
+broke in the child.
+
+Miss Durant and Dr. Armstrong both burst out laughing.
+
+"Youse t'ink youse a smarty, but Ise know'd de hull time it wuz only a big
+bluff dat youse wuz tryin' to play on me, an' it didn't go wid me, nah!"
+went on the youngster, in an aggrieved tone.
+
+"Isn't he perfectly incorrigible?" sighed Constance.
+
+"Ise oin't," denied the boy, indignantly. "Deyse only had me up onct."
+
+With the question the girl had turned to Dr. Armstrong; then, finding his
+eyes still intently studying her, she once more gave her attention to the
+waif.
+
+"Really, I did forget them," she asserted. "You shall have a new suit long
+before you need it."
+
+"Cert'in dat oin't no fake extry youse shoutin'?"
+
+"Truly. How old are you?"
+
+"Wotcher want to know for?" suspiciously asked the boy.
+
+"So I can buy a suit for that age."
+
+"Dat goes. Ise ate."
+
+"And what's your name?"
+
+"Swot."
+
+"What?" exclaimed the girl.
+
+"Nah. Swot," he corrected.
+
+"How do you spell it?"
+
+"Dun'no'. Dat's wot de newsies calls me, 'cause of wot Ise says to de
+preacher man."
+
+"And what was that?"
+
+"It wuz one of dem religious mugs wot comes Sunday to de Mulberry Park,
+see, an' dat day he wuz gassin' to us kids 'bout lettin' a guy as had hit
+youse onct doin' it ag'in; an' w'en he'd pumped hisself empty, he says to
+me, says he, 'If a bad boy fetched youse a lick on youse cheek, wot would
+youse do to 'im?' An' Ise says, 'I'd swot 'im in de gob, or punch 'im in
+de slats,' says I; an' so de swipes calls me by dat noime. Honest, now,
+oin't dat kinder talk jus' sickenin'?"
+
+"But you must have another name," suggested Miss Durant, declining to
+commit herself on that question.
+
+"Sure."
+
+"And what is that?"
+
+"McGarrigle."
+
+"And have you no father or mother?"
+
+"Nah."
+
+"Or brothers or sisters?"
+
+"Nah. Ise oin't got nuttin'."
+
+"Where do you live?"
+
+"Ah, rubber!" disgustedly remarked Swot. "Say, dis oin't no police court,
+see?"
+
+During all these questions, and to a certain extent their cause, Constance
+had been quite conscious that the doctor was still watching her, and now
+she once more turned to him, to say, with an inflection of disapproval,--
+
+"When I spoke to you just now, Dr. Armstrong, I did not mean to interrupt
+you in your duties, and you must not let me detain you from them."
+
+"I had made my morning rounds long before you came, Miss Durant," equably
+answered the doctor, "and had merely come back for a moment to take a look
+at one of the patients."
+
+"I feared you were neglecting--were allowing my arrival to interfere with
+more important matters," replied Miss Durant, frigidly. "I never knew a
+denser man," she added to herself, again seeking to ignore his presence by
+giving her attention to Swot. "I should have brought a book with me
+to-day, to read aloud to you, but I had no idea what kind of a story would
+interest you. If you know of one, I'll get it and come to-morrow."
+
+"Gee, Ise in it dis time wid bote feet, oin't Ise? Say, will youse git one
+of de Old Sleuts? Deys de peachiest books dat wuz ever wroten."
+
+"I will, if my bookshop has one, or can get it for me in time."
+
+"There is little chance of your getting it there, Miss Durant," interposed
+Dr. Armstrong; "but there is a place not far from here where stories of
+that character are kept; and if it will save you any trouble, I'll gladly
+get one of them for you."
+
+"I have already overtaxed your kindness," replied Constance, "and so will
+not trouble you in this."
+
+"It would be no trouble."
+
+"Thank you, but I shall enjoy the search myself."
+
+"Say," broke in the urchin. "Youse ought to let de doc do it. Don't youse
+see dat he wants to, 'cause he's stuck on youse?"
+
+"Then I'll come to-morrow and read to you, Swot," hastily remarked Miss
+Durant, pulling her veil over her face. "Good-bye." Without heeding the
+boy's "Dat's fine," or giving Dr. Armstrong a word of farewell, she went
+hurrying along the ward, and then downstairs, to her carriage. Yet once
+within its shelter, the girl leaned back and laughed merrily. "It's
+perfectly absurd for him to behave so before all the nurses and patients,
+and he ought to know better. It is to be hoped _that_ was a sufficiently
+broad hint for his comprehension, and that henceforth he won't do it."
+
+Yet it must be confessed that the boy's remark frequently recurred that
+day to Miss Durant; and if it had no other result, it caused her to devote
+an amount of thought to Dr. Armstrong quite out of proportion to the
+length of the acquaintance.
+
+Whatever the inward effect, Miss Durant could discover no outward evidence
+that Swot's bombshell had moved Dr. Armstrong a particle more than her
+less pointed attempts to bring to him a realisation that he was behaving
+in a manner displeasing to her. When she entered the ward the next
+morning, the doctor was again there, and this time at the waif's bedside,
+making avoidance of him out of the question. So with a
+"this-is-my-busy-day" manner, she gave him the briefest of greetings,
+and then turned to the boy.
+
+"I've brought you some more goodies, Swot, and I found the story," she
+announced triumphantly.
+
+"Say, youse a winner, dat's wot youse is; oin't she, doc? Wot's de noime?"
