The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
The Confidence of Doctor Smart
By charIe. D. Leslie

MERE were only two passengers
for Bennington by the 1915 from
town. and they came out Of their
tzrN1ai respective carriages at Sidchester
- Junction as deluge Of rain
swept the district They naturally did not
linger on the platform, bat made haste TO
gain the shelter Of the waiting room across
the line. The young man in the travelling
cap and long ulster. his hands in his
pockets. took a Decline for shelter, but the
other passenger, a girl. impeded by multi
tude OF parcels and an umbrella. was much
longer reaching the waiting room, though
the station master attended her and carried
most Of her belongings. There he left her,
damp, flushed ard cross, and wondering II
her hat was straight She would have liked
the room TO herself and looking glass, but
the company only provided one tiny waiting
room for both sexes. 1t was furnished in
the usual style of small junction waiting
rooms: that is to say. it contained a table.
two hard chairs. a bench, and mural dec
orations in the shape OF pictorial railway adj
vertisements. There was a fire burning.
and the company. in a burst of lavishness,
had provided a glass bottle of water which,
with an inverted tumbler upon II, decorated
the center of the table.
of twenty minutes 70 wait, and she took off
her macintosh, heartily wishing the man
would go outside and smoke; but. instead,
he seemed anxious TO be of service TO her.
He picked up the macintosh which. flung
on the table. had fallen on the floor while
the girl placed her parcels before the fire to
dry. and spread II over the back of chair.
But Rose acknowledged the courtesy with
hat ha
effort 10 enter into conversation, but retired
20 the bench and took cant newspaper.
SO. in decOrous silence, as behooved two
young people unintroduced. they sat, Rose
over the fire and he somewhat behind her.
The girl had an idea he watched her in
stead of reading. but. Of course. did not
turn to see if this supposition was correct
She had just got warm and dry when the
clock warned her that the Bennington train
was nearly due to start. 1t would be neces-
sary to cross the line again, and Rose put
on her macintosh and looked out anxiously
for the station master or a porter. She
wanted one hand for her umbrella and one
to hold up her skirt, and then there was
her dressing bag. her reticule. the parcel
from Whiteley's which had arrived after
her box was packed. the hat bought as a
being in a cardboard box. she had not ven
tured TO put in the van, and the parcel of
toys for her Sunday-schooI class. To con-
vey them she wanted either five more
hands or a two-handed porter. There
seemed nothing for it but to desert her be-
lodgings and go and look for porter, when
the man, whom she had temporarily forgot,
rose to his feet, and, starting forward, be-
xxrff To him.
self Of her impediments.
IF you will permit me-" he said, Il will
bring these along to your carriage"
please don't trouble" she began, but
he simply ignored her and walked out, load
ed I'D like a mere travelling married man.
Rose, perforce, had to follow, and what
with the wind and rain and having to pre-
vent her umbrella from turning inside out,
and wondering if her hat would be ruined,
she had no room in her thoughts to be angry
with him.
He found her an empty carriage, be-
slowed her luggage therein and then from
the steps said: II see you are going to Ben
nington-do you know DR.. Donaldson of
that town.
He is our DOCTOR replied Rose.
Then may 1 introduce myself as DR..
Smart, who is to be his locum tenens this
SUMMER"
'Oh! you are to take his place" muir
INJURED Rose. somewhat confused. and in
felicitousIy added: I'VE are so sorry he has
TO go away for several months
DIR. Smart permitted himself a brief smile.
eyes, am afraid I shall find II difficult. If
not impossible. to reconcile his patients to
his absence" he answered gravely.
"Oh, 1 didn't mean that" stammered
Rose, and was trying to explain she meant
she was sorry that the doctors health
forced him to temporarily resign his prac-
tice, when the guard came up with ''Step
in, SIR"
May L come in here?' asked the unap-
preciated locum tenens.
do, unless you wish to smoke" she re-
piled, still confused.
II have been smoking all the way from
London" he replied, springing in. The door
banged behind him and the train started.
Rose, anxious TO atone for her malapro-
pos speech and the way she had snubbed
him earlier. and making the discovery that
he had a nice face and a nice voice and
was evidently a gentleman, began CONVEX
sationally:
I'm afraid you'll find Bennington rather
dull. It's q dreadfully dead-alive place.
You see. we are off the main line. and the
local train service is slow
Truth to tell. she did not find it so on this
occasion, for the three-quarters of an hour
the train took TO carry them from the juno
ton TO Bennington passed rapidly.
They talked first of the town and the
principal people in il, and Miss Falconer
made an alIusion presently to Lord Gay
thorpe.
Lord Gaythorpe." said the young doctor:
''hes not among my PATIENTS is he? /
don't remember DR.. Donaldson mentioning
him"
mo. DR.. Sinclair the other Bennington
doctor. attends him; but a London special
list came down few months ago when he
had his paralytic stroke. He's the great
local magnate and very rich
You say he is paralyzed?'
eyes, poor man; he's slowly dying It's
dreadfuIly sad. isn't it-for he can't get bet
ter. He used 10 entertain a good DEAL and
there were garden parties and dances at the
hall. and aunt and / went TO them ALL In
fact. sometimes Aunt Matilda used TO re-
ceive the guests for him when there were
no ladies staying at the hall, for he's a