The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-20
A CASE OF GRIP
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Attorney Bernard Holme, 1 answer you
! for the last time, NO.''
aThere was slamming of doors and a
curry of feet on the stairs. There was
also a CLEAN of wrath in a pair of fine
black eyes and a smile of amusement in
q pair of tranquil blue ones. The CUES
ton and answer had been repeated so
often that they had lost much of their
significance and all of their romance.
Before the young attorney had gone
half a block, he halted abruptly, turned
and retraced his steps Louise had mean
while taken up to ponderous tome on
nervous diseases and was intent on the
study of a perplexing case when series
of vociferous sneezes greeted her from
the outer Office.
L didn't come here to make a fool of
myself" Mr.. Holme began, as he thrust
his head in at the door; Il came to get
you to dose me up. 1 have taken a
wretched cold-sneezed seventy times by
the clock this afternoon. and l ache all
over in spots, as if 1 had been sleeping
on a rock pile. Now, don't you dare tell
me that it is the grippe"
Poke out your tongue, little boy. Here
you may smoke while l count your pulse, q"
and she placed the bulb of a tiny Their
mometer beneath his tongue. call it
wnaat you like, but it is influenza, just the
same, and a good round case of it. with
danger of pneumonia, heart disease and
other complications. Go straight home
this minute and have your mother make
YOU barrel of hot lemonade. with big
stick in it. Bon your feet for an hour
ana then turn into bed and stay there IN
III you sweat it out. Yes. and you must
take one of these every two hours and
tne woman counted out twelve tablets.
/; "All right, doctor. I'd as soon die by
your hand as by that of any other mem
Z Der of your murderous profession. BY the
way, you must have me well before Trix
comes So you were in earnest when you
said l must fall in love with HERO
Certainly, and marry her-if shell have
you. She looks exactly as ! did when you
proposed to me a dozen years ago. Trix
is IS and ought to have no difficulty in
curing you of your ridiculous infatuation
for an old maid of 80. l neglected to tell
you that she will arrive tomorrow instead
of next week"
And l neglected to tell you that have
returned in a tone that seemed to her as
unnecessarily flippant. She was in the
same sleeper with me when | went from
Albany to Boston last ~eek. While the
porter was making up her berth she came
and sat with me. and of course, we chat
ted. l recognized her by her resemblance
to you. and had no difficulty in verifying
my suspicion. I'm afraid l should have
fallen in love with her on the spot if il
had not been for the contemplate dis
loyalty to you
NONSENSE Louise exclaimed. "Go
home and take your medicine or you won't
be able to see her tomorrow evening"
and she resumed her study as if she were
quite alone. For an hour after the door
closed behind her too persistent lover, she
tried to read. For some unaccountable
reason the words conveyed no meaning
A sentence that at an yother time would |
have been perfectly lucid had TO be read |
agai mad again before she could grasp /
its significance. At length. disguised with /
herself. she threw aside the book, ordered !
her carriage and went out to make some /
professional calls. When 4h returned it /
was quite dark and the telephone was /
ringing furiousy. 1t was Mrs. Holme, and
in a voice fun of excitement she an
nounced that Bernard was very i'll, in a
"a ging fever. and that he was going on
like crazy man.
Bernard in delirium,' the physician
cried, and for the first time in her profess
sional career she lost her wits. The car
rage had been dismissed andin a tremor
of fright she ran-ycs. actually ran. to the
home of the man for whom. ont an hour
ago. she had told herself she cherished /
only a sincere friendship As she entered
the sick mans room. he stretched out
both his hands and with a hollow laugh
he exclaimed. ''Trixie. my darling. have
you come at last" With that he seized .
her hand and pressed it TO her fevered /
cheek How l have been longing for
you" he continued And to think that.
she thought. all the time I wanted her
Bah, she's a cranky old maid and blue
stocking in the bargain. / was foolish
enuogh to think=I was in love with her
before she studied medicine She can go
on rolling pills till the crack of doom as
far as ] am concerned. No sane man
would want her after he had seen YOU"
For moment the physician vanished /
and n jealous wounded woman took her !
place. Louise drew her hand away. and
il was fortunate for certain Miss Be
atrice Alden that she was still in Albany
Then the physical nreturned and set to (
work to quiet the rawlings of her patient
Together she and the little mother Ia
bored and soon the sick man fell into a
tranquil sleep. Then she sent the mother /
mo- al lon, chn IL, -frff
The gray light of morning was creeping
In at the windows when the sleeper
in at the windows when the sleeper
awoke to perfect consciousness
Mother" he began family, 4 have had
such wretched dreams the blessed night
long. thought Louise was here and she
had the faculty OF changing herself first
into a fascinating young girl and then in
to sour old has Mother. do you think
she cares even a little bit for me-"
.'She loves you more than anything in
the world, even her darling profession
for Louise was on her knees at his bed
side and had her arms around him. Il
never knew how ! loved you until I saw
you so desperately in the voice con-
tinued, and in her heart of hearts Louise
Alden knew that she was lying
When the little mother came in. some
three hours later. Bernard informed her
that DR.. Alden said he might be Ill a
long time, with suspicious stress or the
might" and that she could the better
care for him. they had decided TO be mar
He'd at once. Mrs. Holme was willing
More tina nthat, she went herself TO Sc
cure the license and the preacher. for she
had no notion Of giving Louise an oppor-