For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

Mr. Rockharrt Beckoned The Best-Looking Turnout And Handed His

Granddaughter Into It.

"Drive To St. L----'S Hospital," He Said.

The Hackman Touched His Hat And Drove Off. In Less Than Fifteen Minutes

He Drew Up Before The Front Of St. L----'S.

The Hackman Jumped Down,  Went Up And Rang The Bell. Then He Came Back To

The Carriage And Opened The Door.

Mr. Rockharrt Got Out,  Followed By His Granddaughter.

"Wait Here!" He Said To The Hackman,  As He Went To The Door,  Which Was

Promptly Opened By An Attendant.

"I Wish To See The Physician In Charge Here,  Or The Head Of The

Hospital,  Or Whatever May Be His Official Title," Said The Iron King.

"You Mean The Rev. Dr. ----"

"Yes,  Yes; Take Him My Card."

"Walk In The Parlor,  Sir."

The Attendant Conducted The Party Into A Spacious,  Plainly Furnished

Reception Or Waiting Room,  Saw Them Seated,  And Then Took Away Mr.

Rockharrt's Card.

A Few Minutes Passed,  And A Tall,  White Haired,  Venerable Form,  Clothed

In A Long Black Coat And A Round Skull Cap,  Entered The Room,  Looking

From Side To Side For His Visitor.

Mr. Rockharrt Got Up And Went To Meet Him.

"Mr. Rockharrt,  Of North End?" Courteously Inquired The Venerable Man.

"The Same. Dr. ----,  I Presume."

"Yes,  Sir. Pray Be Seated. And This Lady?" Inquired The Venerable

Doctor,  Courteously Turning Toward Cora.

"Oh--My Granddaughter,  Mrs. Rothsay."

The Aged Man Shook Hands Kindly With Cora,  And Then Turned To Mr.

Rockharrt,  As If Silently Questioning His Will.

"I Came To Inquire About The Lady Who Was Found In An Unconscious State

At The Hudson River Railway Depot. How Is She?" The Old Man's Anxiety

Betrayed Itself Even Through His Deliberate Words.

"She Is Better. You Know The Lady?"

"More Than Know Her--Have Been Intimate With Her For Many Years. She Is

Our Guest And Traveling Companion. She Got Separated From Us In The

Crowd Which Was Pressing Through The Railway Gate To Take The Train

Yesterday Morning. I Surely Thought When I Missed Her That She Had Found

Her Way To Some Car. But It Appears That She Was Seized With Vertigo,  Or

Something,  And So Missed The Train."

"Yes; A Lady,  One Of Our Regular Visitors,  Found Her There,  By

Providence,  In A State Of Deep Stupor,  And Being Unable To Discover Her

Friends,  Or Name,  Or Address,  Put Her In A Carriage And Brought Her

Directly Here."

"She Is Better,  You Say? I Wish To See Her And Take Her Back To Our

Apartments," Said Mr. Rockharrt.

"I Will Send For One Of The Nurses To Take You To Her Room. You Will

Excuse Me. I Am Momentarily Expecting The Dean Of Olivet,  Who Is On A

Visit To Our City,  And Comes To-Day To Go Through The Hospital," Said

The Doctor,  And He Rang A Bell.

"The Dean Here? Why,  I Thought We Left Him At West Point," Said Mr.

Rockharrt.

"He Came Down By A Late Train Last Night,  I Understand. He Makes But A

Flying Tour Through The Country,  And Cannot Stay At Any One Place," The

Venerable Doctor Explained. And Then He Touched The Bell Again.

The Same Man Who Had Let Our Party In Came To The Door To Answer The

Call.

"Say To Sister Susannah That I Would Like To See Her Here," Said The

Doctor.

The Man Went Out And Was Presently Succeeded By A Sweet Faced,  Middle

Aged Woman In A Black Dress And A Neat White Cap.

"Here Are The Friends Of The Young Lady Who Was Brought In Yesterday

Morning. Will You Please To Take Them To The Bedside Of Your Patient?"

The Protestant Sister Nodded Pleasantly And Led Off The Visitors.

As They Went Up The Main Staircase They Heard The Front Door Bell Ring,

The Door Opened,  And The Dean Of Olivet,  With Some Gentlemen In His

Company,  Entered The Hall.

Our Party,  After One Glance,  Passed Up The Stairs,  Through An Upper Hall

And A Corridor,  And Paused Before A Door Which Sister Susannah Opened.

They Entered A Small,  Clean,  Neat Room,  Where,  Clothed In A White

Wrapper,  Reclining In A White Easy Chair,  Beside A White Curtained

Window,  And Near A White Bed,  Sat Rose Stillwater. She Was Looking,  Not

Only Pale,  But Sallow--As She Had Never Looked Before.

Rose Stillwater Held Out One Hand To Mr. Rockharrt And One To Cora

Rothsay,  In Silence And With A Faint Smile.

The Sister,  Seeing This Recognition,  Set Two Cane Bottomed Chairs For

The Visitors And Then Went Out,  Leaving Them Alone With The Patient.

"Good Lord,  My Dear,  How Did All This Come About?" Inquired Old Aaron

Rockharrt,  As He Sank Heavily Upon One Of The Chairs,  Making It Creak

Under Him.

