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Show HER ,IWS VIDTIM UIAPTEK XXIV. A Blt'KLX I.IMB. Dr. Iiawom had not forgotten his promise to aid (liven in getting some money if possible. He had tried every menus in his power, visited all the money lenders and everyone else from whom it seemed probable the money might be obtained. He paid several visits to Seraggs" oftiee, before Serais' return, and again he went there on the day that Pearson received his inim-ies Dnrinsr the next two days the doctor managed to spend a great part ,f his time wilh bis patient, required to keep him in bed if he had to do it by f ree, r.ut the next day he was called out of town, and it was nearly night when ho returned. lie repaired immediately to Pearson's room, and found Pearson gone, and the attendant staring about in wonder. "Where's my patient?" the doctor demanded. de-manded. "I don't know," said the attendant, "lie sent me out a few minutes since on an errand, and when I returned just now he was gone." and was soon on his way to John Green's house. "Thanh my stars," he muttered, as he cantered across the prairie-. "I am not too late yet. I hare only to give Louise notice to be ready, and to-night drive out for her, and inside of six hours we shall be rolling to the westward west-ward as fast as steam can take us." Louise had. of course, been informed of Pearson's misfortune. Pearson, through his friend Mills, had taken pains to keep her informed on his condition, con-dition, and she was aware that he would come again soon to claim her an- I'earsvKi plans. e iun.,t save the jflrt from him and we nui-t keep tlroen out of the clutches of the law." "That's so," replied the doctor; "that's so. But I don't just see how it's to lie done. Perhaps, thoueh. Pearson will not briiiT- matters to an issue nt once. Perhaps we will have plenty of time, if ti e only succeed in keeping our scheme quiet." "1 think not." said Serajrjrs. "I 'believe 'be-lieve from what information I have been able to fvetlier that he has already made his proposition to the Kill. I know this much: lie haspurcliased two tickets for lVnver and has arranged for a livery ri-f Vi drive into th-:- country to-morrow niL.'M. 1 am confident his intention is to drive out to Green's at ni7ht and l'.rin-' the girl here in a close carriage, and with her take the train for the Then what can we do, Seraggs?" the dot tor asked. "How can we prevent this thin;: in so short a time'.1" "1 do'.f t know. I'm sure." At liiat instant the office door was thrown open and a man came breathlessly breath-lessly in. . "Doctor." he cried, "come quick. Pearson has received a severe injury and need.-, immediate attention. I have been all over town in search of you." 'Kh? What's that'.'" the doctor cried', starting- up. The man recounted all he knew of Pearson's meeting- with Taul and the encounter that followed, and ended by saying: "I'm sure his leg is broken, besides other serious injuries." "1 wish to Heaven it had been his neck instead of his log," cried Serag-gs. "Aye," said the doctor aside "to Sei-agg., "but a leg is betti-r than no-.iimg. and if we can'! have what we want ive must take what we can get." "Are you going to him?" Scraggs asked. "Yes. indeed. You wait here an hour or so and I'll sec you again." Willi that the doctor went out and down the street to Pearson's room, lie found Pearson in a semi-uneonse-ous condition, and proceeded to make an examination of his injuries. At first he was inclined to treat them rather lightly, but on second thought lie changed his mind and his face took on a grave air and he shook his head dubiously. du-biously. "Is he badly hurt, doctor?" some one asked. "Hud enough to keep him in bed for several days, sure," the doctor replied. "We must splint and bandage this limb and he must be kept perfectly quiet for the present." Accordingly the limb was duly arranged, ar-ranged, the bruises about the fnee at I aid's hands. On this last occasion 1-e found Scraggs at hoinemd at once made known to him his errand. "Yes," said Scruggs, in replv to the old doetor's statement, "I will lettlreen have some money, lie might have bad it before this if I had known he was in such de-perate straits. Have yon been out lo Green's within-ihe last few days?" "No. not since nearly a week." . "I asked because i wished a little information on a certain point. I have nn-.ler.