+
+Constance held up to him the red and yellow covered tale. "_The
+Cracksman's Spoil, or Young Sleuth's Double Artifice"_ she read out
+proudly.
+
+"Ah, g'way! Dat oin't no good. Say, dey didn't do a t'ing to youse, did
+dey?"
+
+"What do you mean?"
+
+"Dey sold youse fresh, dat's wot dey did. De Young Sleut books oin't no
+good. Dey's nuttin' but a fake extry."
+
+"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Constance, crestfallenly. "It took me the whole
+afternoon to find it, but I did think it was what you wanted."
+
+"I was sceptical of your being able to get even an approach to newsboy
+literature, Miss Durant," said Dr. Armstrong, "and so squandered the large
+sum of a dime myself. I think this is the genuine article, isn't it?" he
+asked, as he handed to the boy a pamphlet labelled _Old Sleuth on the
+Trail_.
+
+"Dat's de real t'ing," jubilantly acceded Swot. "Say, oin't de women
+doisies for havin' bases stole off 'em? Didn't Ise give youse de warm tip
+to let de doc git it?"
+
+"You should thank him for saving you from my stupid blunder," answered the
+girl, artfully avoiding all possibility of personal obligation. "Would you
+like me to read it to you now?"
+
+"Wouldn't Ise, just!"
+
+Still ignoring Dr. Armstrong, Constance took the seat at the bedside, and
+opening the book, launched into the wildest sea of blood-letting and
+crime. Yet thrillingly as it began, she was not oblivious to the fact that
+for some minutes the doctor stood watching her, and she was quite
+conscious of when he finally moved away, noiselessly as he went. Once he
+was gone, she was more at her ease; yet clearly her conscience troubled
+her a little, for in her carriage she again gave expression to some
+thought by remarking aloud, "It was rude, of course, but if he will behave
+so, it really isn't my fault."
+
+[Illustration: "Constance took the seat at the bedside"]
+
+The gory tale, in true serial style, was "continued" the next and
+succeeding mornings, to the enthralment of the listener and the amusement
+of the reader, the latter finding in her occupation as well a convenient
+reason for avoiding or putting a limit to the doctor's undisguised
+endeavours to share, if not, indeed, to monopolise, her attention. Even
+serials, however, have an end, and on the morning of the sixth reading the
+impossibly shrewd detective successfully put out of existence, or safely
+incarcerated each one of the numerous scoundrels who had hitherto
+triumphed over the law, and Constance closed the book.
+
+"Hully gee!" sighed Swot, contentedly. "Say, dat Old Sleut, he's up to de
+limit, oin't he? It don't matter wot dey does, he works it so's de hull
+push comes his way, don't he?"
+
+"He certainly was very far-seeing," Constance conceded; "but what a pity
+it is that he--that he wasn't in some finer calling."
+
+"Finer wot?"
+
+"How much nobler it would have been if, instead of taking life, he had
+been saving it--like Dr. Armstrong, for instance," she added, to bring her
+idea within the comprehension of the boy.
+
+"Ah, dat's de talk for religious mugs an' goils," contemptuously exclaimed
+the waif, "but it guv's me de sore ear. It don't go wid me, not one little
+bit."
+
+"Aren't you grateful to Dr. Armstrong for all he's done for you?"
+
+"Bet youse life," assented Swot; "but Ise oin't goin' to be no doctor,
+nah! Ise goin' to git on de force, dat's de racket Ise outer. Say, will
+youse read me anudder of dem stories?'
+
+"Gladly, if I can find the right kind this time."
+
+The boy raised his head to look about the ward. "Hey, doc," called his
+cracked treble.
+
+"Hush, don't!" protested the girl.
+
+"W'y not?"
+
+Before she could frame a reason, the doctor was at the bedside. "What is
+it?" he asked.
+
+"Say, wese got tru wid dis story, an' Miss Constance says she'll read me
+anudder, but dey'll set de goime up on her, sure, she bein' a goil; so
+will youse buy de real t'ing?"
+
+"That I will."
+
+"Dat's hunky." Then he appealed to Constance. "Say, will youse pay for
+it?" he requested.
+
+"And why should she?" inquired Dr. Armstrong.
+
+"'Cause she's got de dough, an Ise heard de nurse loidies talkin' 'bout
+youse, an' dey said dat youse wuz poor."
+
+It was the doctor's turn to colour, and flush he did.
+
+"Swot and I will both be very grateful, Dr. Armstrong, if you will get us
+another of the Old Sleuth books," spoke up Miss Durant, hastily.
+
+"Won't youse guv 'im de price?" reiterated the urchin.
+
+"Then we'll expect it to-morrow morning," went on the girl; and for the
+first time in days she held out her hand to Dr. Armstrong, "And thank you
+in advance for your kindness. Good-morning."
+
+"Rats!" she heard, as she walked away. "I didn't tink she'd do de grand
+sneak like dat, doc, jus' 'cause I tried to touch her for de cash."
+
+Constance slowed one step, then resumed her former pace. "He surely--Of
+course he'll understand why I hurried away," she murmured.
+
+Blind as he might be, Dr. Armstrong was not blind to the geniality of Miss
+Durant's greeting the next morning, or the warmth of her thanks for the
+cheap-looking dime novel. She chatted pleasantly with him some moments
+before beginning on the new tale; and even when she at last opened the
+book, there was a subtle difference in the way she did it that made it
+include instead of exclude him from a share in the reading. And this was
+equally true of the succeeding days.
