I'll soak de two of youse; see if I don't. Ah, won'tyouse--" The words became inarticulate howls which the prayers andassurances of the two women could not lessen.
"Now, then, stop this noise and tell me what is the matter," ordered amasculine voice; and turning from the boy, Constance found a tall,strong-featured man with tired-looking eyes standing at the other sideof the litter.
Hopeful that the diversion might mean assistance, the waif's howls oncemore became lingual. "Dey's tryin' to swipe me money, boss," he whined."Hope I may die if deys oin't."
"And where is your money?" asked the doctor.
"Wotcher want to know for?" demanded the urchin, with recurrent suspicionin his face.
"It's in the pocket of his trousers, Dr. Armstrong," said the nurse.
Without the slightest attempt to reassure the boy, the doctor forced loosethe boy's hold on the pocket, and inserting his hand, drew out theten-dollar bill and a medley of small coins.
"Now," he said, "I've taken your money, so they can't. Understand?"
The urchin began to snivel.
"Ah, you have no right to be so cruel to him," protested Miss Durant."It's perfectly natural. Just think how we would feel if we didn'tunderstand."
The doctor fumbled for his eye-glasses, but not finding them quicklyenough, squinted his eyelids in an endeavour to see the speaker. "And whoare you?" he demanded.
"Why, I am--that is--I am Miss Durant, and--" stuttered the girl.
Not giving her time to finish her speech, Dr. Armstrong asked, "Why areyou here?" while searching for his glasses.
"I did not mean to intrude," explained Constance, flushing, "only it wasmy fault, and it hurts me to see him suffer more than seems necessary."
Abandoning the search for his glasses, and apparently unheeding of herexplanation, the doctor began a hasty examination of the now naked boy,passing his hand over trunk and limbs with a firm touch that paid no heedto the child's outcries, though each turned the onlooker faint and cold.
Her anxiety presently overcoming the sense of rebuke, the overwrought girlasked, "He will live, won't he?"
The man straightened up from his examination. "Except for some contusion,"he replied, "it apparently is only a leg and a couple of ribs broken." Hisvoice and manner conveyed the idea that legs and ribs were but canes andcorsets. "Take him into the accident ward," he directed to the orderlies,"and I'll attend to him presently."
"I will not have this boy neglected," Constance said, excitedly andwarmly. "Furthermore, I insist that he receive instant treatment, and notwait _your_ convenience."
Once again Dr. Armstrong began feeling for his glasses, as he asked, "Areyou connected with this hospital, Miss Durant?"
"No, but it was my carriage ran over him, and--"
"And is it because you ran over the boy, Miss Durant," he interrupted,"that you think it is your right to come here and issue instructions forour treatment of him?"
"It is every one's right to see that assistance is given to an injuredperson as quickly as possible," retorted the girl, though flushing, "andto protest if human suffering, perhaps life itself, is made to wait theconvenience of one who is paid to save both."
Finally discovering and adjusting his glasses, Dr. Armstrong eyed MissDurant with a quality of imperturbability at once irritating andembarrassing. "I beg your pardon for the hasty remark I just made," heapologised. "Not having my second sight at command, I did not realise Iwas speaking to so young a girl, and therefore I allowed myself to beoffended, which was foolish. If you choose to go with the patient, I trustyou will satisfy yourself that no one in this hospital is lacking in dutyor kindness."
With a feeling much akin to that she had formerly suffered at theconclusion of her youthful spankings, Constance followed hurriedly afterthe orderlies, only too thankful that a reason had been given herpermitting an escape from those steady eyes and amused accents, which shewas still feeling when the litter was set down beside an empty bed.
"Has dat slob tooken me money for keeps?" whimpered the boy the moment theorderlies had departed.
"No, no," Constance assured him, her hand in his.
"Den w'y'd he pinch it so quick?"
"He's going to take care of it for you, that's all."
"Will he guv me a wroten pape sayin' dat?"
"See," said the girl, only eager to relieve his anxiety, "here is mypurse, and there is a great deal more money in it than you had, and I'llleave it with you, and if he doesn't return you your money, why, you shallhave mine."
"Youse cert'in dere's more den Ise had?"
"Certain. Look, here are two tens and three fives and a one, besides somechange."
"Dat's all hunky!" joyfully ejaculated the urchin. "Now, den, wheer kinwe sneak it so he don't git his hooks on it?"
"This is to be your bed, and let's hide it under the pillow," suggestedConstance, feeling as if she were playing a game. "Then you can feel of itwhenever you want."
"Dat's de way to steal a base off 'im," acceded the waif. "We'll show deseguys wese oin't no bunch of easy grapes."
Scarcely was the purse concealed when a nurse appeared with a pail ofwater and rolls of some cloth, and after her came the doctor.
"Now, my boy," he said, with a kindness and gentleness in his voice whichsurprised Constance, "I've got to hurt you a little, and let's see howbrave you can be." He took hold of the left leg the ankle and stretchedit, at the same time manipulating the calf with the fingers of his otherhand.
The boy gave a cry of pain, and clutched Constance's arm, squeezing it soas to almost make her scream; but she set her teeth determinedly and tookhis other hand in hers.
At a word the nurse grasped the limb and held it as it was placed, whilethe doctor took one of the rolls, and, dipping it in the water, unrolledit round and round the leg, with a rapidity and deftness which had, toConstance, a quality of fascination in it. A second wet bandage was woundover the first, then a dry one, and the leg was gently laid back on thelitter. "Take his temperature," ordered the doctor, as he began to applystrips of adhesive plaster to the injured ribs; and though it requiredsome persuasion by the nurse and Constance, the invalid finally waspersuaded to let the little glass lie under his tongue. His taskcompleted, Dr. Armstrong withdrew the tube and glanced at it.
"Dat medicine oin't got much taste, boss," announced the urchin,cheerfully, "but it soytenly done me lots of good."
The doctor looked up at Constance with a pleasant smile. "There's both thesense and the nonsense of the Christian Science idiocy," he said; and halfin response to his smile and half in nervous relief, Constance laughedmerrily.
"I am glad for anything that makes him feel better," she replied; then,colouring once more, she added, "and will you let me express my regret formy impulsive words a little while ago, and my thanks to you for relievingthe suffering for which I am, to a certain extent, responsible?"
"There is no necessity for either, Miss Durant, though I am grateful forboth," he replied.
"Will there be much suffering?"
"Probably no more than ordinarily occurs in such simple fractures," saidthe doctor; "and we'll certainly do our best that there shall not be."
"And may I see him to-morrow?"
"Certainly, if you come between eleven and one."
"Thank you," said Constance. "And one last favour. Will you tell me theway to my carriage?"
"If you will permit me, I'll see you to it," offered Dr. Armstrong.
With an acknowledgment of the head, Constance turned and took the boy'shand and said a good-bye.
"Do you suppose all newsboys are so dreadfully sharp and suspicious?" sheasked of her guide, as they began to descend the stairs, more because shewas conscious that he was eyeing her with steady scrutiny than for anyother reason.
"I suppose the life is closer to that of the wild beast than anything wehave in so-called civilisation. Even a criminal has his pals, but, likethe forest animal, everyone--even his own kind--is an enemy to the streetwaif."
"It must be
terrible to suspect and fear even kindness," sighed the girl,with a slight shudder. "I shall try to teach him what it means."
"There does not appear to be any carriage here, Miss Durant," announcedher escort.
"Surely there must be. The men can't have been so stupid as not to wait!"
The doctor tapped on the window of the lodge. "Didn't this lady's