The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-06
THAT HANDSOME DOCTOR.

stopped working n listened eagerly Tor
Sophie Gray's reply.
Sophie. a small, slight, yet commanding
ooking brunette, flashed an amused glance
around the circle. and laughed SO signif-
cantly that two or three of her friends
blushed; the quick-tempered daughters of
Sir George Laurie drew themselves up and
frowned; while that pink and white beauty,
Carine Woodsleigh, sighed audibly and
shaded her face with her hand, as il she
were personally concerned in the matter.
II don't think I have ever expressed an
opinion of any kind respecting DIR. Wilfred
Morley's personal appearance" Miss Gray
said at last, NOR do l know why you have
asked me to do 80 now. All the years ] have
ived in Earndell no one has ever inquired
what 1 think of DR.. Wilfred's father, yet he
has always attended me and my house
hold"
ut is not a case in point" cried Lydia
Vane, saucily. "We are not discussing the
Bkill of our medical men, but the physiog-
homy of the latest conner among us. Now.
do confess that you agree with the major
ty, and think as we do. that DR.. Wilfred is
one of the handsomest fellows. o ever
saw?'
Again the reply was waited for with
breathless eagerness, for Sophie Gray was
he w%ealthiest and most independent young
ady present.
Since the death of her father, the lord of
The manor, she had been her wi mistress.
he aunt residing with her as ostensible
phaperone being a nonentity as well as an
invalid.
Sophie had, however, a companion for her
walks and drives, teaching at the schools,
and cottage visiting.
Bessy Layton was the orphan daughter of
an estimable man, who had been land
steward to the late Mr.. Gray; and as she
WAS an unpretending, sweet-tempered girl,
who never seemed to feel a snub-and GER
tainly never resented one-even those young
aides of Earndell who we~" loudest in
heir expressions of surprise that Sophie
Gray made so much of this insignificant
title thing were forced to allow that Bessie
hid not presume on her friends kindness.
As Miss Gray was of a social turn of
mind. and frequently gave the most de.
lightful tennis parties and tennis dances,
no one cared to offend her; yet it was i'm
nensely provoking that she should turn the
bolds shoulder on the most eligible of the
Earndell bachelors; the son of the elderly
practitioner, who for more years than We
care to count had been considered the clev-
prest medical man in or near Earndell.
DIR. Wilfred, as he WAS commonly called,
10 distinguish him from his father. had
been studying in Paris and Vienna. He
eft Earndell a raw. awkward boy; he re-
turned there a polished gentleman, with
diplomas and certificates Of his ability that
Warranted his sire in publicly announcing
that from henceforth Wilfred would be his
partner, with a view to his W retirement
bye andsbye.
with their work on their laps and needles
suspended, or else tapping impatiently on
Me table with their silver thimbles.
"You ask NO." said Sophie Gray, slowly,
"if I consider DR.. Morley's son handsome.
How can I answer when l have every reason
20 believe that you and | attach very diff
ferent meanings to the word? l have known
persons who were commonly called ugly,
but whose features were so expressive, so
intelligent, that they we're beautiful in my
sight. If ! concede that DR.. Wilfred
Fs q very pretty young man, will it satisfy
you? At the same time | must be allowed
10 say that l don feel at all anxious to
cultivate his acquaintance simply because
he has a we'll shaped nose and a respectable
moustache."
A pretty young man; and this was all the
prase she would bestow on the dark eyed,
handsome doctor, whom a score of female
admirers were likening to Guy Livingstone
JloAN L bAo ~ AVE- ~ SAAesA
they could remember.
For the first time in his life DR.. Morley
he elder found himself at q discount
among the more youthful Of his PATIENTS
they, the female ones, preferrlng to tender
heir wrists and murmur their symptoms to
b younger. or as they said, q more sympa-
HIKING medico than he.
Was DIR. Wilfred, or was he not, aware of
he admiration he excited? And WIGS he
proof against the signs and modest glances
pf Carine, the sauoy speeches of Lydia
Vane and the more gracious ones of the
Misses Laurie? Anyhow he give no sign,
treating them all with the same graceful
Differences; and, while never seeming in a
hurry, yet always contriving to make his
many engagements an excuse for slipping
away when kn fair friends became too
pressing in their civilities.
Some months had passed away, and still
DR.. Wilffed continued to appear blandly
unconscious that half a dozen young ladies
were hoping he would propose; md still
Sophie Gray curled her lip and was distantly
polite to tho handsome doctor, when sud
denly an event occurred that caused the
~Rrentest excitement in Earndell. w.
Some one had seen DR.. MILFORD walking
his horse down a lonely lane and a yelled
female was with him, clinging to his arm.
AT the oundo of footsteps they parted, but
not without a long clasp of hands and
promise to meet again on the morrow.
Inc WAGCUeE-n mcuQl6SOIu6 Olu malQ-
contrived to throw horself in the way of tho
yelled female, and discovered that she was
none other than Bessy Layton.
Strange to say no ORG blamed DR.. Will
fred, but ~volleys Of feminine abuse was
himed ut that wretched girl, that artful
creature. that hypocritioal, designing little
wretch. whose wickedness poor Miss Gray
did not suspect.
There were plenty of good amiable wo-
men eager to %enliRhten her. 1t was only
right or proper, or so Lady Laurie argued,
that she should have her eyes opened to the
real nature of the viper she had been cher
fishing. and every one agreed with her, feel
ing in their hearts, il thcy did not express
it openly, that Earndell would be disgtaced
If . little nobody distanced all the mar
riageable maidens and carried off the hand
some Doctor.
Stern and white looked Sophie Gray
when Lady Lnurie, backed by Mrs. Vane
and the spinster who Witnessed the, meet
ing in the lonely lane, impaired the tidings
of Bessy Layton's %disgraceful conduct, but
she made no remark upon it.
CURLY excusing herself to her visitors,
she quilted the room. What she said to
Bessy Layton they had no means of learn
ing, but 1t leaked out somehow that Bessy
Layton was packed off to London that same
day.
Lady Laurie could not put in practice her
charitable intention of calling on Miss Gray
and condoling with her, for the very excel
lent reason that she also Quilted Earndell,