The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-08-13

comical look. ITO tell you the truth,
never thought of them." Then courte-
ously he added: 81 feel sure that in
your case they are quite unnecessary.
So shall we say this day week for you
to enter upon your duties?"
.How kind you arc!" came impulsive-
" from the little woman's lips.
s.Not at all; not at all, l assure you,
madam" answered the doctor, his col
or rising slightly.
Thcn, as he cordially shook his fu-
ture housekeeper by the hand, his quick
eyes noted her shabby little cotton
gloves. SO carefully darned at the end
Of each shabby finger. and once again
he remarked pleasantly, as he escorted
her to the door:
Mrs. SDhinx?''
A moment later he, too, left the
house, thinking as he walked briskly
along:
81 believe she will suit me to dot
Trim and neat with quiet voice. Poor
little woman, l expect she has seen a
good deal of trouble" and then other
thoughts chased DR.. Reeds housekeeper
from his mind.
+
Doctor Nathaniel Reed had been
brought up by an old maid aunt. A
woman composed on the sharp corner
and angular system. Yet, withal,
not unkind to her charge. but he being
of a bright, affectiOnate disposition
missed sorely a mothers loving ways;
albeit always grateful to the woman
who had taught him to be so strictly
upright and just. and placed him in the
way to earn an Independent living.
About two years previous to his aunt's
death she had bought the old-fashioned
house standing in its own grounds,
where the doctor at the opening of my.
story resided, for at her decease she
bequeathed it to him, with an income of
two hundred pounds per annum.
Steadily the doctors practice had in
creased, his reputation as physician
gaining every day. Perhaps he would
have made money faster if he had been
less attentive to those patients whose
only pay consisted of their grateful
thanks. Jane, who thought no one
equal to her master, waxed fairly elo-
quent when relating how he had tended
her mother and helped along her smaller
brothers and sisters. And if the many
God bless yous" called forth by the
doctors kind acts were registered
above. their record must have been
glorious one.
A year had passed since Mrs. Sphinx
entered upon her duties as housekeeper
to DIR. Reed, and no fairy wand could
have worked greater changes than that
lady's clever hands had done. The old
fashioned furniture had taken on a pol
ish upon which no fly dare risk a foot
ing. Pretty lace curtains graced the
windows which looked out, not upon
weeds any more, but fragrant flower
beds and velvety grass and a rustic seat
meath the o Exchanging branches of an
ancient oak. Jane, no longer slip-shod,
but in neat gown and dainty cap, waited
upon ''thc MISTRESS" as she always per-
sisted in calling Mrs. Sphinx. to whom
she had become almost as much at
tached as to the doctor. And the doc
tor himself? Probably he would have
thought no worse fate could befall him
than the loss of Mrs. Sphinx. What of
that lady herself? From the first day
when the doctor gave her SO kindly a
welcome and babe her make herself
quite at home, and if anything was
to her comfort to let him know,
she had grown to love her duties and
The quiet old house, and hoped that she
might always stay, although, of course,
that would not be possible when the
doctor brought home bride, which nat
lrally he would do some day. Somehow
she did not like to think of that hour,
and SO strove to put it out of her mind.
Yet the doctor, truth to tell, had hardly
given such an idea thought. He was
too busy man to have much time to
devote to society, and the appointments
of his home suited him to nicely; con-
he never felt the need of
wife. He had grown quite attached to
the quiet, little figure in black, whose |
brown eyes sparklcd so merrily at times
above their gold-bowed spectacles, and
would have sorely missed his faithful
For even outside of her
duties, she was of great
help to him, assisting him to keep his
and sorting his papers SO clev-
erly. Perhaps he was thinking of this
as he said one afternoon rather abrupt
":
81 am afraid you are working too
hard. Mrs. Sphinx. How should you
like to take holiday"
"What! You mean me to 90 away"
she exclaimed, in a startled, imploring
tone.
.'God forbidr' The words dropped
from his lips almost unawares before he
added: "Just little trip, say to the
for your health; although how
we shall get along without you. l do not
know"
"Then. if you please. sir, Ihad rather
not go" was the quiet answer, and SO
no more was said.
In his heart the doctor was pleased
that Mrs. Sphinx had elected not to take
3 holiday. Somehow he had liked her
to welcome him when he came home,
and once he had said to himself, as he |
noted the gray hair so smoothly tucked |
away beneath her snowy cap:
81 am as fond of her almost as If she |
we're my mother"
Toward the latter part of that sum-
mer virulent fever broke out among |
he poor of the district where the doctor |
lived, and hardly an hour could the doc
or then call his own. And Mrs. Sphinx's
helpful hands were always busy those
soothing frctful little sufferer
where others had failed, until her name
llso became beloved of the poor that
earned to know-till one night, when
he doctor came in to snatch q hur-