+
+The new doings of Old Sleuth did not achieve the success that the previous
+ones had. The invalid suddenly developed both restlessness and
+inattention, with such a tendency to frequent interruptions as to make
+reading well-nigh impossible.
+
+"Really, Swot," Constance was driven to threaten one morning, when he had
+broken in on the narrative for the seventh time with questions which
+proved that he was giving no heed to the book, "unless you lie quieter,
+and don't interrupt so often, I shall not go on reading."
+
+"Dat goes," acceded the little fellow; yet before she had so much as
+finished a page he asked, "Say, did youse ever play craps?"
+
+"No," she answered, with a touch of severity.
+
+"It's a jim dandy goime, Ise tells youse. Like me to learn youse?"
+
+"No," replied the girl, as she closed the book.
+
+"Goils never oin't no good," remarked Swot, discontentedly.
+
+Really irritated, Miss Durant rose and adjusted her boa. "Swot," she said,
+"you are the most ungrateful boy I ever knew, and I'm not merely not going
+to read any more to-day, but I have a good mind not to come to-morrow,
+just to punish you."
+
+"Ah, chase youseself!" was the response. "Youse can't pass dat gold brick
+on me, well, I guess!"
+
+"What are you talking about?" indignantly asked Constance.
+
+"Tink Ise oin't onter youse curves? Tink Ise don't hear wot de nurse
+loidies says? Gee! Ise know w'y youse so fond of comin' here."
+
+"Why do I come here?" asked Constance, in a voice full of warning.
+
+The tone was wasted on the boy.
+
+"'Cause youse dead gone on de doc."
+
+"I am sorry you don't know better than to talk like that, Swot," said the
+girl, quietly, "because I wanted to be good to you, and now you have put
+an end to my being able to be. You will have to get some one else to read
+to you after this. Good-bye." She passed her hand kindly over his
+forehead, and turned to find that Dr. Armstrong was standing close behind
+her, and must have overheard more or less of what had been said. Without a
+word, and looking straight before her, Constance walked away.
+
+Once out of the hospital, her conscience was not altogether easy; and
+though she kept away the next day, she sent her footman with the usual
+gift of fruits and other edibles; and this she did again on the morning
+following.
+
+"Of course he didn't mean to be so atrociously impertinent," she sighed,
+in truth missing what had come to be such an amusing and novel way of
+using up some of each twenty-four hours. "But I can't, in self-respect, go
+to him any more."
+
+These explanations were confided to her double in the mirror, as she eyed
+the effect of a new gown, donned for a dinner; and while she still studied
+the eminently satisfactory total, she was interrupted by a knock at the
+door, and her maid brought her a card the footman handed in.
+
+Constance took it, looked astonished, then frowned slightly, and finally
+glanced again in the mirror. Without a word, she took her gloves and fan
+from the maid, and descended to the drawing-room.
+
+"Good-evening, Dr. Armstrong," she said, coolly.
+
+"I have come here--I have intruded on you, Miss Durant," awkwardly and
+hurriedly began the doctor, "because nothing else would satisfy Swot
+McGarrigle. I trust you will understand that I--He--he is to undergo an
+operation, and--well, I told him it was impossible, but he still begged me
+so to ask you, that I hadn't the heart to refuse him."
+
+"An operation!" cried Constance.
+
+"Don't be alarmed. It's really nothing serious. He--Perhaps you may have
+noticed how restless and miserable he has been lately. It is due, we have
+decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been lacerated, and so I
+am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now pretty keen."
+
+"Oh, I'm so sorry," exclaimed the girl, regretfully. "I didn't dream of
+it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn't come any more."
+
+"He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very
+hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came."
+
+"Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him."
+
+"If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are really
+grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings, and,
+besides, could not express them, even if they had the words, which they
+don't. But if you could hear the little chap sing your praises to the
+nurses and to me, you would not think him heartless. 'My loidy' is his
+favourite description of you."
+
+[Illustration: "'I have come here--I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,'
+hurriedly began the doctor"]
+
+"He wants to see me?" questioned the girl, eagerly.
+
+"Yes. Like most of the poorer class, Miss Durant," explained the doctor,
+"he has a great dread of the knife. To make him less frantic, I promised
+that I would come to you with his wish; and though I would not for a
+moment have you present at the actual operation, if you could yield so far
+as to come to him for a few minutes, and assure him that we are going to
+do it for his own good, I think it will make him more submissive."
+
+"When do you want me?" asked Miss Durant.
+
+"It is--I am to operate as soon as I can get back to the hospital, Miss
+Durant. It has been regrettably postponed as it is."
+
+The girl stood hesitating for a moment. "But what am I to do about my
+dinner?"
+
+Dr. Armstrong's eyes travelled over her from head to foot, taking in the
+charming gown of satin and lace, the strings of pearls about her exquisite
+throat and wrists, and all the other details which made up such a
+beautiful picture. "I forgot," he said, quietly, "that society duties now
+take precedence over all others." Then, with an instant change of manner,
+he went on: "You do yourself an injustice, I think, Miss Durant, in even
+questioning what you are going to do. You know you are coming to the boy."
