The Washington critic., 1886-08-05
FICKLENESS CURED.

growing ike giant KaleluOSc0pe, ana
the sweet, pinc-scented air was blue
with the intense blueness Of an Ameri-
can autumn, as DR.. Dulany sauntered
down the village street. my lines
have fallen in very pleasant places"
said he to himself. when old Dr.
Holden asked me to come here and
take charge of his practice three
months, while he went to Europe,
had no idea that ! was stepping into an
earthly paradise like this, and -
But ut this moment u tall, square.
shouldered young man stopped directly
in front of him, holding out welcom.
ing hand.
cant be playing me false 1t is Frank
Dulanyl And what in the name of all
the heather gods has brought you
here? 2"
Dulany laughed.
81 knew you lived somewhere in this
vicinity" said he. IL am here in
charge Of old Holden's patients for
three months, before | go South for
the rest of my life. Tell me something
about Mossbridge and the Mossbridg-
ians."
Mr.. Kirke linked his arm In that of
his friend, and together they walked
down toward the little hospital on the
shore of the river, where incurable dis
eases, gratis patients, and out of.door
relief were Jumped together as they
often are in country towns, and as they
walked they talked with the careless
abandon of college friends.
"But you haven't told me anything
about the ladies" said Dulany, care.
lessly.
"I'm coming to that said Kirke.
eve have dozen pretty girls, at the
very least, but only one beauty. And
tell you what, Dulany, you had bet
ter beware of Geralda Granger"
"And why?'' Dulany asked.
Because" Kirke laughingly made
answer, "she is merciless beauty-a
slaughterer of human hearts--in fine, q
first. class coquette." "
"And you think shall become one
of her victims?" said Dulany.
"Think?" echoed Kirke; "I don't
think at all. I'm quite sure of It,"
"And how have you escaped the
common doom of all mankind?" asked
Dulany.
Il haven't" Kirke answered, with a
comcal grimace. "My scalp hangs at
her belt with hundred others. She
refused me n year ago. She don't
mean to marry in Mossbridge. She has
announced her determination to be.
come the bride of some city millionaire,
and ! think she'll do it, too-for by
George she's handsome enough to be
crown princess"
DR.. Dulany thought over all these
things afterward. II don't mean to be-
come the prey of this rural Cleopatra, >"
he said to himself; land rather think
that my obscurity is my secret"
=
"The young doctor who has taken
old IIolden's practice, eh?" said Miss
Granger, little disdainfully. "IIe is
to be at Miss Mix's tonight, is he?
Very well; | shall very soon dispose of
him"
But Geralda couldn't content herself
with this system of philosophy. DR..
Dulany was the first man who had ever
resisted her destinations, and she was
determined that he should be the last,
"A charming young man." said Mrs.
Gracy-"so intelligent, so perfectly
Miss Granger put on her prettiest
dresses and decorated her hair with the
sweetest flowers out Of her aunt's little
conservatory, and really devoted her.
self that autumn to the business of cap.
tivating DR.. Dulany.
"The man must be made of cast
iron," she said to herself. "And only
an insignificant country doctor at that.
It's perfectly ridIculous The idea of
his visiting Miss Herbert, just because
she has mania for charity and poor
leoplel And he took Lucy Villars
down into the woods to botanize after
autumn tlowers-the hateful school
missl And he's going to join Mrs.
Gracy's Shakespeare society. | never
was bluestocking, and never will be.
Let him go"
'I'm tired of all these senseess balls
ard parties" said Geralda, bursting
into tears.
my love-" snid Aunt Susie, "you
are not well. Your nervous system
is all run down, Wen send for the
doctor"
DR.. Dulanv came just exactly like a
''human machine" as Geralda de-
clared in her anger, felt her pulse,
asked half dozen conventional ques
tions, and advised early hours and a
tonic.
81 can't bear that man. said Ger.
aida, and she burst out crying.
THE poor darling is quite hysteri.
CAL" said Aunt Susie. "Never mind
good old DR., Holden is coming back
next month, and he will understand
your constitution"
And then Geralda cried more bitterly
than ever, and Aunt Susie was hope.
lcssly puzzled
Dr. Dulany was at the hospital next
day, just at twilight, and as he came
into the fevcrish ward soft, gray
shadow glided ont the door way.
"What is that?' he asked quickly,
"Not old Kate. nor yet Alice Eyans?'
"It's Miss Granger, sir said tho
head nurse. Alice has the neuralgia
in her face, and Miss Granger would
take her place"
"She must not do II again" said DR.
Dulany, with quiet authority, Il an
not quite sure about the non contagious
character of some of these cases.
"She says, sir" declared the old
nurse, "that she wants to do some
good in the world, But we was to be
sure aud not tell you, sir,
Dr. Dulaney smiled,
There are more ways of doing good
in the world than one" said he "and
Miss Granger must come here nc
more"
lie hurried through the variou,
wards anl made such good speed bacI,
along the lonely road that he overtook
fthe gray sliding shadow at the entrance
10 the village street
Miss Granger, said he, II detected
your identity ut once"