Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-12-18

half hidden by his corrugated brows-
asked coldly:
When did you arrive Z"
Last evening, DOCTOR Marlowe an
| swercd, unfiinchingly returning the
questioner's steady gaze. "'The train
was late; and being tired and sleepy
waited until this morning to call upon
you"
You spent the night at the hotel, of
course
yes"
Did you meet Clark, the railroad
agent, there?"
Il met him first at the station. He
kindly accompanied me to the hotel"
"Oh!'-A world of meaning in the
! monosyllable. Then after moment s
| silence:
me?''
81 did, DOCTOR"
Very little-nothing of Importance. .
Didn't he read my pedigree to you?''
-Sneeringly.
He said nothing of your lineage, doc
tor-no."
You know what 1 mean. With a
! show of i'll humor-"Didn't he try to
discourage you-to dissuade you from
taking position with me, by telling
| you what an irreligious, penurious, un-
charitable, violent, old scouldrel l amp
Mr.. Clark did nothing of the kind,
doctor" Ralph replied frigidly. you
wrong him. He spoke disparagingly of
Babylon, but not of or of your
business. 1 believe he did say you were
somewhat peculiar. 1 do not care to
discuss the subject further. If you de-
sire Clark's opinion of yourself, go to
him for it,
1 nr Do -oo.oI lozI-
| and glared angrily at the audacious
speaker 1t was a new and unwelcome
experience to the irascible medical man,
to be pulled up so summariIy. His
black eyes flashed; his thin lips witch
| ed. Gripping the arms of his chair so
tightly his nails turned white, he
breather hard through his dilated nos
I trils.
Ralph carelessly threw one leg over
the other and scratched a speck of dried
mud from his trousers. Presently the
physician partially regained control of
himself and asked with forced calm
ness:
! HAS any one else favored you with
an opinion of me?"
Eyes," Marlowe reluctantly admitted.
I overheard the loafers in the hotel
discussing your predominant traits and
characteristics. But what does it. mat
ter DR.. Barwood? You are as you are:
their idle talk does not alter the fact.
| Their expressed opinions have NOT in
fuenced me. 1 have no opinion of you
i have yet to form one.''
WAS Crawford, the shoemaker, in
the company"
Il believe so-yes. with a yawn
DR.. Barwood started and said:
The room is chilly without fro Dr.
l will not detain you long. Before we
proceed to business, however. want to
say this: Don't form too hasty an
opinion OF me. Others have done So
and made the mistake of their lives. I
know what you heard Crawford and his
associates say of me. They called me
an infidel-an agnostic; when they
know as little Of my belief, as 1 know
myself. They accused me of being
greedy, penurious, uncharitable. And
gave away each year three times as
much as any one of them earns. They
informed you of my selfish, obstinate.
brutal disposition; and each of them
to man almost-is in my debt and I'M
der obligations to me for services rem
dered charities dispensed. Yes, know
well what they said. And the man who
was foremost in decrying me-Jim
Crawford-has a fancied grievance -
SO Clark Informed me-" Marlowe
could not help saying.
''Who?" the doctor inquired sharply.
Clark, the station agent"
HUH" grunted DR.. Barwood frown-
ing darkly. II do not like that young
man; he is an impudent fellow
Perhaps you have been too hasty
In forming your opinion, DOCTOR" Ralph
replied, slyly smiling
DR.. Barwood stared aghast. Could
| he believe his ears and eyes? Was the
young man before him actually laugh
ing at him, while reproving him in a
patronizing tone and manner? His
impeccability was CALLED in question:
his dignity was assailed. Such temerity
was objectionable. He was not used to
such treatment; and he would not stand
1t. He was grievously insulted, thor
oughly angry. But for some reason. he
felt 1t would not do to fly into a pas
sion and rave and storm as he was wont
TO do on such occasions. So he gripped
the arms of his chair, bit his neither lin
and manfully strove to gain the mas
terry of his violent temper. In this he
succeeded so well-to his own unbound
ed surprise-that after a few prelimin
airy fumblings at his watch guard, he
managed to say with an outward show
of calmness:
Mr.. Marlowe, if you expect to gain
and retain my favor, you will do well
to keep such suggestions to yourself.
am not in need of an advisory commit
tee to formulate or alter my opinions on
any subject
1t was Ralph's turn to show anger.
Instantly his lounging, indolent manner
and attitude disappeared. Drawing
himself rigidly erect-his- brown ewes
swapping, his Rostrils aquiver-he re-
turned holly:
81 am but returning the advice-iu
Knew the Gospel of Work.
In the great crowd that eatbarad -