Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-08-13

u W v
anita. drdtc his head back. pressed {
kiss On the cheek.
fertility of unclean imaginations, Orc
delphia gossiped of Mrs. Rogers, Will
still opening their doors to her for hel
husbands sake; for, just as cordially a
they disapproved his wife. everybody
liked the doctor. perhaps partly in un
conscious effort to atone for the neglect
they accorded him in their ailments
For the old school of medicine had al
firm hold upon popular prejudice as
orthodoxy in religion. They liked theii
physical as well as spiritual healing in
doses large and strong. DR.. Rogers was
homsopath. with quite radical theories
as TO high dilution, and if this were not
enough. he looked moreover young and,
theoretically, inexperienced. Ii is an
unwritten law that the successful physi-
clan must never appear young.
Donald Bartels was not given 10 con-
fidences regarding his ante nuptial
amours. which tradition said had been
many. not alone from a sense of honor
toward those who had accorded him
favor, but that. in his utter absorption
in the one great passion Of his life, all
that came before it seemed sunk into
utter nothingness. In a prudent i'm
pulse to forestall the gossips, however
he had told his wife all the-story Of his
friendship with Mrs. Rogers. Ii was a
bald little tale. only worth the telling
because of the mountain of talk that had
been built up from the mole hill of fact.
The Rogerses had simply made him vel
come to their house in the unaffected
hospitality they extended TO all mankind.
Ia his bachelor loneliness ne had found il
remarkably pleasant to be invited to tea,
to play croquet in the summer twilight,
and take a hand at whist on a winter
night. And when, one day, the doctor
had found him tossing in the misery of
mountain fever. Mrs. Rogers had
promptly come to his dreary boarding
place, bringing delicacies to tempt back
his appetite and books to amuse, her
visits bringing more life and cheer into
the darkened room than all her hus-
bands pellets and powders That the
world had afterward called him her
lover was to Donald Bartels always a
sufficient refutation of all other gossip
about her; the calumny was SO absolute
~ unfounded in the one instance, it
proved how easily the poor little woman
might be maligned under other circum-
stances.
Yet at that very time you were en-
gagged to me!' exclaimed Anita, in a voice
Of eloquent reproach, when she had lis
tened to the tale.
But what Of that. cried Donald, hon
astly puzzled. 81 have told you there
was nothing in it-not the ghost of a fir
.ation. Why as one who would offer
confirmation strong as proof of Holy
Writ, Il never kissed the woman-never
wen pressed her hand beyond the limit
If an ordinary how do you do"
Anita stared at him with wide eyed |
iorror. AS if ! could hint at such a
hing" .reddening angrily. LAS if l |
'ould think it possible that you should
well, you seemed to think there must
lave been some awful developments
bout it, laughing inconsequentially.
And that sort of thing is supposed to be
ather commonly done, | believe. | did
Tot know but your imagination was run
ing on some such line =
''Of you, DOM" little choke in her
dice. Il would not imagine such things
+ you; | would not give myself the tor
naut If o,,cb 4b,,,.rb+s ,,,,+,l 49,, ..... I
elled. But your suggestion seems to
rove that such things We're possible
hat you might have enjoyed these little
amiliarities, so commonly done" with
scornful culver of the nostrils, regard
lg him keenly. "had you but cared to
lake the most of your opportunities.
our tone implies that it was no un-
sasonable prudery on her part thai
Donald laughed rather confusedly. If
e had sometimes faneied that Mrs
.ogers perhaps cared more for him than
Irict duty to her lord allowed he had
ever thought of blaming himself IN the
latter, and fiattered in his heart neither
ad he any idea of condemnation for
er. He was rather disposed to regard
as highly creditable to both that
othing more had come Of it. And
nita's jealous, exclusive love, grudging
rat even his name should have been as
'ciated with that of another woman,
as beyond his comprehension.
How you do jump at conclusions,
lildr' ne testify retorted- Cant you {
We the poor woman the benefit of a
Dubt even when she is proved inno-
MT"
But the proof was by no means clear I