Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-02-19

HN view with Elsie. Ken
dali had succeeded in
NESe refusing similar de-
! mand upon the previ-
GUS evening and would have been glad
20 do it again, for he dreaded Neale in
a sickroom as II he had been the angel
of septicnmia, but the doctor could
not honestly say that Elsie's condition
was such as to justify him In shielding
her from all questioning.
AS for the captain, he was up
against new game" to use his own
expression. Never before had he been
held back from the bedsides of the at
tiicted in institutions wholly or par
tally under municipal control, and
doubtless upon this account there were
fortunate souls in paradise who might
otherwise still have been struggling in
! this probationary state. When Ken
dali demurred. Neale strongly intimat-
ed that he would make trouble" for
science and not his fears which decid-
ed Kendalrs action.
| You can see her." he said, "if you
| Will behave yourself"
And Neale was speechless in the pres
ence of this audacity. 1t was not that
Neale was captain of police, for such
an officer may or may not amount to q
row of pins; 1t was that he was Joe
Neale, the man with pull" Therein
lay the terror of his wrath.
For as well as Elsie could be prepar-
ed for this interview she shuddered
and turned pale when her eyes first
rested upon the peculiar. grimacing
countenance of the captain, more dis
tressing than usual ut that moment be-
cause he was trying to look beneficent.
Neale had singular delusion that he
could be and seem to be all things to
all people, although, in fact, his voice,
his face and his manner We're more
rigidly incapable of disguise than those
of any other man between the two
oceans. He had monkeys pride in i'm
| itation without Il trace of the monkeys
capacity for it, and upon this occasion
he was engaged in counterfeiting the
demeanor of family physician be-
| cause he knew that Kendall did not be-
lleye he could do it. And it was his ex-
pressed conviction afterward that he
had made the doctor feel foolish"
Good morning" said he. "Glad to
see you looking SO fine. You'll be out
in week, and by the first of the month
A)u'll be throwing kisses over the foot
lights again.
Elsies forehead Redeemed with
wrath. and she opened her mouth to
say something that would have shown
more spirit than discretion; but, catch
| ing Brenda's eye. she suddenly closed
her lips tightly.
Neale turned to Brenda.
1T does my heart good" he said. ''to
| see you here taking care OF the sick-a
society lady like you. call 1t great.
There's few that would do it. Now,
I'll bet the limit that you've been up
half the night taking care of this
| poor little girl You need rest can
see that. And what say is that 1t
wouldn't do you bit of hurt to go lay
down while me and the doctor looks
out for things here
"Do you mean that you wish me to
leave the room" inquired Brenda.
with a glance at Kendall.
The doctors face was wearing that
indescrlbable expression incident to the
first stage of seasickness. He nodded,
and Brenda walked toward the door,
which Kendall opened for her. while
Neale bowed several times as she de-
parted. Then the captain drew up
chair to the side of the bed, upon the
edge of which he laid his enormous
and hairy hand, clinched. with the
knuckles uppermost. Elsie looked at
1t, fascinated, wondering If it could
really be hand.
1--WE got have little light on this
woman" said the captain.
"What woman?" inquired Elsie
family.
"The one who called on you that aft
ernoon." he replied.
Miss Miller has already said Ken
dali began. but the captain lifted his
hand from the bed, thereby causing
one side Of it to rise suddenly. and
made gesture of protest.
She'll do the answering" he said.
"Who says that any woman called
on me" demanded Elsie.
Now, don't get excited" responded
the captain. ITS well known that
somebody was there. DR.. Blair saw
her leaving the house."
Elsie remained silent for moment.
Then she said:
''There might have been fifty women
leave the house and know nothing
about it. What did this woman look
like?"
Haven't you seen the newspapers?
asked Neale.
only some little pieces-just to look
at the pictures" she replied. "Dr. Ken
dali didn't wish me to read the stories."
Did you see the pictures of the 'mys-
ferrous woman drawn from descrip-
tion?'
mo"
"AIiss Maclane didn't show them to
you? Well, well! How Singular
Il selected the things to be shown to
Miss Miller said Kendall; most of
them.''
And you cut out all about the
mysterious woman?" queried Neale.
"WhyY
ut was not Intentional" replied the
| doctor, reddening. II merely happened
to do It."
y guess Miss Maclane helped you,"
said Neale
What has Miss Maclane to do with
it?" asked Elsie.
"a good many people think she was
J the woman" replied the captain. Its
beginning to be said all over, but
there's one person who thinks so and
/ won't say so-yet."
who's that?" said Elsie.
"Dr. Blair" responded Neale. "You
know who he isY
'I've met him." she replied. Mrs.
Simmons got him to come to see me
once when was sick. l think he was
staying at the house then. What has
he to do with this AFFAIR.""
The captain explained.
| 1T seems to me-. said Elsie that