Life — February 4, 1909 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

sas (Continued from page 171.) Bert, strange to say, had a prejudice against motor cars. For one thing, the seats were too small for him, And in some indefinable way, a motor car seemed to rob him of his strength. “Tt will do me good to walk," he said. “No, no! Here is the car, now.”” In a few moments they were all seated, the two ladies in back, and Bert on the front seat with the chauffeur. The house was well back from the road with a long wind- ing driveway, Down this the car glided noiselessly. Suddenly, however, as they made the turn, there was a crash! Another machine coming swiftly along, the driver not hearing their horn—or carelessly unmindful—smashed into the front end of their car. Of course he was the only one hurt, It always happens that way. She bent over him almost hysterically as he lay unconscious on the ground, the blood streaming from a cut in the head. The chauffeur, who had been thrown some six feet, in the meantime had run across the way to the doctor's house ‘That individual now approached. “A bad cut," he observed. He was carried by the two men back into the house. They took him upstairs in the front chamber. He opened his eyes. “What's the matter? Oh, yes!"’ He smiled. “ Pretty tough, ch, Doc? You'll be all right,’* said the doctor, “only I'll have to take a stitch or two in that cut.’’ “ Fire away! By this time the doctor's assistant had arrived with the ether apparatus. “Have I got to take that stuff?’ It's better.” The doctor went to the door. In the hall there was an anxious young lady. “Oh, Doctor, is he- The man of science smiled. “He'll be all right,"’ he said, “I can assure you. At first I thought there might be a serious fracture. But there’s only a deep cut. I'm going to put him under ether and sew it up. Why, he'll probably be up to-morrow. with a bandage of course—-"" “As soon as that!"? “Why, certainly. And now may I have some hot water?" She hurricd downstairs to give the orders while the doctor waited restlessly in the hall, When she came back she said, her face very thoughtful : “ Are you sure, Doctor, that he hasn't got a broken leg?’ “Why, certainly “Well, I'm quite sure he has. carrying him in.” She touched his arm. “Come in this room," about it.” I noticed it when they were she said. “I want to talk to you The next morning there was a knock on Bert's door. “May I come in?” “Come in."* There he was, lying awkwardly in bed. His face—what there was to be seen of it outside of the bandages—flushed red “T'm so sorry it happened.” He motioned to his head. “Hang the luck! "' he said. “ That part of it’s all right. I don't mind a cut in my head. Why, I'd be away from here before this, if that was all. But they tell me my leg is broken. They've got it in splinters, and it feels—well—numb.”* “So L heard. Well, you must make the best of it. And to think it was my fault in insisting in taking you off in that car. Oh, dear," she bent over him solicitously, “does it she asked, “make so much difference to you—being obliged to stay here. “Well, I should say so!’’ he growled, petulantly. And then: “But it's all right, of course. Don’t you feel badly about it.” “But IT do—terribly. Will you "she looked at him anxiously—" let me do all T can for you—to make up?" Andy: 1 DINNA THINK YE NEED KEEP TH’ pooTy oN sTE=L NAE MORE. OoNCLE! “That's good of you to say that.’* He looked at her gratefully. It was a new sensation this. Besides. now that he was in a certain sense helpless, he seemed to feel easier. His awkwardness was disappearing “T hate to put you to all this trouble,”” he said. “Trouble! As if it wasn't my fault. Now you must let me do everything for you. Will you promise?” “But how about one of those trained nurses? As long as I've got to be here- But, say!"? he exclaimed, inter rupting himself, “I don’t have to stay here! There's a hos- pital somewhere around. Now I must go there—at once! She sat down in the chair beside the bed, and looked at him earnestly. “Do you honestly and truly went to go to the hospital?” “T don't want to upset your house.” Aside from that—which doesn't mean anything—would you rather be here or there? And he smiled back, as his hand reached out for hers: “Here, of course. o 8 es The days passed. She read aloud to him. They talked together. Also other seemingly slight things happened— things which on several occasions have been known to change the course of empires. “That leg of mine must he getting on great,"” he said, at the end of a week. “The doctor set it so that I can’t move it at all. I wonder when the splints can be taken off. He hasn't been around for several days.”’ “Are you in a hurry to go?"’ she smiled. “Not the least in the world.” Well, then, you let me take care of you." He rose up. “On one condition “And that is—" “That you let me take care of you all the rest of your life.” . He held out his arms. Her head sank on his shoulder. There was a long silence. At last she raised her head and looked at him solemnly. “Dear,"” she said, “I have a confession to make. Will you promise to forgive me in advance? “T'l promise anything.” “Well, then, that day when you were hurt, the doctor said you were all right—there was only one cut—you'd be up in the morning. I knew you'd be gone the next day if some- thing wasn’t done. And so I persuaded him to set your leg. Hut it never was broken, dear. I—just—wanted—to—keep— you here."” And he replied, solemnly : “Don't I know it? Haven't I had those: splints off in your absence every day now for the last few days?" Chesterton Todd. comicbooks.com