The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-09-14
D]1s1LLus1oNED.
Rx 6. Perry,

means and be OF Il good disposition, but, !;
though several ladies in Ieriya!e fulfilled
all these requirements, his choice had not
yet fallen on any of them. And, besides,
he was not in the least in love.
1t would be ~imprudent to venture the I,
assertion that DIR. Stephens had always
remained Indifferent to the pretty and
agreeable girls he had met in his wander
Ing, and being a fairly attractive fellow,
as we'll as Perivale's only medical practi-
toner, 1t is safe to say that eyes of ev-
cry hue had looked upon him with more
or less favor.
Oh! yes. He had his Intermittent love
affairs. There was Maggie Scott. He had
loved her to distraction for two months,
when she wore a particularly sweet thing
in hats: when the hat went out of fashion
DR.. Stephens love went with 1t.
Again, there was Minnie Grey. His heart
in this case had %capitulated to the pc
culiarly fascinating manner in which the
fair damsel lisped. He overheard her speak
to her brother once, and
But these and others were but the idle
dreamlets of a day, and DIR. Stephens
sighed for the genuine article that wears
we'll. He excused his seeming Inconsistency
on the plea that love is a lottery, and, If
one wishes to win, one must at least play.
So he accordingly played battledore with
the hearts of the fair eligibles on his list
of patients, and kept his eyes open and
watched his heart carefully, expecting to
experience some day that sudden sense OF
rapture, that magnificent thrill which, as
everybody knows, is the first and true
symptom of the proper and the legitimate,
and the all-sufficing love-the love that
DIR. Stephens sighed for.
Its all a matter of pulsation,' the doc
tor assured himself. "If you think You're
in love, feel your pulse. Cupid's barometer
is the thing to go by
One afternoon, about 4 o'clock, DIR. Ste
t,np, ~ ate l,;-,-alr l., It, tsN
room. and passed his fingers carefully
through his hair, which could not, ever in
courtesy, be called auburn. He was very
weary waiting for that magnificent thrill
which he expected to experience some day
and he sighed profoundly as he glanced
round the rather dismal room. How un.
comfortable and cheerless it was, to be
sure; how much it lacked the tender
touches of a woman's hand, the charm
of a Woman's presence. And the little
low armchair by the hearth there, wher
would it be filled by the sweet little form
the unknown but coming so~mebody-thai
DIR. Stephens loved to picture in it? How
very nice it sounded, to be sure! My
little-wife-wife! My-wee wife-My-
"A letter, sir"
1t was the Doctors servant who broke III
upon his reverie. He frowncd as he lifted
the letter from the table and opened IL
slowly. 1t was very brief, containing only
these words:
Dovecot House. Tuesday.
Dear Sir-Please come and see me al
once. Yours truly, BABS GRANTLl1Y."
"Babs." he repeated. What a funny
name. Something nice about it, too. Some
antediluvian spinster, / suppose, whose
name is the only nice thing about her. I'm.
perious. too. by George. 1 heard there
We're new tenants ut Dovecot."
That is what John Stephens. NJ. d.. a.
he signe himself, said before he saw Mis-.
Barbara Grantley, and when his well-ap
pointed brougham rolled along Perivale's
only street, and drew up in the pretty gar.
den in front of DoNecot House. our doctor
all unconscious Of his impending fate,
complacently jingled a couple of guineas
in his trousers pocket, With the agreeable,
expectation of soon adding a third.
ID stephens" announced a smiling
little maid, in a low voice, and as the doc
tor advanced with the door closing behind
him it was to see that he was in a PRETTY
furnished boudoir, While reclining Gu q
couch near the fireplace was n lady, who
Immediately acknowledged his presence by
a charming smile and bow. And them
at last! DIR. stephens experienced that
magnificent thrill he had been waiting for
so long. His heart thumped away, just as
1T ought to: his legs trembled; his mouth
opened and closed several times IN an aim
less sort of way; his pulsc-but, in brief, he
rapidly experienced every symptom which
ptl'IlNIS aiIN illNllCdltS alIlt eAlSlGIlte Oh lIle
proper, the legitimate, the genuine love.
His happiness made him almost dizzy, and
he had to se.2e hold of one of the chairs
for support. Yes, this was love: there
could not possibly be any mistake about it
this time.
Nainly he e~ndeavored to assume his us
usual matter-of-fact, professional polite
ness. His heart beat SO fast he could
hardly speak,
My patient. Miss Grantley, I presume?
Would you-al-'' he began advancing
toward the couch, with the assistance of
the chair backs. How funny his legs felt,
to be sure.
Would you-ah, ah--." he repeated,
taking Miss Grantley's proffered hand
which little courtesy had the wonderful
effect of sending a second edition of that
magnificent thrill through %Stephens's sen
Would you-ah, ah1' he solemnly
repeated, determined to lave it out this
time, would YOU allow me to see your
pulse and let me feel your tongue"
Now, DR.. Stephens had not the slightest
intention of being amusing, but, to his
infinite disgust. he discovered as soon as
he spoke that Miss G~rantley was greatly
amused. She pressed her handkerchief to
her face and bit her lips, but after a mo-
ments futile struggle she laughed out
right, and evidently only checked herself
when he looked SO furious. In considera-
b llOIl " iilS .IJuLSA lCclilSS, size assumed
an air Of mild but preternatural serious
ness.
"1t-it-isn't my pulse or my tongue
she gravely explained, its my ankle, sir,
and only a slight sprain.
DR.. Stephens was excessively embar-
raised. He was not altogether stupid; and
really. when we consider the suddcness OF
the thing it amply excuses the exhibition
of a little foolishness and nervousness
And then to be asked to look at and touch
her ankie!-and a very pretty ankle it was
too!
A~polog.zing profusely the doctor care
fully-very carefully-eXa1nined the pretty
little foot that just peeped out from among
the many folds of l3ab's skirts: and he
vowed-to himself-that he would gladly
go on bathing and bandaging his fai" sub.
ject forever.
Babs certainly looked nice. She was q
small and dainty young lady with bonny
rogu,sh blue eyes and a wealth of wilfu
golden hair that friZ2led over her brow
and looked as if it had been rufaod b,
many a sunny summer breeze. DR.. Steph.
ems noticed with keen, observant eye tn,
curling sweep Of the long brown lasnes
that shaded the delicateiy rounded check
and for the first time in his professional
career, physical weakness struck him a: