The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-11
A Six-Button Smile.

"Can you save him, Doctor?"
"Damfino." +,
Winsome Lillian Mcclure looked up With her
rare blue eyes, dewy with tears, into the face
of the young physician who had been sum-
moned in hot haste from the restful quiet Of a
poker game to the palatial residence of Stuyve-
SAINT Mcclure in order that his skill and knowl-
edge-the fruit Of years Of study and toll
might if possible bring back to health the gray
haired old man who now lay tossing in mortal
agony.
Lillian Mcclure had known Aristides Hem
nessey since the days when they were both lit
tie children, and not six months agone she had
stood before him in all her regal beauty, her
velvety eyes draped with mist OF tears, and
while the soft pearly flesh of her beautiful
arms touched his neck with pulsing warmth
that would make your head swim, had said she
could never love him except as brother.
AS Aristides had three sisters and had
passed the greater portion Of bis life sparIing
with them, this statement did not strike him
favorably, and he went away with dull, dead
feeling in his young, blithesome heart, and
large chunk of plug tobacco In his merry Spring
pants.
And now he was back again in the house
that house from which he had erstwhile SO Of
ten stolen silently and sadly away when the
proprietor was Unexpectedly found at home,
and which he had left, as he supposed, for
sweet-scented breath of early Summer was
kissing into life the myriad forms OF toral
beauty that lie with such silent sweetness upon
the verdure-clad bosom of the earth. These
thoughts had surged through his mind as ne
mounted the front steps in obedience to the
hasty summons of q liveried servant. de saw
the old familiar door-mat with the word ''Wel
Gomez worked in its centre--that fateful sord
that had cleaned up at him in all its 1uria dis
tinctness and mockery, one night when old
Mr.. McGaire opened the door in response to
AriStldes's timid yank at the bell, and SAID, IN
the cold, County Antrim tones ne knew 80 wei!
how to that Misa Lillian was not at hama and
probably wouldn't be for seven or eight years. In
the hall stood the hat-rack, beside whose gaunt
frame with its spectre-like arms he had so
often fingered in the mellow half-lght of the
turned-down gas with Llllian's head resting
trustfully above his liver pad and her corailne
corset pusing gently against his suspender.
All these scenes came back to him with vivid
dstinctness as he stood by the bedside of tho
sick man and looked tenderly down at Lillian,
who, with pale face and rumped bang, had
knelt by her fathers side and buried her nose
in the pillow which supported his head.
Presently she looked up at Aristides with
weary, yearning, st. Louis look that would
have melted Charles Francis Adams.
The young man bent quickly forward. "Lil-
liam, my love-" he said, 'can it be possible
'Kneel by my side, said the girl in tender,
porter-house steak tones that thrilled his very
blood.
Unmindful Of the bagginess in the knees Of
his pants that such an action would certainly
produce, unmindful of everything but the fact
that he loved Lillian Mcclure with a wild,
passionate, Dearborn avenue love, that cked
not of matinee tickets or ice-cream, Arstides
knelt by the girls side, and placing his strong
right arm around her taper waist, he kissed her
tenderly lust aft of her starboard ear.
1t wasn't very easy job to rattle this young
man.
'Do you still love me, Aristides?" said Lii
lian. making bluff to blush as she spoke.
"You know do" was the reply, "and that l
would risk my very existence to gain your love
in return"
The girl smiled glad, six-button smile.
81 believe you, she said, land tell you now
here in the presence of sickness and perhaps
death, that if you save my fathers hfe-my
darling, idolized, sour-mash papa-I Will mar
nv you ere the crocus sprouts"
"Enough,n replied Aristides, rising to his
feetE'Your father shall be saved. swear u py
nv halidom, I don't know what halidom
means, and like enough / haven't got one, but
| swear it all the same. Bring me bottle OF
Riordan's Railroad Relief"
The medicine was brought, and the sick man
ouaffed it, In two minutes he was well.
s'You have saved him, my darlngl' said Lii
liam, kissing Aristides fondly, "and will re-
deem my promise. But tell me, Sweetle, what
allied the old man?'
"Colic," was the reply, and with q wild,
mocking laugh, Aristides fled into the dark
ness.-frona "Airy-Fairy LiNtan," by Murat
Haistsad.