"It Was While We Stood In The Crowd. I Was Pressed Almost Out Of Breath.

Then The Terrible Pang Shot Through My Head,  And I Ceased To Struggle

And Let Everybody Pass Before Me. I Dropped Down On One Of The Benches.

I Had Taken A Morphia Pellet Before I Left The Hotel. I Had The Medicine

In My Pocket. I Took Another Then--"

"Very Wrong,  My Dear. Very Wrong,  My Dear,  To Meddle With That Drug,

Without The Advice Of A Physician."

"Yes; I Know It Now,  But I Did Not Know It Then. The Second Pellet

Stopped My Headache,  And I Went To The Ladies' Dressing Room To Recover

Myself A Little,  So As To Be Able To Write A Telegram Saying That I

Would Follow You By The Next Train,  But There A Stupor Came Over Me,  And

I Knew No More Until I Awoke Late Last Night And Found Myself Here."

"How Perilous,  My Child! In That Stupor You Might Have Been Robbed Or

Kidnapped By Persons Who Might Have Pretended To Be Your Relations And

Carried You Off And Murdered You For Your Clothing," Said Old Aaron

Rockharrt,  Unconscious In His Native Rudeness That He Was Frightening

And Torturing A Very Nervous Invalid.

"But," Urged Rose--Who Had Grown Paler At The Picture Conjured

Up--"Providentially I Was Found By The Kind Lady Who Sent Or Rather

Brought Me Here,  And Even Caused Me To Be Put In This Room Instead Of In

A Ward. Sister Susannah Explained This To Me As Soon As I Was Able To

Make Inquiries."

"Now,  My Dear,  Do You Feel Able To Go Back With Us To The Blank House,

Where We Are Now Again Staying And Waiting For Sylvanus To Join Us?"

"Oh,  Yes; I Shall Be Glad To Go,  Though All Here Are Most Tender And

Affectionate To Me. But I Would Like To See And Thank The Doctor For All

His Goodness. How Like The Ideal Of The Beloved Apostle He Seems To

Me--So Mild,  So Tender,  So Reverend."

"I Think You Cannot Wait For That To-Day,  My Dear. The Reverend Doctor

Is Engaged With The Dean Of Olivet,  Who Is Going Through The Hospital."

Rose Stillwater's Face Blanched.

"Will They--Will They--Will They--Come Into This Room?"

"Of Course Not! And If They Should,  You Are Up And In Your Chair. And If

You Were Not,  They Are A Party Of Ministers Of The Gospel And Medical

Doctors,  And You Would Not Mind If They Should See You In Bed. You Are A

Nervous Child To Be So Easily Alarmed. It Is The Effect Of The Reaction

From Your Stupor," Said Mr. Rockharrt.

"I Will Go With You,  However,  If I May," Said Rose Stillwater,  Touching

The Hand Bell,  That Soon Brought An Attendant Into The Room.

"Will You Ask Sister Susannah,  Please,  To Come To Me?" Said Mrs.

Stillwater.

The Attendant Went Out And Was Soon Succeeded By The Sister.

"My Friends Wish To Take Me Away,  And I Feel Quite Able To Go With

Them--In A Carriage. Will You Please Find The Doctor And Ask Him?"

Inquired Mrs. Stillwater.

The Sister Smiled Assent And Went Out.

Soon The Venerable Man Entered The Room.

"I Hope I Find You Better,  My Child," He Said,  Coming To The Easy Chair

In Which Sat And Reclined The Patient.

"Very Much Better,  Thank You,  Sir; So Much That I Feel Quite Able To Go

Out With My Friends,  If I May."

"Certainly,  My Child,  If You Like."

"I Hope I Have Not Detained You From Your Friends," Said Rose.

"No. I Left The Dean In Conversation With An English Patient From His

Old Parish. It Was An Accidental Meeting,  But A Most Interesting One."

"Does--The Dean--Contemplate A Long Stay In The City?" Rose Forced

Herself To Ask.

"Oh,  No; He Leaves To-Night By One Of The Sound Steamers For Boston And

Newport. His English Temperament Feels The Heat Of The City Even More

Than We Do."

Rose Felt It In Her Heart To Wish That The Climate Might "Burn As An

Oven," If It Should Drive The British Dean Away.

"But I Must Not Leave My Visitors Longer. So If You Will Excuse Me,

Sir," He Said,  Turning To Mr. Rockharrt,  "I Will Take Leave Of My

Patient And Her Friends Here."

He Shook Hands All Around,  Receiving The Warm Thanks Of The Whole Party.

When The Venerable Doctor Left The Room,  Mr. Rockharrt Withdrew To The

Corridor To Give The Nurse An Opportunity To Dress The Convalescent For

Her Journey.

He Walked Up And Down The Corridor For A Few Minutes,  At The End Of

Which Rose Stillwater Came Out Dressed For Her Drive,  And Leaning On The

Arm Of Cora Rothsay.

Mr. Rockharrt Hastened To Meet Her,  And Took Her Off Cora's Hands,  And

Drew Her Arm Within His Own.

So They Went Down Stairs And Entered The Carriage That Was Waiting For

Them.

A Drive Of Fifteen Minutes