Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1907-10-31
BECAUSE OF THE DOCTOR
Copyright. by Daily story Pub. Co,
BY HELENE HICKS


The great physician hesitated, try
ing to choose comforting words. 1t
was difficult to find the tactful thing
to say, with those great, eager eyes
fastened upon him.
She was so vivid, so intense, that
the man, celebrated specialist though
he was, felt nervous about what she
would do.
Suddenly the girl leaned forward,
interrupting his carefully chosen plati-
tudes. How long have l got to
live?" she asked.
The doctor coughed with embar
rassment. Her abruptness seemed al
m3st indicate. He was used to
smoothing the rough edges from brutal
truth by fair-sounding words.
"Um-two years-probably not so
long. IL can't say exactly"
Good" she cried, rising briskiy.
Doctor, you have made me the hap
pfest woman on earth
The famous one was left gasping
What very extraordinary wom-
AMI" he said disapprovingly. Some
how, the girls fiippancy degraded the
dignity of his position. His opinions
customarily made keen impressions
upon their victims.
The next day Mrs. Thelma Byron
eloped with Lloyd Bromley
The social world went into hyster-
les, and Dr., Allison the nerve spe-
cialist, shook his head bewilderedly
1t was inconceivable to the good, con-
sentative man, how any woman hover
ing on the brink of the grave, could
be so frivolous -
There is one thing" the doctor
thought sorrowfully, ''she will not live
long enough to be cast aside, as all
of Lloyd's =others loves have BEEN"
THE guilty couple fled to an en-
chanting place on the shores of the
Mediterranean, where roses bloomed
most of the year, and the air was
heavy with passion.
At the end of the first three months
Lloyd asked Thelma if she was
happy. .4z.-t.
Are you?" she demanded.
They were lying on the grass upon
a Sloplng hillside. -.
The man settled his handsome head
more comfortably in her lap. go.
do you recollect an the mad things;
1 said to you ages ago in New York,
when we only knew one another by
face, and was wild to taste the soul
behind your beauty" ....
She laughed cynically.
You raved in quite the appropriate
fashion" she returned. s-,--.-
Il did not mean one word of it all"
he confessed.
81 knew it, she retorted.
He looked at her in establishment.
Then: why did you come with me?"
Tell me first whether have made
you happy"
"He' raised his arms and drew her
down. until, their lips met in a caress
that was deeper than kiss. Then he
pushed her from him almost roughly
There is my answer" he said. 81
have never wanted to kiss any woman
after living with her for three months.
want to kiss you more, to hold you
closer now, than on the first day We
left home together. People have
called me tickle so often that 1 had
Begin to believe they were right, but
now l know better, l was merely seek
ing my true mate"
ut was rather hard on the other
Women" she remarked dryly, letting
her fingers touch his hair his throat,
his face. with tremulous little move
ments. .--
Lloyd shivered with physical &C.
stacy.
"You are the most delicate thing in
the world" he murmured. You are
the embodiment of nightingale's
carol; you are the spirit Of the moon
light, and the mystery of the sea-
She looked very deep into his eager
eyes. Tell me some more" she COM
manded, with a catch in her voice.
You are the joy out of pattering
summer shower, you. are the passion
in the glow of the midday sun; you
are the expression of my ego; you are
life of my life, my Eve"
He sat up with outstretched arms
as he ended his exhortation, but for
once she did not yield her tender body
to his embrace.
Listen" she said seriously, there
is something I must tell you 1t may
help to stretch out our frail happiness
a little. was horribly afraid of you
when l left my comfortable, conven-
tional, stupid home, and my INSURER
ably indulgent husband, and delib-
erately accepted social damnation for
your sake. 1 am afraid of you now.
Oh, don't protest any more. 1 know
1 have amused You rather better than
the others did. They were a silly
lot. l have seen nearly all of your
victims at one time and another,
succession of well-groomed creatures
with profiles instead of brains.
am not like them at any rate You
will always remember me as different
-piquant, if you like to put it that
way. You said the other night that
/ was the most audacious. thinker
you had ever known Perhaps it is
the very physical weakness of me /
which loosens my lima gfnation. "A. wom-!'
an hesitating in the doorway of he'll.
is apt to. let her mind wander as. it
will So many apparently important
things fade into before
the certain knowledge of a1sspeedy
DEATH
What are you talking about?"
Or. Elmer Allison gave me two
years" .aShe flung the words at him.
do. you believe you can be faithful
SO long?"