The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-01-09
DIR. JOHN AND I.

DR. JOHN AND /.
how Our Little misunderstanding
Was Finally Settled.
DR.. John is so provoking! He will in
sist that the beginning Of it all was my
singing; that my voice was to him as q
beacon in the darkness, and led him to
me, and then the moon came out and
showed him my face, and his heart gave
thump that sealed his fate.
The idea! I say it was all on account
OF thunderstorm. If there hadn't
been storm that spread black darkness
over all the roads he never would have
lost his way, and never would have dis
graced the whole family by sitting out
In the pagoda at almost midnight. And
il there had been no storm never would
have felt like singing; with mother w.
ing sick In bed up at the house. OF
course. he just insists to tease me be-
cause have no more voice than mos
quite. And it is only when there is a
great noise about me that l feel as
though l could sing in way to make
the clouds send back the echoes.
Now you can side with whichever of
us you happen to like best-with me or
my great brown-bearded tyrant. The
only thing for you to know is that we
had never seen each other before. That
I had been closely confined to my
mothers 'sick-room all day and so could
not resist the tempting gale that shook
the trees and made the old house trem-
bic. Wrapping up closely, stole out to
the little pagola way off behind the
orchard, and here with the whirling
leaves and the crashing thunder, shouted
out at the top of my voice, of all things,
the grand march from Tho Prophet"
LA, la, la," were my words, and won't
be certain that the tune was recogniza-
BILE; but, anyhow, just as highly tri-
umphant peal of thunder and voice
crashed out together, the moon tore a
big black cloud in tatters and threw her
light on man who stood directly in
front of me. There is nothing at all
heroic about me, but have never been
afraid of any thing; and he had his back
to the light, so l could not see his face.
He came forward step or two and again
We were in total darkness.
Il beg your PARDON" said he. "There
is nothing to be afraid of. My name is
John Brownlow. I am a stranger in
these parts and could not find my way
in the dark. l heard your voice, and
guided by it, reached here. Will you be
so kind as to direct me to Mrs. Brown
lows? All, here come the first drops of
rain! It is too bad; but am afraid
shall have to beg your permission to stay
here for to-night-unless my mothers
house is not far distant
It was a long speech for stranger to
make, but it gave me time to consider.
"You are DR.. Brownlow?' l said.
"Then you are not such stranger to
me. Your mother is very dear friend
Of ours. 1t is impossible for you to find
the way. tonight, 50, If you will, you
had better stay with US until the morn
ing. o, no, there will be no inconven-
fence whatever
So wo started off together, and every
now and then l would stumble. It was
dreadfully awkward, and for the first
time in my life felt what embarrass-
ment meant.
II think you had better take my arm. -
were halfway to the house. So took
it and felt more at ease, and then told
him how 1 happened to be out in the
middle of the night. expected him to
be awfully shocked, but he only laughed
and helped me over big branch that
had fallen across the path.
The rain began to fall in earnest now,
end: then shades of propriety!-1 and
. man whom I had never seen before
started off on q solid run. And he dared
to take out of his pocket great big
table-cloth of a handkerchief, and throw
ing it over my head, calmly knotted two
of its ends under my chin. OF course, l
was going to be angry, but he just
caught my arm and started off again,
and there was something so very-well,
almost paternal-about the whole thing
that I changed my mind and laughed
instead.
DR.. John insisted on seeing mother
that very night, and begged that he
might prescribe for her and come to see
her. She really needed medical advice,
but had turned deaf ear to all my en-
treaties. Mother could not, however,
resist the kind, strong man that bent
: above her, and consented to his request.
After that, somehow, it did not seem to
be so very sad to have mother sick, and
%1took to putting my front hair up in
curl-papers-a perfectly useless piece of
labor, for had the fluff est bang that
grew in all the country round.
DR.. John came every day, and mother
improved visibly. When the time came
for her to be up and about once more, 1
was little startled to find what won
derful demand her illness had made on
my ribbons and ruchings, for only pile
of crumpled and soiled ones met my eye.
There was nothing very disappointing
about the reflections in which INDUCED
IS sorted them over and picked out the
most respectable looking.
The summer passed quickly away, and
although DR.. John had come to pay his
mother ''only a flying VISIT" somehow
he stayed on, and autumn came and
found him still at Silver Brooks and at
our house very often. 1 was a silly
young thing, and mother scolded very
frequently about my Observation-Disclosures.
would blush very hard all the while
she was speaking, and then rush up
=stairs into my room and weep my eyes
red over q dainty blue satin box that
contained the relics of five or six sus-
piciously familiar withered nosegays.
A day came which convinced me that
;, ! had not been shedding tears at the
shrine Of blue satin unrequited. / had
! run over to Mrs. Brcwnlow's with q
! basket Of fresh laid eggs and mothers
Compliments, and found the old lady
.busily mending away at q torn gray coat.
put the basket on the table. forgot
what came for, and remarked that it
wasa warm day. I had on a light shawl
and the fire cracked merrily on Mrs.
: Bfownlow's hearth. She looked at me
over her specks and looked eteadtly