Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26
CHAPTER XIII-Continued.


yes. I know. but she wasn't, and it
hurts me worse now she Is gone that l,
would have done when she was alive.
don't seem to have anything
you have me-" ,
Then Clemency ran to him. and he held
her on his knee and comforted her. tnen
round of calls Clemency followed him 10
the door, and kissed her hand to MIN as
he drove away. James had good reason
TO remember 1t. for 1t was me iast io'i"e
salutation from her for many day
When he returned at noon the girl man
ner was unacountably changed toward MN
She only spoke to him directly wneh s su,
dressed, and then In monosyllaoles. Sne
never looked at him. She sat at the taple
at luncheon and poured the chocolate. ana
there was almost absolute silence. Emma
waited jerkily as usual. James Iahcleu
once when he met her eyes, that there was
an expression of covert triumph on her
face Emma had never liked him. he had
been conscious of the fact, but II had not
disturbed him. He had no more thousht OF
this middle-aged, harsh-featured New 1er
sey farmers daughter than he mad OF one
of the dining chairs. Gordon SAT hunlpeu
upon himself, as he sat nowadays mara
ed stoop of age was becoming visible In MS
broad shoulders, and he ate perfunctorhy
without a word. James, after NUMBER OF
futile attempts to talk to Clemency SUD
sided himself into bewiidered silence, and
ate with very little appetite. There were
chops and potatoes and peas, and apple pie
for luncheon. When II came TO the pie
Emma served Clemency and Doctor Cor
don, and deliberately omitted James: NO
body seemed to notice it, although James
felt that the omission was Intentional.
He felt himself lnwardly amused at the
antagonism which could take such form,
and went without his pie uncomplainingly,
while Gordon and Clemency ate theirs. Inc
dog at this juncture came sinking into the
room and close to James, who gave him
lump of sugar from the bowl, which hap
pened to stand near him. At once Emma
took the bowl and moved 1t to another part
nf table
q strong inclination to laugh.
The dog sat up and begged for more SUI
gar, and James, when they ali left the ia
BILE, coolly took a handful of sugar from
the bowl and carried it into the office, the
dog leaping at his side. Emma slammed
the dining-roOm door behind him. Glenn
ency. without a look at him, Immediately
ran upstairs to her own room. Gordon and
James sat down in the office as usual for
smoke until James should start upon his
afternoon rounds. Gordon asked him few
questions about the patients whom he had
seen that morning, but in dstess alb
stracted fashion, then he spoke of those
whom James would see that afternoon.
You had better take the team he said
"Clemency Is going with me, James SAID.
Gordon looked at him with faint surprise.
II think you must be mistaken. he said.
"Clemency came TO me just before luncheon
and asked If l had any objections to her
spending few days with Annie Upton. :!
told her could get on perfectly wen
without her, and Aaron is going to drive
her over. She will have to take suit case.
i knew you had to go in another direction,
and could not take her; ! thought the
change would do her good. Didn't she say
anything to you about it?'
81 think 1t will do her good. She needs a
little change" James replied evasively. AS
he spoke Aaron came out of the stable
leading the bay mare harnessed to buggy.
''She is going right away, said GORDON,
looking little puzzled. He had hardly nm
ished speaking before Clemencys voice was
heard in the hall 1t rang rather nara, put
quite clearly. Goodbye" she called out
Goodbye" responded Gordon and James
together Gordon looked at James, aston
ished that he did not go out to assist Glenn
ency into the buggy and bid her goodbye.
He seemed about to question him, then he
took another puff at his pipe and mis- face
settled into its wonted expression OF gloomy
retrospection. Boys and girls love affairs
seemed as notes in a beam Of sunlight TO
him at this juncture.
James started to go, the horses were
stamping uneasily in the drive, and he had
q long round of calls to make that AFTER
noon. ~
q good deal on you, Elliot, he SAID Win a
kind of hard sadness.
That's all right" James replied cheer
fully II am strong. l can stand 1t II the
patients can. I fancied old Mrs. Steen was
rather disguised to me this morning.
heard her say something about sendin a
boy to her daughter, and when went into
the bed room she glared at me ana saIo
Your" James laughed.
Her case is not at all desperate, Cor
don said gloomily. She Is merely on the
downward road of life. Nothing ails her
except that You can supply the few made
Quate crutches OF tonics as well as any one.
There is not one desperately sick patient on
the whole list now that KNOW s, o. aionou agri
rather puzzles me- she breaks every oias
nosis all to pieces.
"Hysteria," said James.
"Oh yes | know hySterla Is Soou way
10 account for own lack OF insight,
said Gordon, land it may be that girls are
queer subjects. Sometimes l wonder II
they know what they KNOW. LlLIdh W."
loughby does not"
Gordon, to James intense surprise, nared
into burst of anger. Yes, she Goes
consciousness l believe she does, poor niue
overstrung, oversensitve girl half-ted as
to her body, on coarse food when she can.
not ass.milate, starved emotionally. II
girl like that has to exist anyway, why can
not she be born under different clrcum-
stances2 That girl as daughter OF a New
Jersey farmer. is an anomaly. If she mates
at all II must be with another New Jersey
farmer, then she dies after bringing few
degenerates into the world. Providence does
things like that, and the doctors are sup
posed to right things. That girl has hao
symptoms of about every known disease,
and my diagnosis has failed to prove the
existence of one Of them. Yet there are the
symptoms. Call II hysteria, or what you
will. l call 1t injustice on the part of
the Higher Power. l suppose that Is bias
phemy but l am forced to It, Can that girl
help the longings for her rights, her long
ings which are abnormally acute because of
her overtime nervous system? Those long
ings, situated she is, can never be salts
fed in any way except for her own harm
Meantime she eats her own heart, since
she has nothing else, and heart-eating pro-
duces all kinds OF symptoms. | abso-
lutely powerless In such case, though
sometimes make a diagnosis which think
may be correct, sometimes l think there is
some organic trouble which can mitigate.
But always / fall back upon the miserable
truth which l convinced underlies her
whole existence. She is q creature born into
a life which does not and never will afford
her the proper food for her physical and
spiritual needs. Oh. the horror in this
world, and what am 1 to set myself to right
It? Shut the door"
The horses are uneasy" James said.
Never mind, shut the door. Clemency Is
away. and Emma out in the kitchen. / must
speak to somebody, or l shall go mad"
James shut the door and turned to Cor
don, who sat rigid in his chair, his hands
clutching the arms. DO you think l did
right?" he groaned. You know what did.
w . ,iplto