The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-09-03

mother does But. then, I'm not clever
like mother" added Phemie, with a
little aggrieved pout $50 it's not worth
while talking to me-"
~ do feel for you," said the doctor.
with an unusual warmth of manner.
ST have done all could to get your
mother to be fair to you, Phemie"-he
had never called her Picnic before,
and she felt her color rise. whats the
matter?' he added hastily, for sudden
ly Phemie's eyes filed with tears, and
she just went off then and there and
left the paint pots and things without
saying another word.
DR.. Jasper's visits became more fire.
quent. Mrs. Albatross was constantly
seen about the village with him. They
met in cottages. She was devoted, SO
she said, to nursing the sick. 1t was
certainly new development. She was
never seen with her daughter, nor was
Jasper, but he saw her daughter oftener
than she knew. Still it seemed less and
less possible to4do without Mrs. Alba
tross. Her ability, her cooked foods and
port wine for "cases." her influence
with the squire, who disliked and
obeyed her; with the parson, whose
good will was important to the doctor
and who was afraid of Mrs. Albatross,
for she browbeat him in the chair at
parish meetings, picked holes in his
sermons and organized the penny read
ings, which he disliked, under his very
nose-all this and good deal more
for Mrs. Albatross was a woman and
not above feminine arts-put Jasper in
rather tight place.
He knew that Mrs Albatross wanted
to marry him, and there were days
yes, whole days-when he really thought
he should be obliged to marry Mrs. AL
batross.
The moment came. 1t was in the lit
tie sitting room up stairs.
Something had happened. DR.. Jasper
saw that plainly enough.
The lady was flushed and excited,
and he missed the usual confidential
hand squeeze.
"I-I wanted to see you, she said
and paused. Nothing has come to your
ears, SUPPOSED"
The doctor looked inquiringly.
"Well. then, I'm dreadfully troubled,
annoyed beyond measure, put out. OF
course, you know my maid, Susan. She
has been with me ten years and is not
a gossip
"What ON earth do you mean? Do be
plain. Surely with me you might be
quite plain" And he moved a little
nearer, feeling at that moment curious
kind of attraction which almost COM
PEELED him to lay his hand upon her
arm and force her to be quite honest.
Don't keep me ON tenterhooks, he
said eagerly. ''Tell mep'
"I WILL" said the lady. II feel /
can tell you anything. don't think I
have any other friend in the world-nt
least, not like you. No one understands
me, no one has helped me as you have.
and we've got to part. That is ALL
what ON earth," said Jasper, really
shaken and troubled-he had never seen
her grow pale like that or her lips
culver like that, and she was not OF
the crying sort, and she did not cry now
-"what-what has Susan been say
ing?"
"Only that it's all over the place,
and that she thought at last she ought
| to tell me-
"You don mean, You don't mean
He couldn't quite say it.
"Yes, l do" she said. And she rose
and walked up and down the room full
Of sort of angry vexation, mingled
evidently with conflict Of passionate
| feeling she could neither conceal nor
subdue.
"Sit down." he said. He had risen.
He took her arm. She was positively
trembling. He led her to the sofa by
the fire.
81 shall have to leave this place, 4"
she said in O sort of hard voice. The
angry tears came into her eyes He had
never seen her weep This was the
nearest approach to 1t.
IT know what you are going to say
Don't say it. No. you shan't go. You
are useful. The people trust you. 1t is
your sphere. I am the marplot.
"Why should you gop" said Jasper,
hardly measuring his words. why
l buOulu Slbucr VI no Bos why hoV oooy
and stay-stay together?"
"You don't mean it?" Men at such
times are more fools than knaves.
| "Yes, yes-I-do.
Jasper had taken her hand. The wo-
man with the iron will, the keen intel
leot, the nature self contained, which
seemed at times as hard as nails, turned
toward him and in another moment fell
crying and laughing Historically into
his arms. At that moment, as i'll luck
would have it, Phemie, hearing unusual
sounds and thinking some one needed
assistance, entered.
go and fetch some sal volatile. Yonr
mother is not very we'll. +" Indeed, al
that moment Mrs. Albatross seemed to
have really tainted away. Whether she
tainted or not no one will ever know.
The doctor himself was doubtful.
Jasper never entered the house again.
He went home, packed up his things,
wrote a hurried note in disguised