--t ood since my return that young I'e.ir.ni has been going out there frequently fre-quently of late, and 1 thought perhaps yon might know if it was tine." "1 know nothing of it. I have never met him there on the occasion of any of "1 suppose such is"the ease, however, and s-.me steps ought to be taken to break it up. He has devilish designs on I'o-een's eirl. and Pm afraid he lias I oven in his power, and if he is permitted per-mitted to g on in his own way he will lre -g the girl tj ruin. Something ought t be d ine at once to thwart him if possible." pos-sible." "That's true." said the doctor, "that's trr.e. lint this is all news to me. I have had no intimation of anything of that sort, and never dreamed -of such a thing, or I certainly should have taken some steps to stop it. Put how has Pearson managed to get Green in his power?" "I'us.r enough," replied Seraggs, and he v. :it on to tell about Mills' loan aud John'!, sale of the wagon and team. "I littve kept n wateh on thisail'.iir, and by the aid of my clerk have kept posted on I lie proceedings from first to last. Green has laid himself liable to a term in stale prison, and as I have just today to-day diecovore.l, I'ear.-.on is alLtliat stands between him and the law. If Gre.-nV girl w ill submit to Pearson', de-sir de-sir s Green can go free, but if she does :u-t then Grc. u is to lie prosect.'d. So leu see 'now the m.iiier stands, and ho; neees ary it is to take immediate . l. .s to ihe. ai l Pearson." Yes. T see. The good for-nothing -ra-.ial has got t'ie whole Green family in his elntehes. aud the girl must sac- swer to his question. So she waited day after day with calm resignation for the time to come for the completion of her misery and shame. m AY hen Pearson reached Green's, Louise received him quietly, and whatever her feelings were she had mastered them so well that she betrayed no emotion, either of sorrow or pleasure. "Louise, 1 have at last come to learn your decision," Pearson said, when they were alone. "I have given yo,H more time than I promised, and 1 suppose you have your answer ready." "I have," she replied, quietly. "And it is " "As you wish." "Then to-night be ready for going away. I shall come at a couple of hours after dark witli a closed carriage, and by moving promptly and losing no time we can catch the niglit. train west, and before our escapade becomes known we will be far from here. You understand under-stand that there must be no delav?" "Yes." "And vou will see that there is none?" "Yes." C "Then I suppose that is all," and as Pearson spoke he arose as if to go, but suddenly stoppingcame over to the girl's side and said: "Since you are so soon to be mine. Louise, you cannot object to me kissing kiss-ing you. Here, just onee before I go." "No, no, no," she cried as she drew herself back from him. "Spare me that, please do." "Humph," Tearson muttered, "you'll rilir-e in reti' to save her fattier and i.o ,1 ii. i . and site 11 do it, too. Slio'il do J anything and shiYer anything to spare litem, it mi; t be prevented, ,S--rag;fs." "It nmst if it is possible, but I am at a loss bow to get at it. Of course we could pay off Mills' (or rather l'v-ar-sou's) note, but that won't let Green cut. lie would still be as open to pros-ei pros-ei mioii as ever. I don't know what we can do." "I know- one thing I can do," said the old doctor as be arose and angrily paced the floor. "I can cane Pear , on, confound his impudent pietare, and it wouldn't take me long to do it. either." "I'm afraid that wouUivm help matters mat-ters 'much, i hough," laughed -Sc-raggs. "Perhaps not, but it would do me lots of good. Put have you no plan, "Xo, I haven't, have thought, however, how-ever, that it might be a good idea to find out who and where Green's f riends are, and to write to them stating his 'ondition and asking them for some assistance. as-sistance. I don't know that that would dressed, and, alter arrain repeating his injunctions in regard to keeping the patient pa-tient quiet, the old doctor withdrew and returned to Sc-raggs. 