The Mena weekly star., 1896-09-09
A STRANGE COURTSHIP.
BY ANNIE sTEGER WINSTON.

It was a real relief when papa's new doctor was gruff and terrifying to say .'bear," all to myself But, perhaps, 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, l was conscious that as nurse I had cut poor figure.
 1t seemed a 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 Dr. 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. It was said that his practice was really phenomenal for so young q man Che was verging on 40; l am sure that is not so very young for any amount of practice), and l suppose he had to economize his forces, but it made him dreadfully disagreeable.
 I was sitting by papa's bed when he came in that first day. Some people made such Q hero of him that 1 felt a little curious to see him, anxious and troubled as was, and smiled at him IS 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 a shock of tawny hair like lions mane.
 I 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 celerity.
 That was but the beginning of series of shrinkages that 1 underwent during this illness of papas. 1 am only five feet four to begin with, but every inter view with the doctor made me feel foot or two shorter.
 When I looked out of the window one day, and actually saw mamma and Isa- bel getting out of carriage at the door, it was as if ton weight had been lifted from me. The doctor was theL with papa (who, however, was almost weiD, and was in my own room keep ing out of his way. l dashed down stairs like a mad thing, and hung my foot somehow, or caught my dress on a ! loose screw q have never known which, and fell almost from the top to the bot tom. The doctor rushed out of papa 's T Al. r Al q. almost as soon as I was. Mamma aud Isabel appeared frantically frora the opposite direction, papa calling from up stairs all the time to know what it all meant 1 was so ashamed of having caused the commotion that I tried to get up hastily and close the incident
 "Oh, it is nothing. l just slipped.' began, struggling to my feet--and then a great, palpitating darkness settled syer all. l revived tc find myself, as ii
 ere, lin the clutches of griffin" q
 long applied his name to him in
 tinctly opprobrious sense.)
 . What do you mean by tearing about 7<'s-sse house in that fashion 2" he demand
 Al stopping at the door as he was leav.
 but somehow I was not so afraid of
 now, and for reply I only laughed bly and innately from my station or
 sofa. It was well that my terror
 him had lessened, for that miserable z<f# 'ained ankle required his attention q re or less throughout that winter { strange thing happened soon after ma and Isabel came home. Isabel
 Ky pretty and very bright. We
 ting together after tea when the 2. and who should be ushered in iriffin. And with his hair GU; - &syas not at all an improvements l had thought that any
 ouh be. It was so wonderful
 m sitting there laughing and like ioiks,' as Mamny Judy