or.

He was a good country practitioner, and, I suppose, knew the ordinary
routine of his work quite well. He fussed about, hummed and hawed a lot.

"Yes, yes," he said, as if he were trying to persuade himself. "Shock,
you know. He'll be better presently. Lucky, though, that he had no
arms."

I noticed then, for the first time, that the sleeves of the coat had
been shorn away.

"Doctor," I said, "how is he? Surely, if he isn't hurt he would not look
like that. What exactly do you mean by shock?"

"Hum--er," he hesitated, and applied his stethoscope to Masters' heart
again.

"The heart is very weak," he said at length. "Very weak. He's always
very anaemic, I suppose?"

"No," I answered. "He's anything but that. He's----Good Lord, he's
bleeding to death! Put ligatures on his arms. Put ligatures on his
arms."

"Please keep quiet, Mr. Riverston," the doctor said. "It must have been
a dreadful experience for you, and you are naturally very upset."

I raved and cursed at him. I think I should have struck him, but the
others held me. They said they would take me away if I did not keep
quiet.

Bob Masters opened his eyes presently, and saw them holding me.

"Please let him go," he said. "It's all right, old man. It's no use your
arguing with them, they would not understand. I could never explain to
them now, and they would never believe you. Besides, it's all for the
best. Yes, the train went over them and I'm armless for the second time.
But--not for long!"

I knelt by his side and sobbed. It all seemed so dreadful, and yet, I
don't think that then I would have tried to stay his passing. I knew it
was best for him.

He looked at me very affectionately.

"I'm so sorry that this should happen on your wedding-day," he said.
"But it would have been so much worse for you if _she_ had not helped."

His voice grew fainter and died away.

There was a pause for a time, and his breath came in great sighing sobs.

Then suddenly he raised himself on the cushions until he stood upright
on his feet, and a smile broke over his face--a smile so sweet that I
think the angels in Paradise must look like that.

His voice came strong and loud from his lips.

"Darling!" he cried. "Darling, your arms are round me once again! I
come! I come!"

* * * * *

"One of the most extraordinary cases I have ever met with," the doctor
told the coroner at the inquest. "He seemed to have all the symptoms