+
+For the briefest instant the girl returned his intent look, trying to
+fathom what enabled him to speak with such absolute surety; then she said,
+"Let us lose no time," as she turned back into the hall and hurried out of
+the front door, not even attending to the doctor's protest about her going
+without a wrap; and she only said to him at the carriage door, "You will
+drive with me, of course, Dr. Armstrong?" Then to the footman, "Tell
+Murdock, the hospital, Maxwell, but you are to go at once to Mrs. Purdy,
+and say I shall be prevented from coming to her to-night by a call that
+was not to be disregarded,"
+
+"It was madness of you, Miss Durant, to come out without a cloak, and I
+insist on your wearing this," said the doctor, the moment the carriage had
+started, as he removed his own overcoat.
+
+"Oh, I forgot--but I mustn't take it from you, Dr. Armstrong."
+
+"Have no thought of me. I am twice as warmly clad as you, and am better
+protected than usual."
+
+Despite her protest he placed it about Constance's shoulders and buttoned
+it up. "You know," he said, "the society girl with her bare throat and
+arms is at once the marvel and the despair of us doctors, for every dinner
+or ball ought to have its death-list from pneumonia; but it never--"
+
+"Will it be a very painful operation?" asked the girl.
+
+"Not at all; and the anaesthetic prevents consciousness. If Swot were a
+little older, I should not have had to trouble you. It is a curious fact
+that boys, as a rule, face operations more bravely than any other class of
+patient we have."
+
+"I wonder why that is?" queried Constance.
+
+"It is due to the same ambition which makes cigarette-smokers of them--a
+desire to be thought manly."
+
+Once the carriage reached the hospital, Constance followed the doctor up
+the stairs and through the corridor. "Let me relieve you of the coat, Miss
+Durant," he advised, and took it from her and passed it over to one of the
+orderlies. Then, opening a door, he made way for her to enter.
+
+[Illustration: "The two were quickly seated on the floor"]
+
+Constance passed into a medium-sized room, which a first glance showed her
+to be completely lined with marble; but there her investigations ceased,
+for her eyes rested on the glass table upon which lay the little fellow,
+while beside him stood a young doctor and a nurse. At the sound of her
+footsteps the boy turned his head till he caught sight of her, when, after
+an instant's stare, he surprised the girl by hiding his eyes and beginning
+to cry.
+
+"Ise knowed all along youse wuz goin' to kill me," he sobbed.
+
+"Why, Swot," cried Constance, going to his side. "Nobody is going to kill
+you."
+
+The hands were removed from the eyes, and still full of tears, they
+blinkingly stared a moment at the girl.
+
+"Hully gee! Is dat youse?" he ejaculated. "Ise tought youse wuz de angel
+come for me."
+
+"You may go many years in society, Miss Durant, without winning another
+compliment so genuine," remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling. "Nor is it
+surprising that he was misled," he added.
+
+Constance smiled in return as she answered, "And it only proves how the
+value of a compliment is not in its truthfulness, but in its being truth
+to the one who speaks it."
+
+"Say, youse won't let dem do nuttin' bad to me, will youse?" implored the
+boy.
+
+"They are only going to help you, Swot," the girl assured him, as she took
+his hand.
+
+"Den w'y do dey want to put me to sleep for?"
+
+"To spare you suffering,"
+
+"Dis oin't no knock-out drops, or dat sorter goime? Honest?"
+
+"No. I won't let them do you any harm."
+
+"Will youse watch dem all de time dey's doin' tings to me?"
+
+"Yes. And if you'll be quiet and take it nicely, I'll bring you a present
+to-morrow."
+
+"Dat's grand! Wot'll youse guv me? Say, don't do dat," he protested, as
+the nurse applied the sponge and cone to his face.
+
+"Lie still, Swot," said Constance, soothingly, "and tell me what you would
+best like me to give you. Shall it be a box of building-blocks--or some
+soldiers--or a fire-engine--or--"
+
+"Nah. Ise don't want nuttin' but one ting--an' dat's--wot wuz Ise
+tinkin'--Ise forgits wot it wuz--lemme see--Wot's de matter? Wheer is
+youse all?--" The little frame relaxed and lay quiet.
+
+"That is all you can do for us, Miss Durant," said Dr. Armstrong.
+
+"May I not stay, as I promised him I would?" begged Constance.
+
+"Can you bear the sight of blood?"
+
+"I don't know--but see--I'll turn my back." Suiting the action to the
+word, the girl faced so that, still holding Swot's hand, she was looking
+away from the injured leg.
+
+A succession of low-spoken orders to his assistants was the doctor's way
+of telling her that he left her to do as she chose, She stood quietly for
+a few minutes, but presently her desire to know the progress of the
+operation, and her anxiety over the outcome, proved too strong for her,
+and she turned her head to take a furtive glance. She did not look away
+again, but with a strange mixture of fascination and squeamishness, she
+watched as the bleeding was stanched with sponges, each artery tied, and
+each muscle drawn aside, until finally the nerve was reached and removed;
+and she could not but feel both wonder and admiration as she noted how Dr.
+Armstrong's hands, at other times seemingly so much in his way, now did
+their work so skilfully and rapidly. Not till the operation was over, and
+the resulting wound was being sprayed with antiseptics, did the girl
+realize how cold and faint she felt, or how she was trembling. Dropping
+the hand of the boy, she caught at the operating-table, and then the room
+turned black.
+
+"It's really nothing," she asserted. "I only felt dizzy for an instant.
+Why! Where am I?"
+
+"You fainted away, Miss Durant, and we brought you here," explained the
+nurse, once again applying the salts. The woman rose and went to the door.
+"She is conscious now, Dr. Armstrong."
