Middletown transcript., 1902-01-25

A in Dora Wingate's handwrit
TT7 ing. A look of surprise fol
C0 lowed his first glanc
at itsecontents; then
wondering smile came to his lips; mex
be proceeded to read the document witt
absorbed interest.
DEAR JoE:-I want advice, and you ar
the very one to give it to me. A man
judgment, woman's delicacy of feelin!
and genuine regard for me-like col
lege chum's, without spark OF sentimen
aren't those enough reasons, learned
Doctor, to convince me you are the bes
counselor could have i'll my present ex
tremity?
1 will come to the point at once anC
you will see how advisedly style it ar
extremity" A young man loves me
has asked me to marry him, and l can't
tell whether | ought tn or not You tel
mel AS to character, family and means
he is absolutely eligible; but | am sure
don't love him, and have told him SO.
Still he wants me to marry him, as he
feels sure ''love will come later"
Dear old Joe, l have never been in love.
Have you? But l have very strong feel
ing that a girl ought to love the man she
marries tremendously. | have known him
80 long, too, that if / haven't fallen in love
with him yet land / certainly haven't!) |
see no reason why | am likely to.
have liked him so well as a comrade
that have accepted his attentions with
out realizing until now what this involved.
1t warrants him in his request and a def
mite answer, and have promised to give
it to him. But before / do want your
long headed advice on the subject.
You are doctor, used to cranky women
patients, so you may be able to diagnose
my case and suggest treatment for my
absurd ailment. Write me seriously, dear
old Joe, for am really bothered, and wish
to act "by advice of my physician"
Yours warmly,
DORA WINGATE.
With an odd businesslike touch Miss
Wingate had written the full address of
: the Doctor at the close of her letter. APP
pleton smiled at the curious mischance
that had placed it in his hands. CDR. ].
G. Boynton" was probably puzzling over
the one he had received.
But the smile vanished to give way to
frown. Why should Dora Wingate
refer such question as this to another
man! Willing, as he had professed him
self, to marry her with no stronger senti-
ment on her part than friendship, he was
not bit inclined to receive wife from
the hands of one of her men friends.
Who was this Doctor Boynton2 'Dear
Joe'' and "dear old Joe" argued a p. city
familiar basis. Yet he had never heard
Dora mention this friend. Could this re-
couse to him be ruse, device to set him
to thinking? Perhaps to stir him to ac-
ton at the prospect of her loss? Pshawl
this wasn't fair to Dora, who had been
frankness itself with him.
1t was her thorough outspokenness with
him that had made him feel justified in
reading the letter when he saw it was
about himself. She had no right to say
anything on the subject to strange man
which she would object to his knowing
He had felt this way before reading the
letter, but now he was vexed for several
reasons that he had done SO. The more
he brooded, the more disgusted he grew.
The average American girl did not even
ask her parents whether she ought to
marry the man she loved. True, Dora
didn't love him. Supposing this Doctor
Boynton told her to go ahead, and she
married him and never grew to love him!
The irritating thought made him more
keenly desirous of knowing what kind of
man this arbiter of his fate might be.
Suddenly an idea struck him with great
force. He was original enough in some
of his departures to be deemed eccentric.
Why not go to this Doctor Boynton,
whose address Dora had so unintendingly
supplied him with, and see for himself?
He decided this query so promptly that
the afternoon train found him speeding
toward Miss Wingate's highly trusted
medical friend.
The following morning he presented
himself at the door of Doctor Boynton's
residence in the lovely Connecticut town.
He liked the appearance of the old fam
lily mansion. The brass knocker and
door plate, blazing like molten gold in
the dazzling sunlight, had fine old-fash-
ioned dignity, too. Perhaps Doctor Boyn-
ton might be an old family physician of
the Wingates. Still "dear old Joe" was
hardly the style of address from young
woman to an elderly man.
A trim maid ushered him into large,
cool reception room, and said the Doctor
would be there directly. Appleton took
a hasty survey of the room as he waited
Everything breathed perfect taste and
refinement, even to bowl of white roses
on large, lustrous mahogany table. Per-
haps all this was due to Mrs. Doctor
Boynton. No Dora had asked "dear
Joe'' if he had ever been in love. Further
surmise was cut short by the entrance of
q young woman not more than twenty
seven or twenty-eight, slender, dark-eyed,
and who carried herself with great dis
tiuction. She paused few PAGES from
him and in a voice whose fute-like tones
harmonized perfectly with the house and
room asked, "You. wished to see me?''
"You-are- you Doctor Boynton?'
he stammered.
She inclined her small, well-set head
slightly with graceful self-possession, and
seated herself, making him sign to re-
snme his chair.
IT did not know you were woman,
Doctor, when came" /" he remarked, with
a bright smile and sign of relief, re-
covering himself quickly under her dis
tinctly feminine charm. She had won
derfully thoroughbred air, and he at once
indersed Dora's taste in-doctors He
felt he could trust good deal to Doctor
Boynton's judgment himself. He COR
tinued, pleasantly, "r have had slight
trouble with my heart lately, and thought
I would consult physician" This was
L.ie -. un oonId hor1I,y have ,,tta-ol