Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-09-12
IN THE CLUTCHES OF A GRIFFIN.
P T IVES o real relief. when papa's
NV lostof was eruR and terrify.

NV 1oeeOr was 9ruR ana terrlty'
u ins, to say bear al 70 myself.
But, perhaps, I diverted my attention
- much from what he was telling mo
b this device or he scared me into tenn
posafy iliocy by his grim demeanor.
A. any rate, was conscious that - y
nurse had cut poor figure.
lt seemed Q special pity that poor
PAPA should have hmi that illness just
Shen, when mamma and Isabel were 10
Baltimore. Mamma had gone there 10
10 under the care Of DR.. Baker, and shq
bould not come home, and Isabel could
not leave her. II we had only had on:
god old do0for II would have been bet.
eer, but he was In Europe, and papa
had called In this DR.. Grimm. who. peo-
pie seemed to think, was something
wonderful. It was said that his prac-
(ice was really something phenomenal
Tor 20 young man the was verging on
%; am sure that ID not 30 very young
for any amount Of practicc), and I sup
Pose he had to economixe his forces, but
It made him dreadfully dIsagreeable.
was sitting by papa's bed when he
came in that first day. Some people
made such a hero of him that I felt q
little curious to see him. anxious and
troubled 40 was, and I smiled at hlin
~ nicely aS could rs papa said. MY
daughter, doctOr"-though he was lit
tls less than appalling; extraordinarily
ssll and gaunt and awkward. with a
augged, serious face and shock Of
sawny hair like lions name.
was about TO 20. but NJ he did not
glance In my direction he was proba-
bly, not aware Of my intention. He
slightly inclined his head and said:
''Miss Macon will please go out" Which
Miss Macon did with all due celebrity.
That was but the beginning Of se-
rios Of shrinkngcs that underwent
during this illness Of papa's. I am
only 8 feet to start with, but every
interview with the doctor made me feel
. foot OF two shorter.
Whenl looked out Of the window one
day and actually saw mamma and Isa-
bal getting out Of a carriage at the door
it was 10 II ton weight had been lift.
VI from me. The doctor was with papa
(who. however, was almost welD, and I
~ In my own room keeping out OF his
way. dashed downstairs like a mad
oning and hung my foot somehow or
caught my dress on loose screw II
hive never known which,. md fell nj.
most from the top Of the flight to the
bottom. The doctor rushed out Of
papa's room and was Mt the foot Of the
0tairs almost as soon m was. Mamma
Und Isabel appeared frantically from
the opposite dirsction, 49, calling
f.om upstairs al ~ ~ - know
what It all meant. I We - asham I'll
Of having caused the commotion that
tried 10 get up hastily and close tho
incident.
"Oh. it's nothing. I Just slipped" I
began. struggling to my feet-and then
Q great palpitating darkness settled
over oil. revived to And myself. 40 Il
were. "in the clutches OF q grimm" Il
had long applied his name to him In Q
distinctly opprobrious scnse.)
"What do you mean by tearing about
the house In that fashion," he demand.
"a, stopping at the door - he was
leaving.
But somehow I was not % afraid of
bin now. and for reply I only laughed
feebly and namely from my station on
the sofa. II was well that my terror
Of him had lesscned. for that miserable
sprained ankle required his attention
more or less throughout that winter.
A strange thing happened soon after
mamma and Isabel came home. Isabel
% very pretty and very bright. Wo
were sitting together after tea whe,.
the bell rang, aud who should be ush.
Sred In but DR.. Grim. And with his
hair cut-which was not at all an i'm.
provement-though had thought that
any change would be. 1t was 20 won.
dcrful to sec him sitting there laughing
and talking. like folks" al Nanny
Judy used to say. that I could not d.
anything but stare ut him. And when
Fred Carey came In was positively
provoked. But then never saw Fred
quite 20 stupid and unlnteresting.
Not very long after that another re.
markable thing happened. The drst
wonderful thing. by the way. began TO
happen pretty frequently after while.
think have q little knack Of rhyminE,
and one day niagaxine-a real maya.
sine-took one OF my pieces. Such a
thing had never happened before and
has never happened since. Il was a
sentimental little effusion, which wal
not about anything or anybody In par.
ocular, but It seemed to me to be pref.
y, and It sounded a. II It meant good
deal.
I was standing on the porch when !
opened the letter which the postman
had just handed to me. I remember II
Was q beautiful spring morning. when
my cup Of happiness was running ovei
anyway, and this last drop was almost
too much. ! was about to hy into thu
house, a. fast as my disabled ankle
would allow, when heard the click OF
the gate. waved my letter to DR.
Grimm 40 he came up the walk. and III
smiled at my absurdly radiant face. Il
Mas almost worth while to be so grlu
looking. to be 30 transformed by q
smile. ! thought to myself. did mo-
wait for greetings or questions.
n have got q piece accepted by tn,
- magazinev l said, eagerly.
"Ah. that's goodw he replied. "Ant
what are you scribbling aboutr
"Oh. It's just lOvelyw l said. "Don'
you want me to say It to your