OCR Text |
Show jimimimiiiimimimimimimmmmm I The Shadow of the Sheltering Pines A New Romance of the Storm Country 1 By GRACE MILLER WHITE . Copyright by the H. K. Fly Company I. : ; 'i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii . "SHE'LL GET WELL?" Synopsis. Lonely and almost friendless, Tonnlbel Devon, living on a canal boat with a brutal father fa-ther and a worn-out, discouraged mother, wanders Into a Salvation armyhall at Ithaca, N. Y. There she meets a young Salvation army captain, Philip MacCauley. Uriah Devon, Tony's father, returns to the boat from a protracted spree , and announces he has arranged for Tony to marry a worthless com-' panlon of his. Reginald Brown. Mrs. Devon . objects, and Uriah beats her. She intimates there is a secret connected with Tonnlbel. In clothes that Uriah has brought Tony finds a baby's picture with a notification of a reward for its return re-turn to a Doctor Pendlehaven. . iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu so don't ask me. But but I thought webbe if I brought Doctor Paul's baby back " She paused, drew out of her blouse the picture and handed It out, "I thought if I didn't take any money for It, he'd help me, and mebbe wouldn't make me tell where I got It." . John Pendlehaven made no move to touch the little card she was holding out to him, and Tonnibel came nearer. Her Angers let go their hold on in picture, and it fell to the floor. And there before the startled man's eyes, , she dropped down and began to sob, long bitter sobs such as John Pendlehaven Pendle-haven hud never heard from any of his own women kind. - "I want some one to help my mummy so bad," came to him from among the curls. , Then he shook himself, deep" sym- iiiMiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimuiiiiHiiiiiiiiin very best for the sake of the trembling child who had brought back the baby's picture which might bring a new de sire to live in hrs nrother, Paul. "Come outside," he said at length, rising. "I want to talk to you. She'll sleep a loug time, perhaps until morning." morn-ing." "She'll get well, huh?" demanded Tonnlbel, in a whisper. "Surely," he responded. "Of course." The thought ot her father coming home drunk flashed across the girl's mind, "I don't want you to stay if she's nil right," she said with a backward back-ward bend of her head. "You mid shZd get well, didn't' you?". At the doctor's affirmative nod she went on: "Then I'll take you back up the hill, so you'll be safe." ' "No," said Pendlehaven, firmly. "No, I won t let you. I can nna my way all right, but.l can't leave you like this." . Tonnibel extended her hand. "I said I was going with you," she answered crisply. "Come on, it'll be all hours before you get home now. I ain't sny-in' sny-in' I would love to have you In the Dirty Mary -with mummy and me, but you might get killed if you sty." ."And what about you?" demanded Pendlehaven, "Oh, I'm used to t," she responded. "Somebody might give me a swat or two on my bean, but that won't count for nothln'l" When, they reached the boulevard, he dropped her hand. "Now go back," he said gently, "I can find my way. Will you come tomorrow to-morrow at two, and let me know how she is? Or shall I come down?" - "I'll hike to you," answered Tonnl-hel Tonnl-hel "If vnn're sure now you won't CHAPTER IV Continued. "If Reggle'd behave himself," replied re-plied the lady's daughter in a bored tone, "he wouldn't have to be chattered chat-tered about. My advice Is, mamma, that you give tira a good raking over. If you don't mind your P's and Q's you'll never have Cousin John for your third husband, I can tell you that, You're no nearer marrying him than you were ten years ago, as I can see." "I will, .though, Miss Impudence." flashed back the woman. "Paul won't be much more than In his grave before Cousin John mnkes me his wife. I wish to heaven Paul would die. and and I don't notice with all your flirting flirt-ing and maneuvering you're getting your claws on Philip. . . . Ah, that shot told!" ,,' Katherlne's face had gone red at tile words, then very white. "How perfectly vile," she exelaimed, with a catch In her voice. Then she straightened up and laughed. "Well, I'm not forty-five years old and pretending pre-tending I'm thirty-five, anyway, nor do I dye my hair, and flounce out with lace to prove I'm young. There's a shot for vou. mother darling!" pathy striking at him. : "Listen to me, my dear; you've done my brother the greatest favor in the wotiU by bringing back this picture." He stooped and picked It up. "He loved It dearly; no money could have bought it." Tonnlbel's eyes, filled with tears,, gazed up at blm, and the red lips treubled. . "I don't want money," she faltered. "But my poor little mummy's sick. So I said to myself If the picture v was worth cash, then mebbe I could get some medicine as a change off." "We'll go to her instantly," said Pendlehaven. "Walt until 1, get my hat and coat, and I'll tell my brother you brought this to him." In a few minutes he was back, finding find-ing her standing where he had left her. Without a word they walked out into in-to the night. As they passed the Salvation army quarters the girl turned her head and looked at it. But she made no remark, and so, rapid did she walk that Pendlehaven Pendle-haven ' found himself taking long strides to keep up with her. To say he was surprised when they turned from the boulevard road to a oath lending to the west shore of the get lost, I'll run back to mummy. But" "I shall get home perfectly safe, child," came In quick interruption, and "Good-night. Thank you for bringing me the picture and allowing me to come to your mother." The irate Mrs. Curtis rushed out of the room, followed by her daughter's mocking laugh. For three years Katherine had been madly, passionately In love with Philip MacCauley, an Intimate friend of the family. The young man's home adjoined hers, and during his orphaned boyhood he'd spent a great deal of his spare time at the Pendlehavens. But since he'd returned from France and had taken up the Salvation army work, a work which Katherine held in open contempt, the intimacy had about ceased. V CHAPTER V. Doctor John Had a Visitor. i After remaining hidden In the forest for-est for some time, Tonnlbel stole along toward Ithaca In the gathering gloom, her heart filled with hope. To get some medicine for Edith, and to take bnck the picture to the father who had offered money for It. were the two things she wanted to do now. V , 1 1. . . . 1 1. 1. 1 .. I CHAPTER VI. "Tony" Swears an Oath. When Tonnlbel bent ver the bunk, she saw her mother's eyes . were opfn. She smiled sadly down upon her, sat on a stool and took one of the womj an's thin hands In hers. "Where's your daddy?" murmured Mrs. Devon. "He's gone, mummy dear," breathed Tony. "I guess he thought some one was after him. You're feelln' a lot better, huh, honey?" , "Yep, but I'm thirsty, awful thirsty, bah.y dear." Tonnlbel gnve her a drink, and resented re-sented herself. , "You're goin' to get well," she ejaculated. "I brought, a awful nice doctor here' when you were so sick. He's Just gone, and he left you them pills ann that medicine In the glass." The woman- stared nt the speaker as if she hadn't heard rightly. "A doctor?" she whined. "What doctor?" , llcr young Ilium vwis uun.v wiui iimin for her mother. If she could find some work to do, and Edith would go with her. she would get well again. That evening, Just after dinner. Dr. John Pendlehaven was sitting in his office, his mind disturbed, his heart aching for the sick- brother upstairs, and he remembered that the first three or four years after the disappearance of Paul's daughter had been spent In a frantic search. All those working on the case had finally decided that Edith Mindll, a young nurse who hnd cared for the child most of the time since her mother hnd died and was devoted de-voted to her, had left home with the bnby. - - ' He sat up suddenly, for distinctly' there enme to him from the wide front porch the patter of feet like the soft footpads of some stealthy nlght-anl-mnl. He turned his eyes on the open door that led to the porch and then Jie rose. There before him stood a girl, a silent girl looking at him beseechingly beseech-ingly a curious demanding expression expres-sion In her eyes, and she was bare, footed, tao. He didn't speak, nor