Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1897-08-05

ments of his profession before he
should enter upon active practice made
him deaf to all paternal entreatles to
return home until one morning he
walked up to find that his thick bronze
beard had developed several actually
gray threads.
Consequently, one fine spring morn
ing all Blisstield was electrified to see,
as it passed the quaint old Dayton
homestead, modest, little gilt sign
bearing the simple words, ''Dr. Charles
Dayton"
= 1'a~ tfida't take ei FIRST Ho.wese
short coats in direct opposition 70 all
former ideas of the professional mans
dress, and he didn't seem to remem
Der anybody whom he had known in
his youth
1t wasn't because he was proud, he
knew, but he had been occupied with
graver things during his absence than
remembering who was the sister to his
Sunday school teacher and who mar
ried the Youngest of the Barker girls.
But after year or 50 of doubt they
began to understand him, especially
when his superior skill had saved the
darling of nearly every household In
town when the scarlet fever threatened
to fill the tiny graveyard on the edge
of the hill
DR.. Charles, as they learned to call
him, had an additional trait in his
favor; he knew how to neglect each and
every woman in Blissfeld with equal
severity. Not that women enjoy being
neglected, but they always develop a
sort of respect for man who doesn't
stoop to them, providing he is consis-
tent in his frigidity to all the women
In the place.
At the end of five years two things
had taken place in Blissfeld. DR..
| Charles was the idol of the town. and
young Tom, the baby Of the Dayton
family, was going to celebrate reach
| ing his majority by taking unto himself
| q wife.
1t was an awful mistake, thought the
whole household when the downy-
checked Tom stood up IN blushing
bravado on his return from his junior
| year at college, and persisted in his
| statement that he was never going to
| school again. For that fall he was tc
become the husband of the dearest lit
tie girl in all the world.
But reason settled upon them, and
the only stipulation was that little
maiden should come for visit to The
family Of her future husband some
time that summer
One morning late in July Miss Day
ton and her younger brother set ou
for the East. and returned a week lat
er with the tiny lady. who was III I
pretty state of nervousness at 'h'
strangeness Of the situation.
DR. Charles vas ont IN the connfr,
al the bedside Of patient. and when
after midnight. he stumbled II. drip
ping. splashed with mud after his Ions
ride in the storm and sick at heart lhi
patient had died IN spite of his efforts J
he had forgotten al abon; the expect
Ell visitor till he caught sight o! II:
tie sailor la. and pair of crunpie'
| gloves on the table IL the hall.
Il seemed so very odd 10 find any
thing so young. 80 dsintily feninin
In this stald old house that be stoo'
long II the dimlv- lighted ball, absent
ly smoothing ont the tiny gloves
pressing each finger in place and not
ing with an lndulgenf smile that
button Vas missing from the left WHIST
DR.. Charles sIep, badly that nigh
and awoke with the sun Il spite of n
late hours OF TIE night before SON
| vay sha first thing 50 come s1.u a
mind A. be opened his eyes ~As ih
rumpled, tiny. bus,onless glove IN II