The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-06-16
A CASE or GRIP.

~ r. LOUISE ALDEN, l ask you
il for the last time, will you marry
me2"
Attorney Bernard Holme, I answer
you for the last time, NOR
There was a slamming Of doors and
scurry of feet on the stairs. There
was also CLEAN Of wrath in pair
of fine black eyes anu smile Of
amusement In a pair of tranquil blue
ones. The question 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 block he halted abruptly, turn
ed and retraced his steps, Louise had
meanwhile taken up ponderous tome
on nervous diseases and was intent on
the study of perplexing case when a
series Of yociferous sneezes greeted her
from the outer office.
II didn't come here to make a fool
of myself" Mr.. Holme began as he
thrust his head In at the door. II
came to get you to dose me up. |
have taken a wretched cold-sneezed
seventy times by the clock this after
noon, and ache all over in spots as
IL l had been sleeping on the rock
pile. Now don't you dare tell me that
1t is the grip"
Poke out your tongue, little boy.
Here, you may smoke up while count
your pulse" and she placed the bulb
of tiny thermometer beneath his
, tongue. Call 1t what you like, but 1t
Is influenza just the same, and a good
round case of it, with danger of pneu-
monia, heart disease and other COM
plications. Go straight home this min
ute and have your mother make you a
barrel of hot lemonade with big stick
In 1t. Boil your feet for an hour and
then turn into bed and stay there until
you sweat 1t out Yes, and you must
take one Of these every two hours"
and the woman counted out twelve
huge tablets.
"All right, Doctor. III as soon die
by your hand as by that OF any other
member 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 herr
Certainly and marry her-if she'll
have you. She looks exactly as l 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 30. neglected to tell you
that she will arrive tomorrow instead
Of next week"
"And neglected to tell you that !
have already met your niece" her com.
panion returned In tone that seemed
to her as unnecessarily fllppant. "She
was In the same sleeper with me when
| went from Albany to Boston last
week. While the porter was making
up her berth she came and sat with
me, and Of course we chatted. / rec
ognIzed her by her resemblance to you,
and had no difficulty in verifying my
suspicion. I'm afraid | should have
fallen in love with her on the spot If
1t had not been for the contemplate
dlsloyalty to you"
"NonsenseW Louise calculated. go
home and take your medicine or you
won't be able to see her tomorrow
evening"" and she resumed her study
as II she were quite alone. For an
hour after the door closed behind her
too persistent lover, ste tried to read.
For some uDaccountable reason the
words conveyed no meaning. A SEN
tence that at any other time would
have been perfectly lucid had to be
read again and again before she could
grasp its significance. at length, dis
gHsted with herself. she threw aside
the book, ordered her carriage and
went out to make some professional
call. When she returned 1t was quite
dark and the telephone was ringing fll-
rlously. 1t was Mrs. Holme, and In a
voice full Of excitement she announced
that Bernard was very Ill, in a raging
fever, and that he was going on like a
crazy man."
Bernard In deliriumr' the physician
cried, and for the first time in her pro-
fessional career she lost her wits. The
carriage had been dismissed, and in a
tremor of fright she ran-yes, actually
ran to the home of the man for whom,
not an hour ago, she had told herself
she cherished only a sincere friend.
ship. As she entered the sick mans
room, he stretched out both his hands
and with hollow laugh he exclaimed
''Trixie, my darling, have you come al
lastw With that he seized her hand
and pressed II to his fevered cheek
How | have been longing for you,
he continued. And to think that she
thought all the time | wanted her
Bah, she's cranky old maid, and q
blue-stocking In the bargain. l was
foolish enough to think was in love
with her before she studied medicine
She can go on rolling pills till the
crack Of doom as far as l am concern
ed. No sane man would want her after
he had seen you"
For 4 moment the physician vanish
ed and jealous. wounded woman
took her place. Louise drew her hand
away, and 1t was fortunate for a GER
tain Miss Beatrice Alden that she wal
still In Albany. Then the physician
returned and set to work to quiet the
rawlings Of her patient. Together she