'Xotv, Scrag-gs,'' he said, as he entered en-tered the office, "we've got a good chain to carry out our plan. We've get Pearson laid up with a broken leg, and ii we can get old Elatehford out here before he gets up and about w-e're all right." tireat heavens, man! we can certainly cer-tainly do that. Blatchford ouglit to get here inside of six days, and I should think it would take a broken leg several sev-eral weeks to heal." "Yes. ordinarily it does take several weeks, but in this case it won't." "Won't? Why not?" "Because," and the doctor advanced and sunk his voice to a whisper, "because, "be-cause, Seraggs, there ain't any broken leg in this case." "What?" cried Seraggs. "I don't catch your meaning." "I mean that Pearson's leg is not broken, lie has sprained it pretty severely, se-verely, that is all; but as the people up there Laou-lit. -it -was-brnirp-n I decided de-cided to let the impression prevail, and co I splintered it np and left it so. Don't you see, if we can keep him in bed under the belief that his limb is broken it gives us a chance to save, the girl until Blatchford comes." "I see, I see," cried Seraggs, as he slapped himself and fairly roared with laughter. "By George, doctor, but that is the best thing I ever heard of, and you deserve a medal for it. I'll put you against the world when it comes to scheming-," and again Seraggs' feelings got the better of him and lie burst out into another roar of laughter. "Xow, if I can keep Pearson in bed for a week," said the. doctor, "you think you can accomplish your work, do vou?" have to get used to that pretty soon now, aud you might a:s well begin one time as another. Do you think I will let you shun me as you would a snake when you are my own?" "No, no, but spare me now. I have consented to give myself to you tonight. to-night. From thenceforward I am yours, but to-day let me be free. It is not much I ask, and 3-ou will surely grant so small a request." "Ah, yes, I suppose so," Pearson re-' plied with a coarse laugh. "Be your own mistcess to-day, for after this you are mine. Be ready at eight to-night, and meet me at the fence below the stable yard." "Very well." Louise said this so calmly and so freely that Pearson was constrained to gaze at her in wonder, and as he watched her quiet, immovable countenance he began to doubt her intentions. "Look here, Louise." ha said, "I want you to bear in mind that I am in earnest, earn-est, and that I will brook no fooli dmess. Yon fail me to-night in one particular and your father will pay for it." . . "'ThiievI5:'' exclaimed the doctor, tearing out of the room and oif to Seraggs' office, and astonishing that gentleman by bursting in on him with: '3eragg-i, the dei it's out." "What devil?" asked Seraggs "Why, Pearson, mau." "What!" cried Seraggs. "Is he out of bed?" "Y'es, and gone." "The devil! And Blatchford has not come yet. I'm afraid he'll beat us after all," "I kept him there as long as I could, I held him down for a week." "Y'es, and Blatchford ought to have been here yesterday. I think he'll surely come to-day. lie telegraphed me that lie was on the way." "He'll probably get here to-night then, aud all wc can do is to wait."'" "Yes, wait and wateh. We must find Pearson and keep an eye on him. Y"ou have no idea where he has gone?" "Sot the least, but he is no doubt somewhere about town." "Then we bad better look him up." The two men went out and began a quiet, unostentatious search for Pearson, Pear-son, and they kept it up until l he v had assured themselves perfectly that he was nowhere about. There had been no train out of town that afternoon, so they knew he had not gone away by rail. fTo be continued in our next.J io mufti jjvd, but it might do some. I iippn-o lie hus friends in the cast some-Ja'iv, some-Ja'iv, and we could learn .from, lilm who they are.". 'II 13 not necessary to goto that much trouble." said thfc doctor, "as I already i pusses that information, so far as i iivnn wiie s father is concerned." 'Do vou? rJ hen that's soon arranged. Now there was another thing I was thinking of d.tinsf. This Pearson has an uncle in Ohio of whom he is a sort of ward. This uncle is the head of the Huekeye Loan and Trust Company,' whkrh I represent, and he and this Pearson are all there is of tfie company, com-pany, and the uncle furnishes the capital capi-tal and Pearson gets the profits. I a in fearful that it won't avail much, but I r - - - . iL 1 j J JtrV' 7 J. . 