The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-12

Mr. MATTHEWS CALLS FOR HIS
PHYSICIAN

PHYSICIAN.
Mandevile had the usual contingent
OF charitable and unchar,table people,
OF reticent thinkers and people given TO
speaking their minds plainly in season
and out. Tn short. humanity was mixed
there as elsewhere.
DR. Govan had to rebuke old Mr. Lang
don, the druggist quite sharply more
than once for asking him. How comes
II Horace Matthews has got rich prac-
ticing law In Melton county where no
other man has ever been able TO more
than grabble living at that business?'
And Mr.. Mills. the most progressive
man in Vaudeville, who had actually had
the temerity to import a man who had
something 10 do with an electric light
system. with a view 10 seeing IL Mande-
willie could not be seduced into discarding
sts old oil lamps. actually heard Lawyer
Matthews talking to the electrician a
bout his line OF business. wanting 20
know II he could point out any opening
for a young friend OF his who would
soon be returning from the other side and
would want to so into that sort of bus
iness. OF course his young friend must
be Tom Broxton MIR. Mills was one of
the ret.cent thinkers so he did not con-
fide even to his wife his great astonish-
ment at hearing that Rufe Broxton's
son would have to go into any sort of
business. But, although he discreetly
refrained from proclaiming IL upon the
house tops. his private conviction was
that Horace Matthews end of the see
saw had gone up as fast as Tom Brox-
tons had gone down"
DR.. Govan would have scored Mande-
ville's most progressive man with the
same severity he visited upon the ire
eponsible old druggist-"a quackling
Quack" as he bitingly called him-only
IL Is impracticable TO wage active hos
tilities against a man who simply rails
es his eyebrows and shrugs his shoulders.
DIR. Govan's broad catholicity and gen
tic Judgment OF his fellow man were the
logical reflex of his own sweetness OF ma
ture and abounding good health. IL was
natural that Horace Matthews should
have come In for a goodly share OF dis
cussion at the time of the fire. for Man
deville was never so rich I'm sensations as
to let one slip too rapidly through its mill
But IL was time To create diversion.
The doctor began his missionary work at
home. II he could convert Mrs. Govan
into a partisan, Matthews would be re-
instated with his neighbors. A mans wife
IS his best and surest safety valve. Mrs.
Govan innocently inundated herself.
II was down TO see the old lady yester-
day. John. Malvina says she wishes you
would stop in the first time YOU pass the
their gate
What's Mother spillman up to
now?'
Nothing new. Maivina just gets fret
ted over the way the old lady
pecks on Horace Matthews. She
says she Is almost afraid to let
any of the neighbors mention Mr..
Matthews name In her mothers presence
for fear she will blaze out something ug-
ly about him.
"And yet" the doctor said gravely.
Matthews has been consistently kind to
the old creature. lie has kept up all
the friendly service Broxton used to
render her."
Il know H. know that. John, but
Mother Spilmans woman of strong
convictions, and she IL not 10 be brought
over by any amount OF nattery or sub
stantial help"
Bought over" DR. Govan gave his
wife an ''et tn. Brute look and opening
his battery without the preliminary of
curt challenge
Now. see here. Matilda Have you
gone over to the enemy"
Gone over to the enemy? Which
the white bands of hair on her temples
nervously. John had such a dreadfully
incisfve pair OF eyes. He was using
them just then as he used that sharp.
shining probe among his surgical instru
ments.
We'll. I should say pretty much All
MandevillA stood for the enemy at this
5uncture, and | should be sorry To see
my wife alligning herself with them and
sitting in judgment upon maniwho has
or woman could point TO and say. That
is wrong"
well. but john
LET me have the floor little while