+
+As the doctor entered Constance tried to rise, but a motion of his hand
+checked her. "Sit still a little yet, Miss Durant," he ordered
+peremptorily. From a cupboard he produced a plate of crackers and a glass
+of milk, and brought them to her.
+
+"I really don't want anything," declared the girl.
+
+"You are to eat something at once," insisted Dr. Armstrong, in a very
+domineering manner.
+
+He held the glass to her lips, and Constance, after a look at his face,
+took a swallow of the milk, and then a piece of cracker he broke off.
+
+"How silly of me to behave so," she said, as she munched.
+
+"The folly was mine in letting you stay in the room when you had had no
+dinner. That was enough to knock up any one," answered the doctor. "Here."
+Once again the glass was held to her lips, and once again, after a look at
+his face, Constance drank, and then accepted a second bit of cracker from
+his fingers.
+
+"Do you keep these especially for faint-minded women?" she asked, trying
+to make a joke of the incident.
+
+"This is my particular sanctum, Miss Durant; and as I have a reprehensible
+habit of night-work, I keep them as a kind of sleeping potion."
+
+Constance glanced about the room with more interest, and as she noticed
+the simplicity and the bareness, Swot's remark concerning the doctor's
+poverty came back to her. Only many books and innumerable glass bottles, a
+microscope, and other still more mysterious instruments, seemed to save it
+from the tenement-house, if not, indeed, the prison, aspect.
+
+"Are you wondering how it is possible for any one to live in such a way?"
+asked the doctor, as his eyes followed hers about the room.
+
+"If you will have my thought," answered Constance, "it was that I am in
+the cave of the modern hermit, who, instead of seeking solitude, because
+of the sins of mankind, seeks it that he may do them good."
+
+"We have each had a compliment to-night," replied Dr. Armstrong, his face
+lighting up.
+
+The look in his eyes brought something into the girl's thoughts, and with
+a slight effort she rose. "I think I am well enough now to relieve you of
+my intrusion," she said.
+
+"You will not be allowed to leave the hermit's cell till you have finished
+the cracker and the milk," affirmed the man. "I only regret that I can't
+keep up the character by offering you locusts and wild honey."
+
+"At least don't think it necessary to stay here with me," said Miss
+Durant, as she dutifully began to eat and drink again. "If--oh--the
+operation--How is Swot?"
+
+"Back in the ward, though not yet conscious."
+
+"And the operation?"
+
+"Absolutely successful."
+
+"Despite my interruption?"
+
+"Another marvel to us M.D.'s is the way so sensitive a thing as a woman
+will hold herself in hand by sheer nerve force when it is necessary. You
+did not faint till the operation was completed."
+
+"Now may I go?" asked the girl, with a touch of archness, as she held up
+the glass and the plate, both empty.
+
+"Yes, if you will let me share your carriage. Having led you into this
+predicament, the least I feel I can do is to see you safely out of it."
+
+"Now the hermit is metamorphosing himself into a knight," laughed
+Constance, merrily, "with a distressed damsel on his hands. I really need
+not put you to the trouble, but I shall be glad if you will take me home."
+
+Once again the doctor put his overcoat about her, and they descended the
+stairs and entered the brougham.
+
+"Tell me the purpose of all those instruments I saw in your room," she
+asked as they started.
+
+"They are principally for the investigation of bacteria. Not being
+ambitious to spend my life doctoring whooping-cough and indigestion, I am
+striving to make a scientist of myself."
+
+"Then that is why you prefer hospital work?"
+
+"No. I happen to have been born with my own living to make in the world,
+and when I had worked my way through the medical school, I only too gladly
+became 'Interne' here, not because it is what I wish to do, but because I
+need the salary."
+
+"Yet it seems such a noble work."
+
+"Don't think I depreciate it, but what I am doing is only remedial What I
+hope to do is to prevent."
+
+"How is it possible?"
+
+"For four years my every free hour has been given to studying what is now
+called tuberculosis, and my dream is to demonstrate that it is in fact the
+parent disease--a breaking down--disintegration--of the bodily
+substance--the tissue, or cell--and to give to the world a specific."
+
+"How splendid!" exclaimed Constance. "And you believe you can?"
+
+"Every day makes me more sure that both demonstration and specific are
+possible--but it is unlikely that I shall be the one to do it."
+
+"I do not see why?"
+
+"Because there are many others studying the disease who are free from the
+necessity of supporting themselves, and so can give far more time and
+money to the investigation than is possible for me. Even the scientist
+must be rich in these days, Miss Durant, if he is to win the great
+prizes."
+
+"Won't you tell me something about yourself?" requested Constance,
+impulsively.
+
+"There really is nothing worth while yet. I was left an orphan young, in
+the care of an uncle who was able to do no better for me than to get me a
+place in a drug-store. By doing the night-work it was possible to take the
+course at the medical college; and as I made a good record, this position
+was offered to me."
+
+"It--you could make it interesting if you tried."
+
+"I'm afraid I am not a realist, Miss Durant. I dream of a future that
+shall be famous by the misery and death I save the world from, but my past
+is absolutely eventless."
+
+As he ended, the carriage drew up at the house, and the doctor helped her
+out.
+
+"You will take Dr. Armstrong back to the hospital, Murdock," she ordered.
