Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-09-15
A STRANGE COURTsHIP.
BY ANNIE sTEGER WINSTON.

BY ANNIE STEGER WINSTON.
1t was real relief when papa's new
doctor was gruf and terrifying to say
"bear," all to myself. But, perhaps, l
diverted my attention too much from
what he was telling me by this device, or
he scared me into temporary idiocy by
his grim demeanor. AT any rate, ! was
conscious that as a nurse I had cut q
poor figure.
It seemed special pity that poor
papa should have had that illness just
then, when mamma and Isabel were in
Baltimore. Mamma had gone there to
be under the care of DIR. Baker, and she
could not come home, and Isabel could
not leave her. If we had only had our
good old doctor it would have been
better, but he was in Europe, and papa
had called in this DR.. Griffin, who, peo-
pie seemed to think, was something
wonderful. twas said that his practice
was really phenomenal for so young u
man Che was verging on 40; am sure
that is not SO very young for any
amount of practice), and l suppose he
had to economic 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 hero of him that / felt q
little curious to see him, anxious and
troubled as Twas, and smiled at him as
nicely as I could as papa said: "My
daughter, doctor"-though he was lit
tie less than appalling; extraordinarily
tall and gaunt and awkward, with a
rugged, serious face and shock of
tawny hair like lions name.
1 was about to go, but as he did not
glance in my direction he was probably
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 series
Of shrinkages that I underwent during
this illness of papa's. I am only five
feet four to begin with, but every inter-
view with the doctor made me feel q foot
or two shorter.
When looked out of the window one
day, and actually saw mamma and Isa-
bel getting out of a carriage at the
door, it was as if a ton weight had been
lifted from me. The doctor was then
| with papa (who, however, was almost
welD, and 1 was in my own room keep
ing out of his way. I dashed down
stairs like mad thing, and hung my
foot somehow, or caught my dress on o
loose screw u have never known which,
and fell almost from the top to the bot
tom. The doctor rushed out of papa's
room and was at the foot of the stairs
almost as soon as l was. Mamma and
! Isabel appeared frantically from the
opposite direction, papa calling from up
stairs all the time to know what it all
meant. / was so ashamed of having
caused the commotion that / tried to
get up hastily and close the incident.
"Oh, it is nothing. just slipped,"
began. struggling to my feetr-and then
a great, palpitating darkness settled
over all. i revived to find myself, as it
were, sin the clutches of a griffin" u
had long applied his name to him in a
distinctly opprobrious sense.)
! What do you mean by tearing about
fde house in that fashion," he demand
ed, stopping at the door as he was leav-
ing.
But somehow I was not so afraid OF
him now, and for reply only laughed
feebly and innately from my station on
the sofa. 1t was well that my terror
of him had lessened, 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
is very pretty and very bright. We
were sitting together after tea when the
! bell rang, and who should be ushered in
but DR.. Griffin. And with his hair cut
which was not ut all an improvement
| though / had thought that any
change would be. 1t was SO wonderful.
| talking, like folks" as Nanny Judy
used to say, that 1 could not do anything
but stare at him. And when Fred Carey
came in l was positively provoked. But
then, I never saw Fred quite so stupid
and uninteresting.
Not very long after that another very
remarkable thing happened. The first
wonderful thing, by the way, began tc
happen pretty frequently after awhile
I thinl; l have little knacl of rhym
ing, and one day magazine--a rea
magazine took one of my pieces. Sucf
a thing had never happened before anC
has never happened since. twas sen
: timental little etfusion, which was no
about anything nor anybody in partic
ular, but it seemed to me to lie pretty
and it sounded as if it meant good
deal.
l was standing on the porch when
opened the letter which the POSTWAR
had just handed me. I remember i
was Il beautiful spring morning. whe1
my cup OF happiness was running owe
anyway, and this last drop was almos
too much. was about to fly into tn
house as fast as my disabled anll
would allow, when heard the click o
the gate. 1 waved my letter to Dr.
Griffin as he came up the walk, and h
smiled at my absurdly radiant face. ]
was almost worth while to be SO grin
looking, to be so transformed by
smile, I thought to myself. I did NO
wait for greetings or questions.
II have got a piece accepted by tn
- magazine!" 1 said, eagerly.
"lAh, that's good!" he replied. "An
what are you scribbling about?"
l "Oh, it's Just lovely!" said. "Don