The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-07-05
THE RIVALS

+ !.
The bone of contention was n young
man named Olaf Bordman. formerly
pastor in a Norwegian settlement out
west, but at the time of our story prac-
tisnS physician in that part of our town
where his fellow countrymcn formed the
bulk of the population. He was not ex-
at.Iy good looking, but he had an inter-
cs.iug, intellectual face and was a good
ta.hcr. or rather, he talked very little,
and when he did say something it was
always to the point and made an impress
SION, as if what he left uusaid was OF still
greater Importance and more interesting,
as though his mind was filled with all
sorts of clever things, which he was for
ever taking pains to suppress. The
Young doctor was the lion of the colony.
Two Girls seemed to have far better
chances than the others. These were
O.-a Danger. the daughter of q prosper
otis merchant. and Clara WadScn. whose
father was the leading druggist III the
Norwegian quarter. Both were decidedly
pretty, although each in her own way.
Olga was rather soiidiy built with large.
round, dreamy blue eyes. with slow move
lcnts. She spoke in deliberate. calm ac-
cents. us if she took it for granted that YOU
were intensely interested in what she was
saying and that there was therefore. no
hurry Clara, on the other hand. was
slender and active. She had well shap-
ed littIc head, small, regular features. full
of intelligence and something which my
friend described as "a sort of melancholy
in3u8tieuce."t
They were the two best educated girls
in the colony, and for the last two or
three years-that is. since Clara came to
join her father, who had immigratcd to
this country several years bcforc--they
had been fast friends. The doctor visited
both houses, and the three spent a good
deal of their time together.
1t was not long before the soSSips came
10 the conclusion that he was in love.
With whom? This was a rather difficult
question to answer, SO opinion was di-
vided.
lie is certainly in love with olga"
said lady to my friend one day.
y our reasons. madam
My reasons are the way he looks at
her talks to her, of her. Can't you see
the man is crazy for the giri:"
That very afternoon another Norwe-
gian lady said to him in a confidential
manner:
We are going to have a wedding one
Of these days. Have you noticed DR..
Bordman's face when Clara is aboutT'
Ny friend however, had his own opiD
ion in the matter. He had been watch
ING Inc former parSon for some time, and
he had come 10 the conclusion that he
was flirting with both without being seri-
ously interested in eithe. of them.
Mind YOU. don't say he did not care
for them" my friend explained, for, al
though did not particularly like him. as
You will see later, YET | was fair to him
and looked on with absolutely impartial
eyes. The fact of the matter was that
the girls had turned his head, so that he
WAS actually incapable of doing justice to
his own feelings. He was an honest,
good natured fellow, in fact, and if | dis
liked him il was for his rctccnCc, for his
solemn manner, and, above all, for that
circumstance which will be made plain to
You in the course of my story"
hat both of the girls were madly in
love with the young physician nobody in
Inc colony doubted. At first they tried
TO conceal it from each other and to keep
up show of friendship, but they gradu
ally became irritable, nervous, lost all
control of themselves hctraynG their
jealousy on every step, carpmg at each
ether quarrcliug over every triilc The
curious thing about it was that the more
frequent these conflicts became the more
anxious both of them seemed to make up
In case of an open feud the doctor would
have to visit the one in the absence of the
other, and this Olga and Clara dreaded
more than anything else As it was they
We're constantly watching each Others
house, forever on the alert, forever calcu-
latIHg, rejecting. scheming. If Clara, for
instance, came to the conclusion that
hordman would call on the Dangers on
thursday, she was sure to be there on
The same evening. In case of sickness IN
the family she would manage to run in to
oiier her sympathy and help about the
time the physician was expected.
he two girls understood each other
perfectly. Their mutual hatred grew ana
grew, but for long time they simply
could not afford to fight in the open.
Still, such a state of things could not 90
on forever. A rupture was inevitable ana
this is the Wy Il came about: Clara took
sick. Her little brother was sent for the
doctor, and as ne was leaving the house
The patient said 10 him.
ION your way back step in to see Olga
and tell her to aDme at once"
The boy called for the doctor, but on
his way back found Olga out. so that Dr.
Bordman came, prescribed some medlcihe'
mad chat and went away. About an
hour later Olga entered the house.
CLARA. dear" she exclaimed in heart
broken voice as she rushed up to her
friends bedside.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's only headache.
can't stand these violent changes in the
weather, but il will pass off.
"Of course it will. child. ! was so sorry
Your brother didn't find me. Father had
sent me to see somebody. When l got
home and was told you were sick, was
scared to DEATH"
"Oh, you needn't have been scared.