Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-05-11
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by w1nn1AM T. NICHOLS.


Portable in spite of the outrageous tenn
peratnre.
"Of course she doesn't" Mrs. Loring
broke in. "Ifany girl says such thing,
it is because the fashion is not becoming
to her.
y remark so direct, so unqualified,
and SO free from repetitions was nov
city. 1t centered my attention on the
speaker. who, i now noted, was dressed
almost as seasonably as her niece, al
though she favored darker colors.
Norman sopinion seems to be weighty
enough to count" said ], especially as
the kickers would, no doubt, be the first
to protest if their objections were
needed and led to rational dress"
"Oh, really, / don't know" said Mrs.
Loring, rising to the opportunity.
Some men are SO persuasive, SO delight
fully persuasive, doctor, they can con-
vince You, or make you think you're
convinced-which is almost the same
thing, don't you know? And so many
of your profession, doctor-when 1
| think how great my acquaintance with
them has been, it appalls me, it really
| appalls me-argue SO beautifully, but
SO differently, doctor, so differently.
And very likely it would be the same
thing, the very same thing with them,
if they had to devise national costume
which should be healthy and hygienic
and all the other things il should be-
and they say it isn't now, doctor. Now,
/ like, yes, really, must say, l like
variety. You can'timagine how pretty,
how very pretty some of the girls will
look in their fete dresses, as peasants,
don't you know, doctor, and all sorts of
picturesque people. 1t seems a pity,
snch pity, that they can't wear them
all the time; though how the poor
things would manage in wintcr-no,
Pm afraid the short skirts wouldn' tdo;
do you think they would, doctor? Or
in church--how would they look in
church? No, no, they wouldn't do in
church, they really wouldn't; not ex-
actly sacrilegious, don't you know, but
inappropriate = yes, that's just the
word, inappropriate. But for six days
in the week, doctor, for six days in the
week, think how romantic, how very ro-
mantle they would be. That is, in
warm weather, of coursc-in warm
weather, you understand"
"Iou are right, dare say" admit
ted. I'VE are looking forward to a
great treat. But if you will pardon n
personal comment, I'll repeat that you
two ladies fill me with envy"
GLOW nice of you to say SO, doctor,
how very nice, indeed! But then you
physicians have IN art, such an art, of
saying delightful things. You have
such practice, you know, such wonder
full practice, soothing the sick, doctor,
and comforting tho dying -
AUNT, Miss Gray broke in with
some haste, "please do not talk about
about-dress any more on such terri
bly, warm day. 1t eXcites you too
greatly"
"If Tn to attend my Grand now"
added, sit might be we'll to put me
ashore. shall not be gone long; prob
ably not more than ten minutes. Where
shall reioin you?'
We were abreast of the knoll, nnd not
very far from it. | ran the boat to the
bank and stepped upon it, Miss Gray
taklng MY place at the oars.
How will it de-" she suggested, "for
us to run down to the bay, and then
coast along until we come to that other
inlet, which runs so close to Mr.. La
mars honse? We can rum up it, and
take you on board very conveniently"
Excellent" said l. "You will find
me little distance landward from the
house. There's some air stirring over
the bay now, and you may meet a real
breeze on the open water. 1t will be
Il pleasant change
Then we can spread the SAIL" said
Mrs. Loring. do you know, doctor, l
adore sailing, l really adore it,"
Her niece bent to the oars, and the
light craft glidcd.oD it's VOYAGE While
lcilmbed the sidcof The knoll could see
the boat enter the bay. a moment
later the girl had ceased rowing, and
had shipped the slender spar which did
duty as mast. There appeared TIC be
just breeze enough to fill the tiny sail.
Lamar met me Mt the door.
Heres that book you wanted" said
/. There was an oppol tunity to de-
livcritthis afternoon, and improved it.
Anything else you would like to have
done?"
Nothing. thank yo,i," he answered,
turning back into the house. The dire
full news he had received so recently
had had no softening effect upon him.
He showed 10 longing for sympathy,
no desire to seek from his physician n
word of encouragement.
johnson was at work near by, and |
stopped to chat with him, while I
watched the boat move slowly north
ward and turn at last into the inlet.
| Miss Gray, sitting on the midship
thwart. was managing the sail, while
Mrs. Loring, at her old post, held the
steering lines. She was leaning over
| the side. noticed, catching at bits of
driftwood floating in the current.
"It's n ladies' breeze, Johnson" sail
], "barely enough to give the boat steer
age way"
"Ain't much of it." he answered, "and
what little strength there's in it comes
in puffs. D'you notice em?"
Yes. but they're baby puffsi no
weight in them"
Not much, sir, that's true" said he,
going back to his task.
took my time in reaching the spot,
about 100 yards from the house, where
tho boat was to touch; but SO slow had
been Its movement that when looked
back 1t was yet opposite the knoll. Mrs.