The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-09
The Confidence OF Doctor Smart
BY CHARLES d. LESLIE
Author Of 1.-THE Gold Trap
Conplete
Aeency-A Rights Reserved

~HERE were only two passen-
gers for Bennington by the
10:45 from town, and they
- came out Of their respec-
ter Junction as a deluge of
rain swept the district. They natur-
ally did not linger on the platform,
but made haste to gain, the shelter of
the waiting-room across the line. The
young man in the travelling cap and
took a bee line for shelter, but the
other passenger, a girl inpeded by
multitude Of parcels and an um-a
brella, was much longer reaching the
waiting-room, tho the stationmaster
attended her and carried most Of her
| belongings. There he left her, damp
| flushed and cross, and wondering if
her hat was straight. She would have
liked the room to herself and q look.
| ing-glass, but the company only pro-
| vided one tiny waiting-room for both
sexes. It was furnished In the usual
style Of small junction waiting-rooms;
! that is to say, 1t contained a table,.
| two hard chairs, a bench and mural
decorations in the shape of pictorial
railway advertisements. 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 it, decorated
the center Of the table.
| There was, Rose Falconer knew, a
period Of twenty minutes to 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 be-
fore the fire to dry, and spread it over
the back of a chair. But Rose ac-
| knowledged the courtesy with such
freezing politeness that he made no
effort to enter into conversation, but
retired to the bench and took out a
newspaper.
| So, in decorous silence as behooved
two young people unintrodueed, they
sat, Rose over the fire and he some
what behind her. The girl had an
idea he watched her instead of read
ing, 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 Benning-
ton train was nearly due to start. It
would be necessary to cross the line
again, and Rose put on her mackin-
tosh and looked out anxiously for the
stationmaster or porter She wanted
one hand for her umbrella and one
to hold UP her skirt, and there was
her dressing-ba her reticule, the par
eel from Whiteley's which had arrived
after her box was packed, the hat
bought as present for Janet, the
housemaid, which, being in a card
, board box, she had not ventured tC
r put in the baggage car, and the par
eel of toys for her Sunday school class
, To convey them she wanted either
3 five more hands or a two-handed por-
tar Thoro Gaonoa6 nnthin0 for If h111
to desert her belongings and go and
: look for porter, when the man
, whom she had temporarily forgotten
> rose to his feet and, starting forward
t began with easy confidence to posses:
= himself of her impedimenta.
! IF you will permit me-" he said
II will bring these along to your car
rage"
''Please don't trouble she began
but he simply ignored her and walked
' out loaded up like a mere travelling
I married man. Rose, perforce, had tt
. follow, and what with the wind ant
e rain, and having to prevent her UNI
V brella from turning inside out, ant
= wondering if her hat would be ruined
= angry with him. ~
He found her an empty carriage
: bestowed her luggage therein, AM
= then from the steps said: II see 70,
are going to- Bennington-do yo1
: know DR.. Donaldson Of that town."
=. He is our doctor, replied Rose.
3 '"rhen may I introduce myself a
I I DR.. Smart, who is to be his locur
. tenens this summer? ?"
:, ooh! you are to take his place,
- murmured Rose, somewhat confused
g and infelicitously added: I'VE are s
n sorry he has to go away for severa
8, months"
Dr.. Smart permitted himself q brie
smile. Eyes, I am afraid I shall fin
r it difficult, If not impossible, to recon
cile his patients to his absence" h
d answered, gravely. r."
ooh, I didn't mean that" STAN
r mered Rose, and was trying to explai
o she meant she was sorry that the doc
tors health forced him to temperate
It resign his practice, when the guar
came up with a "step in, SIR
It MAY I come In here?" asked tn
= unappreciated locum tenens.
DO, unless you wish to smoke" sh
replied, still confused.
IT have been smoking all the wa
from London" he replied, springin
in. The door banged behind him an
the train started.
Rose, anxious to atone for her ma
apropos speech and the way she ha
snubbed him earlier, and making tn
discovery: he had a nice face and
nice voice ana was reVlOenLly d SeIltlt
man, began conversationally:
I'm afraid you'll find Benningto
rather dull. It's dreadfully deat
alive place. You see, we are off tt
main line and the local train servtt
is so SLOW"
Truth to tell she did not find it (
on this occasion, for the three-qua
tiers Of an hour the train took to carr
them from the junction to Bennini
TON na ssed raDfdly.
They talked first of the town ar
the principal people in it, and MI
Falconer made an allusion present
to Lord Gaythorpe.
Lord Gaythorpe," said the your
doctor; "he's not among my patient
is he? I don't remember DR.. Donal
son mentioning him."
mo. DR.. Sinclair, the other Be-
nington doctor, attends him; but
London specialist came down fe
!. months ago when he had his paralyt
. stroke. He's the great local magma
: and very rich" -. s.
IN "You say he is paralyzed ?"
W Eyes, poor man, he's slowly dy1n
It's dreadfully sad, isn't it-for
can't get better. He used to ente
tam a good deal, and there were ga
den parties and dances at the Hail, a.
e aunt and went to them oil. In "a
sometimes Aunt Matilda used TO I
= ceive the guests for MIN wnen the
: was no ladies staying at the Hail, I
he's a bachelor. Now, OF cour'
there's nothing going on there.
IT, <Snyy n SsvNA