Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-11-23
LOVING MOlLIE.

",
and butter miss, Mollie Merrick," he ejac-
ulated after lighting his pipe and picking
up the offending letter again to reread it.
cts forgery. Who could have done
itp What will she say? Poor little Mollel"
DR.. Hamilton paused in his pacings to
and fro in CONSERVATION as he realized the
duty which lay before him and pictured
his girl friends face, stricken with grief
and humiliation, when he told her.
All day on his rounds Mollie Merrick'e
letter haunted the doctor. Her face with
the love light in 1t rose continually before
him, and he wondered how she would look
in reality.
During his solitary dinner he fancied
her in the vacant place opposite his own,
empty ever since his mother died, and he
looked up to smile-at nothing.
"Pshaw!' he cried testify. "I'll go and
get the explanation over"
AS he reached the house and stood on
the doorstep shaft Of light running aslant
the road from an opposite window attract.
ed his attention.
"Those Smithsonian curious women
they are! shouldn't wonder If they had
something to do with the valentine"
he muttered as he noticed two heads peer
ing out at him. "Why don't they answer
the bell?'
AS he was admitted shrieks of laug htef
came from across the road, and the blind
fell with crash.
With some trepidation DR.. Hamilton EN-
tered.
A girl in well worn gown rose from
her place on the hearth rug.
"Paul, Paulp' she cried shyly, going
toward him with eager, outstretched
hands. "You have come at last?"
-er-Miss-er-Mollie.
The girls hands dropped, and she look
ed up little inquiringly into the doctors
perturbed face. 1t wasn't quite what she
had expected.
DR.. Hamilton stood in the middle of the
room. All the explanatory speeches he
had laboriously ooncocted on his way had
flown. The silence was becoming embar-
RAISING
"Miss-er-Miss Mollie," he began.
She turned bright, expectant eyes to
him.
"I-er-that u.s. you see" he concluded
lamely.
DR.. Hamilton twirled his mustache saw
agely as he broke down.
The girls heart misgave her, and the
tears came very near the surface as great
fear rose in her mind.
cdr. Hamilton, do you regret your
choice already" she asked TREMENDOUSLY,
getting up and laying tinid hand on his
arm.
"No-er-that is-certainly not" he
answered, hastily looking down at the lit
tie hand. How soft and white 1t was! He
half hoped she would keep 1t there. Mollie
did SO.
"Then business kept you silent, as IL
did mep" she breathed softly. II am glad.
I was afraid it was something else" she
added, looking dreamily into the fire
again.
DR.. Hamilton did not answer. Looking
round, he mentally contrasted the dainty
drawing room with the one which did du-
| ty as a reception room in his own lonely
home. He thought of the dust which lay
| thickly on his surgery shelf and imagined
| what the fair, slender girl would do II she
were there.
In the bright freight he saw with fresh
eyes how sweet and womanly she had be-
come, and a great desire to have her for
his own, to love and project, took posses
sion Of him, and, above all, to keep the
grief and humiliation which the practical
joke would subsequently cause out of her
face.
"Mollie, Mollie, darlingp' he whispered.
ment came to his lips. He felt some sur
prise himself, not unmixed with pleasure.
Dropping on her knees beside him, Mol
lie laid her head carelessly on his arm.
''Paul, don't half deserve my happi-
ness. must tell you have fretted SO Of
ten at my dependence on aunt. feel now
l have been ungrateful."
II can guess, dear" he answered.
"Your letter has changed all that, Paul. ("
II should like to see my letter, little
one," said DR.. Hamilton.
" It's my first love letter, Paul." she said,
laughing happily II was quite cross this
afternoon when Matilda Smith guessed !
had had one."
The doctor looked up sharply from the
letter. Then he turned to the letter again.
The writing was weak imitation Of his
own. He wondered it had sufficed for
Mollie, but it had, and with little or no
regret DR.. Hamilton determined to let IL
stand
"Mollie, said DR.. Hamilton as she stood
with her hand on the latch ready to let him
out at last, "are you very great friends
with those Smithsf hope not
'Not lately, Paul. managed to offend
them some time ago, but this afternoon
they were quite pleasant for them"
"How did you manage that, dearestp'
asked the doctor, anxious to get at some
motive for the trick played.
ut will seem foolish reason to you,
Paul, but woman's age is ticklish
point, and inadvertently betrayed them.
was very sorry, and I thought they would
never forgive me until this afternoon"
ooh! Ali see, he answered. Good
by, Mollie, darling
"What long time he's been with her
What can have happenedp" tho Misses
Smith asked each other
Next day they knew The doctor met
them and cut them dead.-Exchange.
Concerning Gems.
The emerald Is now one Of the rarest OF
precious stones.
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