'Yc-a, like a top. You just hold Pearson Pear-son down on his back for six days, and' I'm sure we'll come through all right." . "Well, I'll try to do it, Scrag-g-s, and I think I can succeed. So long-." Dr. Bascom was assiduous in his attentions at-tentions to Peavsou, and every day called to see him. He made it-a point to speak of the case most seriously, and his face was always grave and thoughtful thought-ful when he was in his patient's presence. pres-ence. D "Do yon thiuk I am in a serious contention?" con-tention?" Pearson avkd one day. "Oh, not particularly so," the doctor replied. "You will be up and about in a few weeks." "A few weeks?" Pearson repeated with a rronn. "Can't I get about sooner soon-er than that?" "Well, that denends, young- man. If -'HERE IT IS: HIEA1I BLATCHFORD. DA.T-TOS." DA.T-TOS." propose to write to the uncle and inform in-form him of this Green matter and urrre him to interfere in Ore-en's behalf." "A good idea," said the doctor. "It can't do any harm, at least," replied re-plied Serae-gs. "so we'll do it. But first tr.ve me the name and address of Green's friend." "I have it here." the doctor remarked, as he besran ruratuaentjj through his pockets, --lium. tmm. that is not it. Hum. hero it is. Hiram LV.tehlord, Day. Y hv. what s tne mutter, Rem !. wliat do you mean?' The old doctor ended up m some .alarm as Serai-:-; spruncr to his feet oversetting Ins chair and giving vent to a string of pointed, not to say protane language. -latter!" cried Seraggs. "'Why, sir, this is one of the most outrageous and heartless affairs I ever heard of. Hiram Blatchford is the uncle I just spoke of, and he s a confounded heathen and a blamed fool. Here he is loaning a little lit-tle money to his own child at thieving interest and allowing her to starve to death, while he keeps this viper, Pearson, Pear-son, at the head of his business and furnishes fur-nishes him with the means to work the you keep perfectly quiet and lay flat" on your back for ten days, or such a matter, you may be able to get out a little earlier." Two or three days passed thus, when one evening the doctor made his regular visit to find Tearson in a terrible fret. "He has been wanting to get up all day," the attendant explained, "and I have ?iad hard work to keep him in bed.'? "Wanting to got up?" the doctor cried, in astonishment. "Why, what's come over you, Pearson?" "I'm tired of lying here," Pearson said, "and I want to get out. My limb feels all rigid, now." "Does, eh? Do you think it is all right?" "It feels as though it must be." "Don't matter anything about how it feels. The question is, is it all right?" "I believe it is." The doctor laughed heartily, then said: "Sec here, Pearson, do 3-ou know how long it takes a broken limb to heal?" "No." "Well, it takes weeks. You miut lay right there for a long time yet. And you," turning to the attendant, "must ruin of Louise (-een. Great God Almighty, Al-mighty, doctor, some people are too hard and mean to be human, and old lllatchford is one of them. He's a fool; he's a scoundrel; he's a brute." "And you'd like to cane him, wouldn't you?" the dix.tor said when he had slin-iitly recovered from the effects of Scracs' tumultuous and uulooked for outburst. "Wouldn't I?M repeated Seraggs. 'Yell, I just would, aud I'd give him Kueli a f-aniiio- as no mun ever got. But liore, this sort of talk isnotto the point. Wo must act. Wo must hustle ourselves our-selves to pet old lilatehford out here. I'll send him a ti;legra;n at onee," and then and there Seraggs penned the message, mes-sage, which Blatchford received the day of Aunt Mitchell's explosion, aniV-vhich has been mentioned in a previous pre-vious chapter. Calling his clerk, Scragg-5 sent the message off; then turning turn-ing to the doctor, said: ''''fnv, I think Blatchford will come, and it w ill be nearly a week before he pets here, and, in the meantime, we must manage in some way to del ay THE DOCTOB. LAUGHED HE AHTIT.T. see that he does. The soreness is leaving his limb and he is getting on splendidly, splendid-ly, and we can't afford to take any chnn'-cs r.n having a rrlimr-c" |