+
+"Thank you, but I really prefer a walk before going to _my_ social
+intimates, the bacilli," answered the doctor, as he went up the steps with
+her. Then, after he had rung the bell, he held out his hand and said:
+"Miss Durant, I need scarcely say, after what I have just told you, that
+my social training has been slight--so slight that I was quite unaware
+that the old adage, 'Even a cat may look at a king,' was no longer a fact
+until I overheard what was said the other day. My last wish is to keep you
+from coming to the hospital, and in expressing my regret at having been
+the cause of embarrassment to you, I wish to add a pledge that henceforth,
+if you will resume your visits, you and Swot shall be free from my
+intrusion. Good-night," he ended, as he started down the steps.
+
+"But I never--really I have no right to exclude--nor do I wish--"
+protested the girl; and then, as the servant opened the front door, even
+this halting attempt at an explanation ceased. She echoed a "Good-night,"
+adding, "and thank you for all your kindness," and very much startled and
+disturbed the footman, as she passed into the hallway, by audibly
+remarking, "Idiot!"
+
+She went upstairs slowly, as if thinking, and once in her room, seated
+herself at her desk and commenced a note. Before she had written a page
+she tore the paper in two and began anew. Twice she repeated this
+proceeding; then rose in evident irritation, and, walking to her fire,
+stood looking down into the flame. "I'll think out what I had better do
+when I'm not so tired," she finally remarked, as she rang for her maid.
+But once in bed, her thoughts, or the previous strain, kept her long hours
+awake; and when at last she dropped into unconsciousness her slumber was
+made miserable by dreams mixing in utter confusion operating-room and
+dinner, guests and microbes--dreams in which she was alternately striving
+to explain something to Dr. Armstrong, who could not be brought to
+understand, or to conceal something he was determined to discover. Finally
+she found herself stretched on the dinner-table, the doctor, knife in
+hand, standing over her, with the avowed intention of opening her heart to
+learn some secret, and it was her helpless protests and struggles which
+brought consciousness to her--to discover that she had slept far into the
+morning.
+
+With the one thought of a visit to the hospital during the permitted
+hours, she made a hasty toilet, followed by an equally speedy breakfast,
+and was actually on her way downstairs when she recalled her promise of a
+gift. A glance at her watch told her that there was not time to go to the
+shops, and hurrying back to her room, she glanced around for something
+among the knick-knacks scattered about. Finding nothing that she could
+conceive of as bringing pleasure to the waif, she took from a drawer of
+her desk a photograph of herself, and descended to the carriage.
+
+She had reason to be thankful for her recollection, as, once her
+greetings, and questions to the nurse about the patient's condition were
+made, Swot demanded,
+
+"Wheer's dat present dat youse promised me?"
+
+"I did not have time this morning to get something especially for you,"
+she explained, handing him the portrait, "so for want of anything better,
+I've brought you my picture."
+
+The urchin took the gift and looked at both sides. "Wotinell's dat good
+for?" he demanded contemptuously.
+
+"I thought--hoped it might please you, as showing you that I had
+forgiven--that I liked you."
+
+"Ah, git on de floor an' look at youseself," disgustedly remarked Swot.
+"Dat talk don't cut no ice wid me. W'y didn't youse ask wot Ise wants?"
+
+"And what would you like?"
+
+"Will youse guv me a pistol?"
+
+"Why, what would you do with it?"
+
+"I'd trow a scare into de big newsies w'en dey starts to chase me off de
+good beats."
+
+"Really, Swot, I don't think I ought to give you anything so dangerous.
+You are very young to--"
+
+"Ah! Youse a goil, an' deyse born frightened. Bet youse life, if youse ask
+de doc, he won't tink it nuttin' to be scared of."
+
+"He isn't here this morning," remarked Constance, for some reason looking
+fixedly at the glove she was removing as she spoke.
+
+The urchin raised his head and peered about. "Dat's funny!" he exclaimed.
+"It's de first time he oin't bin here w'en youse wuz at de bat."
+
+"Has he seen you this morning?"
+
+"Why, cert!"
+
+The girl opened the dime novel and found the page at which the
+interruption had occurred, hesitated an instant, and remarked, "The next
+time he comes you might say that I would like to see him for a moment--to
+ask if I had better give you a pistol." This said, she hastily began on
+the book. Thrillingly as the pursuits and pursuit of the criminal classes
+were pictured, however, there came several breaks in the reading; and had
+any keenly observant person been watching Miss Durant, he would have
+noticed that these pauses invariably happened whenever some one entered
+the ward.
+
+It was made evident to her that she and Swot gave value to entirely
+different parts of her message to the doctor; for, no sooner did she reach
+the waif's bedside the next morning than the invalid announced,--
+
+"Say, Ise done my best to jolly de doc, but he stuck to it dat youse
+oughtn't to guv me no pistol."
+
+"Didn't you tell him what I asked you to say?" demanded Constance,
+anxiously.
+
+"Soytenly. Ise says to 'im dat youse wanted to know wot he tought, an' he
+went back on me. Ise didn't tink he'd trun me down like dat!"
+
+"I might better have written him," murmured Miss Durant, thoughtfully. She
+sat for some time silently pondering, till the waif asked,--
+
+"Say, youse goin' to guv me dat present just de same, oin't youse?"
+
+"Yes, I'll give you a present," acceded the girl, opening the book. "I
+think, Swot," she continued, "that we'll have to trouble Dr. Armstrong for
+another Old Sleuth, as we shall probably finish this to-day. And tell him
+this time it is my turn to pay for it," From her purse she produced a
+dime, started to give it to the boy, hastily drew back her hand, and
+replacing the coin, substituted for it a dollar bill. Then she began
+reading rapidly--so rapidly that the end of the story was attained some
+twenty minutes before the visitors' time had expired.
