The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-11
envy dear Joyce, assure you"

know you ought not to talk. Joyce,
don't you hear how hoarse your
brother isl If pneumonia should set
in after this exposure"
Captain Renwick made an express
sive grimace. Joyce looked little ap-
prehensive.
Mamma" said she, "you always
were pessimist. It's only cold
that ails Kenneth"
But it is settling on his lungs, my
DEAR" said Mrs. Renwick, plaintively.
sAnd out here in the wilderness there
isn't even a drug store short of fifteen
miles. Oh, dearl Oh, dearl why did
/ ever allow myself to be persuaded
| to come to the Adirondacks?"
1.-THE scenery, mammal" said Joyce,
soothing]y.
"But one can't eat and drink
scenery. And this woman knows
absolutely nothing about omelettes
and French coffee, and she never
broiled beefsteak in her life until 1
showed her how. AS for her soups,
they are simply UNBEATABLE. And the
beds are as hard as the neither mill
stone, and the mosquitoes are unen-
durablep'
"All these are trivial annoyances,"
said Captain Kenwick, skilfully con-
irving to tip over the catnip-tea. ITO
me, the Adirondacks are the garden
of the world! / shall never be will
ing to go anywhere else in the sum-
mer. And she says it is even finer
here in winter, with the trifing excep-
ton of little solitude"
Kenneth" cried his mother, in
agonized accents, 'you must not
talkw
"My dearest mother, am all right
if you only won't fret" declared the
prodigal son.
But Captain Renwick's eyes were
unnaturally bright, the hot flush of
fever burned on his cheek, and his
breathing was alternately hurried and
laborious.
1t was undoubtedly the fact that he
had taken severe cold during the
camping-out expedition from which
he had just returned, and that this
cold had been proof, SO far, at least,
against all the remedies Mrs. Renwick
had used.
"Oh, dear! oh. dear!" sighed the
mother. "Why doesn't the doctor
come? Joyce, look out of the win
dowl See if there are any signs of
him."
'The doctor?" calculated Captain
Renwick, raising himself on one elbow
among his pillows. "You don't say
you have sent for doctor?"
"Why, of course l have" said Mrs.
Renwick-"for Doctor Barton, from
Nylesburg."
"a snuff taking old fiend, who will
dose me with calomel, and expert
ment on me with every one of the
hundred year-old drugs in his sad
dle-bagsl" cried the captain. 81
won't see himl"
"Dear Kenneth?" pleaded Joyce.
"My sonl" sobbed Mrs. Renwick.
"No" calculated Kenneth. "Pll
be hanged if l dol despise doctors,
anyway And what sort of medical
man do you imagine would perch
himself up here on the boughs of
these everlasting pines?"
Kenneth, you must see himl" said
Mrs. Renwick.
"Mother, l WON'T" stoutly declared
the rebel.
"But what will he think!"
"What he pleases. 1t will matter
little to you or me what he thinks,
said Kenneth. "All l know is that
he sha'n't cross this threshold. Give
him his fee and tell him to gop'
Mrs. Renwick and Joyce looked
despairingly at each other. Undoubt-
eddy the captain was master of the
situation. If he chose to set the doc
tor and his gallipots at defiance, what
was to be done7
At that moment, however, there
was slight rustic down stairs.
"The doctor has Gomez cried
Joyce excitedly, with such a pretty
little horse and phaeton. Oh, Ken,
Pm sure he isn't old, and he doesn't
take snuff, Oh, I'm SO sorry 1 didn't
catch a glimpse of him."
HE has come, has hei" said the
captain. "Then tell him to go about
his business"
Mrs. Ogden, the fat landlady, put
in her head at this juncture.
"Please mem, the DOCTOR" said she.
"Tell him" hoarsely shouted Ken
meth. fiinpinp the willows RIGHT and