Show cocoons for t donald s by JANE MARDY DAft SON was riding along black duck road jn a preoccupied mood how could she take much note of the familiar scenery when only ten days more separated her from the much planned european trip with twelve months study and travel she would have ridden straight on without noticing the car at the side of the road or the young man who had alighted if it had not been tor his remarkable antics he was apparently intent on doing something to a young wild cherry tree that grew up from the roadside ditch mardy reined n her horse a little as she approached coulden couldn 11 help you at whatever it Is you are trying to dot she asked why yes thanks awfully you see I 1 m trying to get that thing that cocoon cp there but I 1 can get it easily laughed mardy with that she bad turned her horse deftly taken the small ditch with him and with the greatest ease plucked the branch that bore the coveted cocoon do you collect them asked mardy drawing her horse back into the road butterflies I 1 mean jsoe much only theres a youngster up the road a boy that ought to be playing football and hockey but hes bitting oft there in his room crippled lies turned his mind to butterflies and moths and I 1 promised to get some cocoons for him do you mean donald Dawso nl the lad said the young man sadly you dont happen to know the family 1 I know the family well enough flared pack the girl to know that donald was injured at football practice but the lawsons dawsons have spared no expense and as for sitting off there in Us room why he has a post grad nurse with him all the time be has a professional enter talner out from the city every week to amuse him the local doctor comes every day end the lawsons dawsons have the very best specialist in the country you seem to know the lawsons dawsons well perhaps the doctors are doing their humble best but do u lot more if that room up there on the hill was flooded with hope and insel ration professional entertainer once a acel pooh the young man held out the cocoon the one that the girl had plucked and a dozen more of alg own culling you are miss dawson of course the resemblance between you and donald Is striking may I 1 ask you to carry these to the boy your brother and it you dont object to deception say that you brought them your own accord mardy gave rein to her horse and still holding the twigs gingerly gal loped at top speed back to the dawson estate on the hill during her childhood and the lifetime of her mother it had been their year round residence then business had dept her father more and more closely confined to his duties in the city an elder sister had married and gone away and donald had gone off to prep school the old place was then retained only as a less and less frequently visited summer place then had come donalds injury and the doctors had ordered quiet residence in the country but perhaps she thought as she left her horse with a waiting groom in the driveway perhaps after all I 1 might cheer him up a bit and with out changing from her riding togs she bore her odd little offering of cocoons to his room 1 I happened to find these she told him the boys pale face had brightened his eager hands reached out for the treasure and the alert eyes and mind were at identifying each of the little gray cocoons he asked for his books on butterflies and moths and for a half hour harangued his sister on the lore of the moth collector then the nurse came in quietly and an bounced doctor burnbridge turnbridge Turn bridge and mardy left promising to come bade its all right though the boy had called to her even when he has to hurt a little I 1 don t mind he 3 a reg ular prince in the hall mardy stood aside to let the celebrated specialist pass it was the stranger she bad met on the high way A half hour later when the doctor had come out of the sickroom and passed down the hall mardy was still standing there 1 I m sorry for what I 1 slid she said simply I 1 want to tell you how much I 1 appreciate what you have done for my brother I 1 ve been thinking roar that you the great doctor burnbridge turnbridge Turn bridge should take time to gather cocoons just because we were too selfish to think about it here the young voice almost broke down but she went on 1 I have decided to stay home right here with donald until he la all better the doctora doc tort voice quite steady when he replied all we need to win the fight and mardy did stay for ten long months and then just when donald was ready to go out again with nearly his former vigor she determined to postpone the european trip indefinitely deciding that to marry a man like dr idomer burnbridge turnbridge Turn bridge was an even more wonderful and cerious business in life than completing her musical education |