Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-16
III.

Sision OF Isr nalf, instead OF taxing In
the sense Of a clever treatise on the anat.
omy of the hand, which certainly could in
no way be connected with the events of the
day before. Cautiously enough, however,
about ii o'clock a cab drove up to the
door, and what was my astonishment-I
need hardly say pleasure-when Miss Dill
Ion, followed by an elderly maid, made her
appearance. There she stood, as fair and
soft and beautiful as the day before, but, if
possible, more shy and embarrassed. The
little hand she held out to me trembled
visibly as she said
"Oh, DR.. Merrifeld, can you forgive me
for disturbing you this morning? l don't
know how | made up my mind TO come,
but | felt | must, even if, if" She
paused, and tears almost came into her blue
eyes, while l could think of no words suit
able enough to set her mind at rest, being
ignorant of what she wanted to say.
Indeed, Miss Dillon, if there is any.
thing can do for you shall be delighted ;
so beg you will not apologize for troub-
ling me-"
at isn't that exactly" she answered,
once more looking at me in a most dis.
tressed manner.
'' Perhaps you require further particulars
as to your fathers health. / must repeat
What said yesterday"
sob, thank you, it was so kind Of you /;
he was much better last night l know you
will do him good but that was not what l
wanted to ask you-oh, dear ! you will
think me so rude, or else an impostor, Or
or"
Impossible" 1 said more vehemently
than the case required.
81 don't know how to begin. / mean,
perhaps you don't know tie peculiar way
papa keeps his accounts !"
/ was startled at this question. Remem.
bering the yellow lozenge in box l thought
could say did know one of Mr.. Dillon's
peculiar ways OF paying fees, but not for
the world would l tell this blushing, shy,
bewitching girl before me the truth.
81 don't presume" l began.
"Oh, no, l am sure you DON'T was CO.
ing to tell you about it. Papa always
makes his confidential man, Baker, put the
same change every morning into his pock-
cts, and in the evening, when Baker turns
out the pockets, he just puts down in a
book what is missing, and makes up the
number of the coins the next morning. He
does it just the same every morning"
Twas getting rather puzzled myself now,
and could think of nothing more original to
say than:
Indeed !"
eyes, it's quite true, or you see l
shouldn't have known about it." Here
the fair vision blushed still more.) "Baker
puts in a sovereign, half-sovereign, a
crown piece-he finds these rather difficult
to get sometimes-half.a .crown, shilling,
a sixpence, fourpenny piece, three
penny piece, penny, halfpenny, and a
farthing."
ga very complicated way of keeping
ones money, isn't it 4? or perhaps compli,
Gated for Baker," said, feeling it perfect.
ly impossible to repress smile, though
Miss Dlllon's sweet, earnest mouth kept so
grave.
"No, it is quite simple when one under
stands, because Baker knows exactly what
a sovereign, hall. sovereign-and all the
rest comes to- forget what it is-but, oh,
DR.. Mortified i! Baker knew we had been
yesterday to consult new physician, and
in the evening there was only threepenny
bit and farthing missing, and so-and SO
l knew mean Baker knew--and he told
me that papa must have given you some.
L,
can account for that, and-but was it the
threepenny piece, or"
"Pray, dear Miss Dillon, don't distress
yourself about such a little matter" | said
hastily. " Any time will"
son, no, but papa thinks he paid you,
because he said to me he never gave fee
with so much pleasure so now / begin to
think he must have-given you" Miss
Dillon quite gasped, 30 that l FASTENED to
fill in her pause, this time being quite
distressed at her trouble.
Your father gave me a very good gin.
ger lozenge, Miss Dillon one of those lit
tie mistakes which will occur now and
then. Pray, don't make yourself the leaat
uneasy about it.
"How very kind you are," she said,
again holding out her hand, which | took,
and forgot to let go till she had done
speaking. 81 felt sure it must be that,
and then / thought perhaps you would
think Us impostors, and knew you would
be too much of gentleman to mention it,
and so-do you think l was wrong Il
come off with Mrs. Brown this morning,
and made up my mind would explain the
mistake, only it was so dreadful. But l
don't mind now that you look so kind about
it. And then would you do me great IA
vor, DIR. Merrifeld Would you mind not
appearing to know anything about it, or
that came, or anything, because papa
doesn't know l am out he is not down
yet +; and he would be so distressed, he
might never come again, and l should be
so sorry, as you suit him exactly"
Pray don't call this favor" said, as
II l. L
lieve me when I say that, without even
knowing your wishes on the subject, !
should never have mentioned the-the
lozenge."
II don't know how to thank you Now
l must CO." And then Miss Dillon put
that small gloved hand in her muff and
drew it out again, holding it ont toward
me once more, and this time | felt little
square bit of paper in my hand. Somehow
our eyes met, and in spite of the gravity of
the occasion we both laughed, feeling, am
sure, we should never again be afraid OF
each other, as she said
"Please, Dr.. Mortified, don't laugh at
me. Is this the right way to give a fee,
because l must tell you this is the first
time in my life have ever had to give one.
l suppose some day shall be i'll and want
a doctor, but | never, never have wanted
to go to one before. And it wasn't for my
self this time, was it: You will bear wit
ness-I mean, hope you won't ever men.
tion it; good-by. New, Brown, 1 am
ready"
Aud just as ray of sunshine sometimes
comes into ones room, glimmers, dances
and Eliminates the place for time, and
then suddenly disappears, so Lucia Dillon
had come and gone, and that noisy four.
wheeler took off my vision of fair hair,
leaving me with golden sovereign and a
new shilling wrapped in small half sheet
of paper, on the topof which was stamped
the address of their London house. l
folded that piece of paper and put it away
in pocket book among my treasures, such
as my dear mothers first letter to me at
school, and the flower that little girl of 7