+
+"Say," was her greeting on the following day, as Swot held up another
+lurid-looking tale and the dollar bill, "Ise told de doc youse wuzn't
+willin' dat he, bein' poor, should bleed de cash dis time, an' dat youse
+guv me dis to--"
+
+"You didn't put it that way, Swot?" demanded Miss Durant.
+
+"Wot way?"
+
+"That I said he was poor."
+
+"Soytenly."
+
+"Oh, Swot, how could you?"
+
+"Wot's de matter?"
+
+"I never said that! Was he--was he--What did he say?"
+
+"Nuttin' much, 'cept dat I wuz to guv youse back de dough, for de books
+wuz on 'im."
+
+"I'm afraid you have pained him, Swot, and you certainly have pained me.
+Did he seem hurt or offended?"
+
+"Nop."
+
+"I wish you would tell him I shall be greatly obliged if he will come to
+the ward to-morrow, for I wish to see him. Now don't alter this message,
+please, Swot."
+
+That her Mercury did her bidding more effectively was proved by her
+finding the doctor at the bedside when she arrived the next day.
+
+"Swot told me that you wished to see me, Miss Durant," he said.
+
+"Yes, and I'm very much obliged to you for waiting. I--How soon will it be
+possible for him to be up?"
+
+"He is doing so famously that we'll have him out of bed by Monday, I
+hope."
+
+"I promised him a present, and I want to have a Christmas tree for him, if
+he can come to it."
+
+"Wot's dat?" came the quick question from the bed.
+
+"If you don't know, I'm going to let it be a surprise to you, Swot. Do
+you think he will be well enough to come to my house? Of course I'll
+send my carriage."
+
+"If he continues to improve, he certainly will be."
+
+"Say, is dat de ting dey has for de mugs wot goes to Sunday-school, an'
+dat dey has a party for?"
+
+"Yes, only this tree will be only for you, Swot,"
+
+"Youse oin't goin' to have no udder swipes but me?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Den who'll git all de presents wot's on de tree?" inquired Swot,
+suggestively.
+
+"Guess!" laughed Constance.
+
+"Will dey all be for me?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Hully gee! But dat's grand! Ise in it up to de limit, doc, oin't Ise?"
+exclaimed the waif, turning to the doctor.
+
+Dr. Armstrong smiled and nodded his head, but something in his face or
+manner seemed to give a change to the boy's thoughts, for, after eyeing
+him intently, he said to Constance,--
+
+"Oin't youse goin' to invite de doc?"
+
+Miss Durant coloured as she said, with a touch of eagerness yet shyness,
+"Dr. Armstrong, I intended to ask you, and it will give me a great deal of
+pleasure if you will come to Swot's and my festival." And when the doctor
+seemed to hesitate, she added, "Please!" in a way that would have very
+much surprised any man of her own circle.
+
+"Thank you, Miss Durant; I'll gladly come, if you are sure I sha'n't be an
+interloper."
+
+"Not at all," responded the girl. "On the contrary, it would be sadly
+incomplete without you--"
+
+"Say," broke in the youngster, "growed-up folks don't git tings off de
+tree, does dey?"
+
+Both Constance and the doctor laughed at the obvious fear in the boy's
+mind.
+
+"No, Swot," the man replied; "and I've had my Christmas gift from Miss
+Durant already."
+
+"Wot wuz dat?"
+
+"Ask her," replied Dr. Armstrong, as he walked away.
+
+"Wot have youse guv 'im?"
+
+Constance laughed, and blushed still more deeply, as, after a slight
+pause, she replied, "It's my turn, Swot, to say 'rubber'?" This said, she
+stooped impulsively and kissed the boy's forehead. "You are a dear, Swot,"
+she asserted, warmly.
+
+With the mooting of the Christmas tree, the interest in Old Sleuth
+markedly declined, being succeeded by innumerable surmises of the rapidly
+convalescing boy as to the probable nature and number of the gifts it
+would bear. In this he was not discouraged by Miss Durant, who, once the
+readings were discontinued, brought a bit of fancy-work for occupation.
+
+"Wot's dat?" he inquired, the first time she produced it.
+
+"A case for handkerchiefs."
+
+"For me?"
+
+"Did you ever have a handkerchief?"
+
+"Nop. An' I'd radder have suttin' else."
+
+"Can you keep a secret, Swot?"
+
+"Bet youse life."
+
+"This is for Dr. Armstrong."
+
+Swot regarded it with new interest. "Youse goin' to s'prise 'im?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Den youse must sneak it quick w'en he comes in."
+
+"Haven't you noticed that he doesn't come here any longer, Swot?" quietly
+responded the girl, her head bowed over the work.
+
+"Oin't dat luck!"
+
+"Why?" asked Constance, looking up in surprise.
+
+"'Cause youse can work on de present," explained Swot. "Say," he demanded
+after a pause, "if dere's anyting on de tree dat Ise don't cares for, can
+Ise give it to de doc?"
+
+"Certainly. Or better still, if you'll find out what he would like, I'll
+let you make him a present."
+
+"Youse payin' for it?" anxiously questioned the boy.
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Dat's Jim Dandy!"
+
+Miss Durant recurred to this offer twice in the succeeding week, but to
+her surprise, found Swot's apparent enthusiasm over the gift had entirely
+cooled, and his one object was a seeming desire to avoid all discussion of
+it.
