The Second Violin

urt?" cried Charlotte, a

she instantly understood that Celia must be unconscious. But whether there might be more to be feared than unconscio

h the idea of summoning one of the suburban physicians, but turned aside from this purpose with the further realisatio

ed then, with relief, that the nearest neighbour was Doctor Churchill, the

or had set up his office, and rang imperatively. The door opened, and Doctor Chur

le dark cheeks, dusty pinafore, a singular smudge upon the forehead, and sleeves rolled up to t

only gasp, "Oh

questions. At the open cellar door C

-my sister!"

he stairs. Charlotte lighted a little kitchen lamp and came after h

he said, presently, "but I can't tell where

as if she had been a child, and car

in the living-room. As Celia was lai

n over his forehead, with his hands and face excessively dirty and a lunch-pail on his arm, pushed open the kitchen

he stove a kettle of potatoes, from which t

oking district!" he muttered, glan

ssail his nostrils, and he jerked open the oven door. A ti

gry man, who has been anticipating his supper all the way home, and se

he cried, an

he and left you in charge? Everything

she's broke

ha

n the cellar

ent down on the floor as Lanse got r

Churchill's there. He's

ted Lanse, as if dazed. "Poo

rse she's much hurt. She's suffering dreadfully. She hit her hea

e door, then hesitat

ter. He's made Celia as comfortable as he can, but wants our regular doctor here, h

f thing--the honourable ones do. It's better to have Doctor Fo

ot him. He'll

Poor little girl! poor little girl!" he groaned, as he made his rapid way to the bath-room. "The cellar stairs--they're dark and steep

Justin come shouting in for supper and Charlotte hushing them

or Just. Just's all broken up, poor youngster! Says Celia told him to go after the pickles, and he forgot it. If he'd gone she wouldn't have got her tumble. What'll father and mother say? What are we going to do, anyhow?

anybody. Doctor Forester and Churchill will fix her up all right, only it's

h him eagerly, and listened to a brief and concise account of his sister'

all. Lanse, my boy, this is too bad. Doctor Churchill--very glad to see you again. Decided to settle out here, eh? Well, on some accounts I think you'r

re which men of his profession carry about with them, making the people who have been anxiously awaiting them f

statement of the conditions under which he had been called, turning at the door to smile a

iod of time the two physicians came down-

of inactivity before her to put that knee into a strong condition, but it will not be a great while before she can be about on crutches, I hope. Doctor Churchill, at my insistence, has put up the knee in the best possible shape,

t's no worse," he said. "But, Doctor Forester, what are

n, so long as the girl does well. She would be back here on the next train and then we'd have something worse

them general-delivery letters until they're settled, and fa

t, over which Celia is several times more worried th

some

Too bad that clever little orchestra will have to drop its practice for a few weeks. I meant to run in some evening soon

e family of his old friend, whom he had known and loved since their college days, was off in his runabout, hi

ll, who stood upon the porch b

kful you were so

hance of having some one of the physicians you know here in town take charge of the case, but he insisted on

t the sincerity in the words. He returned the scrutiny w

d, slowly. "Anyhow, I'm going to kn

. "I will come over for a minute about ten o'clock," he added, "to make

re cross the lawn and disappear in the office

that's certain," he said gloomily

That twelve-year-old stood awaiting him, his face so

h, but as Doctor Forester says, it might be worse

. "Lanse, I've got to tell you something," he be

gh, was apt to take things seriously, and sometimes needed to be joked o

ut he went steadily on. "She sent me down cellar after pickles, and I sat on the top of the stairs finishing up a ba

d turned away

kin on those stairs?

es

r neck more than once going down those stairs only l

nod

once yourself, and wanted to

sank lower

himself and act wisely, something about Just's brave acknowledgment, where silence would have covered the whole thing, appealed to him. The thought of the way t

take care of your banana skins after this. But I like the way you own up, Just, and so will Celia. That's something. You haven't been a sneak in addition to being thoughtless. It would have

ding light at the window was so suggestive of boyish despair that t

can," he said. "There are a lot of things you can do for her,

had found facing the elder brother, whom he both admired and feared, harder than anything

made that way. It's forgiving

ver s

nse, grimly, sure that a wholesome remorse was to be encouraged. The

the kitchen fire. It's undoubtedly burnt itself out by this time. There's proba

empty, stomach did not tend to relieve. He found his sister able to give him a very

Don't worry. It mig

it. We'll take courage, and you shall have us all

a. She was suffering severely, but she could not re

rlotte, and was hurrying to the door when Celia called her back. "Pleas