Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-10-13
LANDRY'S
LETTER y
NJ GRACE G. BosTwIcK
tcopyrighs, 1901. by Daily Story Pub. Co.,

NoFyftbnstAs~-tsJ ~-.,s -N~-s
4 FELT horribly sorry for Katherine
when Landry died. 1t must have
been an awful blow. for she seemed to
lose every bit Of her spirit and went
about pale and listless for months.
You see; Landry was a fine fellow,
an. unusual fellow. / don't believe
there was selfish fiber in the mans
whole makeup. He was essentially
big-hearted and lovable. Homely In
feature to positive ugliness, he was
still attractive in appearance. He was
famous In a small way as the author
of certain delicate love sketches. very
tender and dainty in sentiment, and so
unlike him as to seem inconsistent
with what we knew Of his character.
A right jolly good fellow. with plenty
of sense and q cheerful lot Of brains
under his sandy poll.
He and Kit had been engaged for a
long time, and I knew that he fairly
worshiped her, though he was very
quiet about It. felt mild sort OF
envy. for I had never plumbed the
depths of love myself. I'd had my
little affairs, but I always hated my
self during their progress, because l
couldn't really feel was only amused
and entertained, never touched. My
friendship with Kit was the one real
sentiment Of my life, for We had been
like brother and sister for ten years.
Ever since she had begun to yearn for
long skirts and put her pig-tails up
into the crown of womanly dignity.
Whenever Landry was away / took
his place at her side, and jolly good
times we had, and many Of them.
A few months before Landry's death
Kit seemed to change some way. She
took to incoming about for all the
world like disappointed lover. Lam
dry. too, went into the dumps. He
grew thin and pale and more imper-
sonal than ever. He was very tender
with Katherine, and so knew that Il
was no lovers quarrel that was wear
ing on them. She sort of chung to him
as though she felt him slipping from
her, and I've sometimes thought since
that she must have had premonition
of what was coming.
One morning, on my way home from
an all-night vigil, old Damon lost his
head and I came o pretty cropper. It
wasn't far from home, as luck would
have It, and I managed to get to the
house. I was pretty much used up,
taking my WEAKNESS and the shaking
up together and my knees shook as II
I'd been officiating at my first opera
ton. Afterward, when Kit came in to
see me. I tried to laugh 1t of, and I
3ollied her up.
Landry II be good and jealous II
you don't watch OUT I told her. II
believe you're in love with me, old
girl" Her face famed q sudden GRIM
SON over its old pailor, and she looked
at me sharply. Then l caught her
hand and pulled her down to me. !
kissed her, as I always had, and for q
moment she laid her face against my
cheek.
'swhat II you'd been killed." she
whispered. what II you'd been
killed."
you'd still have Landry" retort-
ed, and Kit slapped me. 1t wasn't the
FIRST time by any means, for you see
we'd been boy and girl together. I
couldn't help seeing that her eyes
looked funny. A new expression, I'd
never seen there beforehand I won
dered.
1t was shortly after that poor Landry
came down with typhoid. 1t was hard
case from the start Sometimes 1t gets q
grip on, q man and an NJ. D. can see
that there's no hope whatever. Thank
goodness, we were all there with him.
He wasn't alone, as he had been the
greater part Of MS life-since he'll
been a little chap, in fact He wasn't
lonely. Sometimes 1t seemed to me
that he was happier than had ever
seen him. felt that he was glad to
10. and I couldn't understand 1t. /.
broke US all up, every one OF US, for
we loved the poor fellow.
n found her on the veranda one eve
ming, alone In fhe soft darkness. I
felt 4 bit down myself. Things weren't
roing very well, and I began to think
that / was not fitted for a profession
Al life after all. felt too sorry for
my patients. / couldn't give a judicial.
Impersonal sympathy, as a physician
must to be among the ranks Of the
successful. Every death that came
under my notice worked on my mind
10 such 3 degree That It united me TO
care for the living
She took my hand and held It tightly
n both Of her Own. ! fslt . sudden