The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-17


"Then, Why do you ask such an
aburd question? Ipjuss his FsacficeY
or course IL will. L.esterj is TOO young.
carved about. I shouldn't DO sur
prised II IL ruined him.
One morning, about four months
later, Gertrude's elder girl awoke
feverish.
"Alfred," she said, as her husband
| rose from the table after breakfasts
s'you won't forget TO call at DR.. Blenk-
insopp's."
tDr. Blenkinsopp's ?D asked Edna
| when he had closed the door.
Yes, dear. / think Winnie ought
TO have sOme medicine"
But why DIR. Blenkinsoppp Why
not DR.. Lester, as usual? You have
had DR.. Lester eve since DR.. Andrews
went away"
~ should never forgive myself il
Winnie died like poor Sir Edward"
What utter nonsense !" cried Edna.
trude rather plaintively, Though l
don't see Why you should tell me so IL
Alfred does. / never pretended to be
wise. But L have lost confidence in
DIR. Lester. So has everybody else.
Dr.. Blenkinsopp has got ever so many
of his patients.
ut is mean I" Edna retorted. "It
is like kicking q man while he is
down."
II can't help it, dear. Don't look
SO force. l am hardly to be expected
to let DR.. Lester experiment on Winnie
If l don't believe in him. How can
anyone believe in him in the face Of
what is being said about poor Sir Ed
wardP"
"Oh," cried Edna, sit makes me so
wild !"
A little later she set forth into the
town, to walk off her ill-humor with
things in general, and DR.. Blenkin-
sopp in PARTICULAR. She had not gone
far before she met Lester himself.
Though he would have passed her by
with u bow, she stopped, holding out
her hand.
ut is unusual to see you walking"
she said.
"Ye-es. The fact is, one gets so
little exercise that IL have sold my
carriage"
"Well," she faltered, "its-it's q
lovely morning for a walk. You don't
como to see Us now"
Perhaps you remember the last
"Oh," she cried brusquely, 81
never remember unpleasant things.
| think my sister would be very
pleased, whenever you have time to
spare"
"There Is little difficulty about that.
town knows. My practice has fallen
away from me as If it were a gar
ment."
But" she returned, trying to speak
cheerfully, it will come back again
1t is only a matter of time"
Very likely. But, you sec, Miss
Sinclair, one has to live somehow
meanwhile"
However, he went his rounds more
blithely than usual, and at 4 o'clock
that afternoon, after a long debate
with himself, turned his steps toward
Sinclair's house. He had not entered
to be his wife, and she refused. AL
though he was no longer in q position
to ask any woman to be his wife, he
could not resist the temptation to act
on her suggestion. There was not a
soul in Uppercombe with whom he was
on terms of intimacy, and her sympa.
thetic n had seemed very sweet
this morning.
+, But, on nearing the house, he saw
Blenkinsopp's carriage at the gate
and II few yards further on Sinclair.
Instead Of entering, as he had pur'
posed, Lester passed the brougham,
who appeared somewhat embarrassed
Mrs. Sinclair all rights" inquired
Lester.
, "Oh, quite-er-it's only Winnie; g
, little feverish. Look here, Lester
you know what women are"
, "Rather lash to boast"
"You see," Alfred olundered or
"if it were myself it would be diff
ferent. You can't reason with a wo'
, man, and with your wife you should
never make the attempt. Mine took
it into her head to have Blenkin'
my dear fellow" said Lester,
"your child could not be in better
r nahas' ag ! nope l And I he S %a1ke Si or
, swiftly, with his eyes on the ground.
"Depend upon it," Rlenkinsopp, q
. stout, gra~y-bearded man of sixty, was
saying as Alfred entered the drawing.
room, cit is better to be q little slow
; and quite sure, my dear lady. The
experience OF generations is not to be
upset in day by q few callow youths
~ have just parted from one of the
unnedBeQ,' SAID Alfred, Wnen Blenkln
sopp had gone and.Edna re-entered the
room.
CDR. Lester did not 500, OH
cried Gertrude, 81 would not have it
happen for the world"
"Gerty hasn't the courage Of her
convictions" said Edna.
CDR. Blenkinsopp says he has lost
nearly all his patients" Gertrude re-
marked.
"The population Of Uppercombe is
35, 900 ; mostly wise persons !" exclaim-
ed Edna contemptuously.
"Gerty," said Alfred, alone with his
wife that evening, what is the matter
with Edna? cannot understand her
to-day"
81 always thought you understood
women so thoroughly, dear"
ANYONE would think Lester had
retained her for the Defence" grum-
bled Alfred. mot that 1 wish to DO
down on the man."
Ell think he has," said Gertrude.
but she refused him. | have con-
graduated myself on the fact more