did lie move forward. She was not a pa- There Before Him Stood a Girl a Silent Girl. lake would be putting It lightly. But he didn't ask where they were going; somehow It made no difference to him. His strong, warm hand held the small brown one, and something In the touch of the girl's fingers made , him thrUl with pleasure. He found himself vowing vow-ing that anything this strange child should ask of him, he'd do, no matter what It might be. " They passed over a culvert through which wnter, In tumbling rours, took Its way down the hill. Just on the north side the girl stopped. "Here we are to the ragged rocks," she said. "'There's the bout where my mummy Is. See that little light 7 Stand here a minute till I come back and get you." It had suddenly occurred to Tonnibel Tonni-bel that perhaps her father might have ventured home. K so, then she must prepare him for the doctor's coming. com-ing. She w'ent Immediately to her mother and looked down upon ier. The nibel. "He's a real nice man John Pendlehaven." Edith struggled up on her elbow. "What'd you bring him here for?" she cried. "I hate the Pendlehavens. Uriah hates 'em" "I know that, mummy," Tony cut her off with, "but you was too sick to tell me what to do, and daddy wasn't here, so I Just went and got the doctor doc-tor myself. . , . Here I You mustn't sit up." "I will ! f will ! Now tell me all he snld from the beginning to end." In silence Tonnlbel helped her mother moth-er to a sitting position and wrapped the blankets around her. Then she began to tell her what hnd happened. The only thing she omitted speaking of was the baby's picture. "He were the only doctor I knew about," she offered flnnlly. flushing, "and he's the beautifulest man I ever saw. Mebbe he'll come down tomorrow tomor-row to see you." Edith dropped bnck on the bed, shlv-erine shlv-erine In desperation. "Oct your rlothes off, baby," she whispered. "Crawl In beside me. You re nil wet." "Take your medicine first, then I will," snld Tonnlbel. "Here" She picked up the glasRnnd then stood stnring. flt the place she'd tnkon It from. "Why, the doctor must hnve left this money," she exclaimed, taking tak-ing up a roll of bills. "Look, Edle, look!" j "Oct off your clothes," repented the woman, Impassively, "Come on to bed. nnd go to sleep." Tony takei an oath. "" ITO BE CONTINUED.) tient, that he knew, for only the rich came to him for treatment, Suddenly she smiled and took two steps toward hint. "Good evening," he managed to say. , "Paul Pendlehaven?" came In 8 breath, and Doctor John shook his head.' ' "Oh! I hoped yon were!" whs the swift reply. "1 want to see the doctor." doc-tor." The voice whs filled with touching pathos," and the young face hud grown suddenly grave. "I'm one Doctor Pendlehaven," he said, "Won't you sit down?" Tonnibel shook her head. She couldn't , sit down in nil this roynl splendor, she who had been used to canal boats and rough benches to sit on. " "I'm klnda mussed up," she said In excuse. "I've come to make a dicker with with Dr. Paul Pendlehaven." "Tea me what you want of my brother?" he said gently. "Do you want him to help you?" "Yep, a hull lot" she responded, "a great lot. My mother's awful sick. But I can't tell how she got that way, swollen lids were still closed and the wan white face brought a rush of tears to the girl's eyes. "I've brung some one to help you, durlin'," she whispered, but the woman, wom-an, made no move, If by clinnce she heard. . Cliimberlng up the steps, Tonnftel was back ut the doctor's side before he scurcely realized It. "Mummy's alone," she sub!. "Come on." Pendlehaven. stooped over Edith Devon, De-von, gently taking her wrist In his fingers. Eor some, time he sat beside her. then mixing a draught, succeeded in pouring It down her throat. The weary lids didn't lift, but one thin arm came rigidly upward, then fell back limply. "Some one struck her, eh?" asked the doctor "Yep," replied the girl, and that was all. , Pendlehaven didn't ask anything more. In accepting the picture he had tacitly, promised not to question her. What did it matter to him how the woman bad come into her present condition? con-dition? He would do his utmost his |