+
+"Don't you want to give him something, or haven't you found out what he
+wants?" she was driven to ask.
+
+"Oh, dat's all right. Don't youse tire youself 'bout dat," was his
+mysterious reply. Nor could she extract anything more satisfactory.
+
+It was a very different Swot McGarrigle who was helped into Miss Durant's
+carriage by the doctor on Christmas eve from the one who had been lifted
+out at the hospital some six weeks before. The wizened face had filled out
+into roundness, and the long-promised new clothes, donned for the first
+time in honor of the event, even more transformed him; so changed him, in
+fact, that Constance hesitated for an instant in her welcome, in doubt if
+it were he.
+
+"I have the tree in my own room, because I wanted all the fun to
+ourselves," she explained, as she led the way upstairs, "and downstairs we
+should almost certainly be interrupted by callers, or something. But
+before you go, Dr. Armstrong, I want you to meet my family, and of course
+they all want to see Swot."
+
+It was not a large nor particularly brilliant tree, but to Swot it was
+everything that was beautiful. At first he was afraid to approach, but
+after a little Constance persuaded him into a walk around it, and finally
+tempted him, by an artful mention of what was in one of the larger
+packages at the base, to treat it more familiarly. Once the ice was
+broken, the two were quickly seated on the floor, Constance cutting
+strings, and Swot giving shouts of delight at each new treasure.
+Presently, in especial joy over some prize, the boy turned to show it to
+the doctor, to discover that he was standing well back, watching, rather
+than sharing, in the pleasure of the two; and, as the little chap
+discovered the aloofness, he leaned over and whispered something to the
+girl.
+
+"I want to, but can't get the courage yet," whispered back Constance. "I
+don't know what is the matter with me, Swot," she added, blushing.
+
+"Like me to guv it to 'im?"
+
+"Oh, will you, Swot?" she eagerly demanded. "It's the parcel in
+tissue-paper on my desk over there."
+
+The waif rose to his feet and trotted to the place indicated. He gave a
+quick glance back at Miss Durant, and seeing that she was leaning over a
+bundle, he softly unfolded the tissue-paper, slipped something from his
+newly possessed breast pocket into the handkerchief-case, and refolded the
+paper. He crossed the room to where the doctor was standing, and handed
+him the parcel, with the remark, "Dat's for youse, from Miss Constance an'
+me, doc." Then scurrying back to the side of the girl, he confided to her,
+"Ise guv de doc a present, too."
+
+"What was it?" asked Constance, still not looking up.
+
+"Go an' ask 'im," chuckled Swot.
+
+Turned away as she might be, she was not unconscious of the doctor's
+movements, and she was somewhat puzzled when, instead of coming to her
+with thanks, he crossed the room to a bay-window, where he was hidden by
+the tree from both of them. From that point he still further astonished
+her by the request,--
+
+"Can you--will you please come here for a moment, Miss Durant?"
+
+Constance rose and walked to where he stood. "I hope you like my gift?"
+she asked.
+
+"You could have given me nothing I have so wanted--nothing I shall
+treasure more," said the man, speaking low and fervently. "But did you
+realise what this would mean to me?" As he spoke, he raised his hand, and
+Constance saw, not the handkerchief-case, but a photograph of herself.
+
+"Oh!" she gasped. "Where--I didn't--that was a picture I gave to Swot. The
+case is my gift,"
+
+The doctor's hand dropped, and all the hope and fire went from his eyes.
+"I beg your pardon for being so foolish, Miss Durant. I--I lost my senses
+for a moment--or I would have known that you never--that the other was
+your gift." He stooped to pick it up from the floor where he had dropped
+it. "Thank you very deeply for your kindness, and--and try to forget my
+folly."
+
+"I--I--couldn't understand why Swot suddenly--why he--I never dreamed of
+his doing it," faltered the girl.
+
+"His and my knowledge of social conventions are about on a par," responded
+the man, with a set look to his mouth. "Shall I give it back to him or to
+you?"
+
+Constance drew a deep breath. "It wasn't--my--gift--but--but--I don't mind
+your keeping it if you wish."
+
+"You mean--?" cried Dr. Armstrong, incredulously.
+
+"Oh," said the girl, hurriedly, "isn't that enough, now? Please, oh,
+please--wait--for a little."
+
+The doctor caught her hand and kissed it. "Till death, if you ask it!" he
+said.
+
+Five minutes later Swot abstracted himself sufficiently from his gifts to
+peep around the tree and ecstatically inquire,--
+
+"Say, oin't dis de doisiest Christmas dat ever wuz?"
+
+"Yes," echoed the two in the bay-window.
+
+"Did youse like me present, doc?"
+
+"Yes," reiterated the doctor, with something in his voice that gave the
+word tenfold meaning.
+
+"Ise tought youse 'ud freeze to it, an' it wuzn't no sorter good to me."
+
+Constance laughed happily. "Still, I'm very glad I gave it to you, Swot,"
+she said, with a glance of the eyes, half shy and half arch, at the man
+beside her.
+
+"Did youse like Miss Constance's present too, doc?"
+
+"Yes," replied the doctor, "especially the one you haven't seen, Swot."
+
+"Wot wuz dat?"
+
+"A something called hope--which is the finest thing in the world."
+
+"No. There is one thing better," said Miss Durant.
+
+"What is it?"
+
+"Love!" whispered Constance, softly.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+***FINIS***
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Wanted--A Match Maker, by Paul Leicester Ford
+
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