Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-09-15
you want me to say it to YOU p,

clasped my hands behind me and
ratified off my piece, flushing a little as
did it from suppressed laughter at my
own audacity. And then I looked at
him for applause. There was a blank
silence, and my eyes sank, and my
cheeks grew hot with modification.
"Humph!" he said at last, getting up
from his seat. swell, how is that ankle
of yours?p
1t seemed my fate always to be seen
by DIR. Griffin at "a disadvantage-from
the time when he just saved me from
numbering papa with the wrong medi-
cine, on through various misadventures
almost to the present day, and I have
hated him afresh every time, as if it
were all his fault. Some people al
ways see one at her best-he appeared
on the scene invariably when one was
least DESTROYS of spectators.
| I started out with rather a sinking
heart not long after the adventure of
the poem-which incident, by the way,
had ranked not Il little in my mind-to
hunt up Sunday school pupil who had
dropped off, after an attendance of
Sunday or two upon my class. He was
said to live on small street which I
had never heard of, in q remote and not
| especially genteel part Of the city which
had never explored, and foresaw that
should get lost. stopped on my way
ut the house of another pupil Of mine,
whom knew to be ill, and whom had
been visiting for some time.
His mOthar receiyad ma n, n oo)d
stuffy little parlor, and entertained me
while Johnnie was being made ready
for company. listened sympathetical-
| ly to q long narrative of the heartless
treatment she had received from her
physician, who really did seem to have
neglected his poor little patient, and to
have been rude and overbearing beside.
had passed him once as went in, and
had noticed how red and bloated his
face was, and had thought then that he
drank. He was a physician, suppose,
his name.
"And then" she concluded, IT just
'phoned for DIR. Griffin. My husband
said: Don't you be bothering DR..
Griffin; he's got more'n he can do tend
ing to the rich people, But he's got
time to tend to poor people, too, aswell
knew. And 'phoned, and he came.
All, he's an angel in sickroom"
The comparison struck me as so ludi-
crous that q smile rose to my face be-
fore could check it.
"If was Queen Victoria and Johnnie
was the queens son he couldn't be no
kinder. Now, you can just walk right
i'll and see how peart Johnnie's gettin'."
After leaving there walked on, and
on, and on, as the story books say, and
it really did seem that had embarked
upon one of the vague, nightmarelsh
quests of the Morse tales. The end Of
my journey seemed always just at hand,
and still it heightened, heightened, till
1 could fancy that was lovelorn
princess looking for the castle of the
clouds. If Bonaparte Plunkett had
lived east O. the sun and west O. the
moon, or at any other of the addresses
given in those veracious histories, he
could not, it seemed to me, have been
more tantalizingly inaccessible. He took
on, at last, u half-my thical character in
Il
Hens and chickens ran squawking
across my path; geese Missed at me,
to my unspeakable discomposure; pud-
dies Of ill-smelling water appeared on
the mean Sidewalks; dirty women and
children swarmed about the doors, and
still Bonaparte Plunkett's place Of resi-
dence ever receded from me. I began
to have distinctly disreputable feel
ing, as If were becoming assimilated
to my sq,mlid environments, and a
faint fear arose within me, MS real
lied that 1 had not the slightest idea
in the world of where was. Yes,
was lost.
I stood still and looked blankly
around me, beginning, as the last straw,
to feel that my ankle was giving out.
I was just making up my mind to ask
the way to the nearest car line of the
next person whom I should meet, when
saw buggy coming down the street.
A sudden hope took possession OF me.
lie always came when 1 was in some
undignitied and ridiculous plight. And
yes!
"Oh, Doctor Griffnl" I called out.
He pulled up at that quavering cry
and looked at me for moment in the
blankest amazement.
and what are you doing in Rockets,
miss?" he demanded, as he helped me
in.
y wild wave of eNhilaration had come
over me when I felt myself safe in the
vehicle.
II was only paying some calls" l
said, in an off-hand way. Aren't the
claims of society burdensome? I an
really tired"
"Calls!" he repeated. "And whore
were you calling in Roclsetts?"
II was going to the PlunkettS',"
said. But never mind-it isn't thei,
day anyway"
began to repent my nonsense wher
he took a little red notebook out of his
pocket and, utterly ignoring my pres
ence, began to look over it with knitted
brows. We drove on in perfect silence
for several blocks, and he manifested nc
intention of resuming the conversation
at oil, while /, on my part, was occupied
In regretting that had totally forgot.
ten that was ION my dignity" as my
old nurse would say.
"Well, Miss Frances" he said, sudden
ly, without looking up, "have you for
given me?"
Forgiven you, for what?" question
ingly replied, but reminiscent wave
of modification swept over me.
He 1rlva n short lnurh still f1lrninC