The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-08-28
CHAPTER iii.

CHAPTER III.
! How we'll you're looking, sir, and
quite fat, too" said my good old
| housekeeper, as she put down the
last parcel in the hall, six weeks sub
Sequent to the events last recorded.
! d. had just returned from my holiday
and stood by the side of my ''locum
tenens," who appeared quite as happy
to relinQush her charge as Ann was
to see me back.
| Two hours after closed the door on
poor Lark, who left the house, as he
said, without regret, and then | went
into the dining room again and rang
for Ann.
We'll, Ann. and what news have
you? How did you like Mr. Lark"
Pretty well, sir; he was very funny
about his food"
did the patients like him."
Some of them, sir He wasn't quite
| like doctor; he was too big and too
merry; he used to laugh so loud and
sit on the side of the bed instead of
| in chair. One woman told me he
whistled as he went upstairs"
What very wicked things to do.
Has any one left?"
Eyes; that woman with the broken
leg sent for another doctor. because
d.. Lark called twice without looking
at her tongue or feeling her pulse
either time"
"Old fool, But have you seen much
of Miss Mlne?"
81 have only seen her twice She
came a fortnight ago, the night your
letter came. in which you told me
| q, Iod N hot 10 =
sentence to her, and she got up and
went away at once. quite altered like
Just as though you had no right to fall
in lovei Then she came in week
afterward and-Lor, sir you never saw
such a change!"
What sort of changer"
Her dress was quite different-nOt
a bit like her-all bright ribbons and
| flowers in her hat: she laughted all
the time and talked so loud as never
was. She said She had young man
outside, and was going to music hall.
She said she had wasted all her life
and had no fun, but now she was 60
ing to be quite different and enjoy
herself. She was exceedingly rude to
me. sir"
How do you mean rude?"
"Well. she said | was an old fool to
hang around here and make my life
miserable; and she said great many
other things which | prefer not to re-
peat sir" and Ann drew herself up
with dignity when she left I ran 70
the kitchen window and watched her
going up the street with her young
man. and it was dreadful! She
laughed and talked that wild every
body was a-Staring-"
1T is indeed very strange Ann, after
what we know of her-almost incredi-
! ble-"
YES, sir" broke in Ann: "and after
the way she Eursed YOU" The bell
rang and Ann left me to my contem-
| plations of this new and strange de-
parture of my whilom nurse, friend
and constant mystery
| In a week | had settled down to
work again. and bad not seen Miss
Milne, nor had I thought much Of her.
Me, are proverhiaily selfsh and inst
at this time I had ABUNDANT reason for
cultivatng that unchristian tendency.
! | had left my heart in the country: it
was stolen there. or rather. found its
altar, and stayed to worship: | came
hack but half myself. and that the
lesser half.
One evening I had walked past Miss
Mines shop to see patiert, and on
nv way home went in TO see her.
There was no one in the shop when
| entered, and | had time to glance
around: in a moment 7 saw that the
whole appearance of the place had
changed Untidirees reigned every
where. papers were living ell over tho
counter. the shelves, where of old the
stock of tobacco and CIGARS had been
arranged so neatly and tidily were
now. but for dust and rubbish. empty.
Presently the door opened very slight
ly and through the crack but without
looking some one shouted:
who's there9 What - you want?''
Twas the voice of Miss Milne, but
terribly changed. 1t had been soft
voice; now it was harsh and unmusl-
cal.
ITS I. Doctor Rigby. but don't let
me disturb YOU"
"Oh. you. is it? VIII you come in:
am quite alone"
And | went in. and the room found
had shared the fate of the shop. II
had always been barely furnished. but
never untidy; now To the poverty was
, added dirt and disorder: soiled cups
; am plates covered the table: in the
! fender there stood unwashed sauce
pans, irving pan. and other cooking
: utensils. The room had evidently been
; neither swept nor busted for many
: DAYS. tf
/ Miss Milne herself was a striking
: contrast TO her former self. There was
} about her person an air of wrath, bu,