Birds of Prey

big boisterous men of herculean build, he was the veriest craven in the hour of physical ailment; so he succumbed at

allied his in

our hands are hot, and your tongue rather queer, I may as well give you a saline draught. You'll

Georgy was half inclined to wish that her husband might be afflicted with chronic influenza, whereby he would be compelled to stop at home. She sighed when Philip Sheldon slapped his friend's broad shoulder, and told him cheerily that he would b

e. The invalid and the invalid's wife trusted implicitly in the friendly doctor who assured them both that Tom's attack was the most ordinary kind of thing; a little wearing, no doubt, but entirely without danger. He had to repeat this assurance very often to Georgy, whose angry feelings

se one day and a shade better the next; now gaining a little strength, now losing a trifle more than he had gained. The patient declined in so imperceptible a manner that he had been ill three wee

fend her host by any doubt of his skill. "You see - you - you are so much employed with teeth - and - of course you know I am quite assured of your talent - but don't y

on shrugged

my attendance on poor old Tom. Call in another doctor, by all means, if you think fit to do so; but, of course, in that event, I must withdraw from the case. The man you call in may be

only doubted Mr. Sheldon because he was not a regular practitioner. But how if she were to withdraw her husband from the hand

hly anxious about t

eaten no breakfast again this morning; and even the cup of tea which I persuaded him to take seemed to disagree

d be another affair; but I don't. Tom's illness is the simplest thing in the world, and I feel myself quite competent to pull him through it, without fuss or bother; but if you think otherwise, pray put me out of the question. There's one fact, however, of which I'm bound to remind you. Like many fine big stal

is last suggestion of Mr. Sheldon's put things in a new and alarming light. She was really anxious about her h

will soon be well and strong

dvise other measures. However, my dear Mrs. Hallida

very nervous, and the idea that I was alarmed might alarm him. I'll trust in you. Pray try to bring him

g in the drawer of a table, and his ba

d his friend changed for the worse. The changes in the invalid were so puzzling, the alternations from better to worse and from worse to better so frequent, that fear could take no hold upon the minds of the patient's friends. It seemed such a very slight affair this low fever, though sufficiently incon

e newspaper, or even to bear having it read to him. When George came to look at his old friend -"to cheer you up a little, old fellow, you know," and so on - he found Tom, for the time being, past al

d said to his brother, after finding Tom lower and we

the matter with him. He's rat

ry low, that he can't sink much lower without going to the

lders, and made a little cont

," he said carelessly. "Don't you alarm yourself about Tom. He's right enough. He's been in a state of chro

ttle pause, during which the brothers happened to look at each

said George presently; "but something has disa