The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-20
For Sale and Guaranteed by E. @. FOWLER

gravely. Nearly all of them are farm CTS and depend upon their telephones for communications with the village and with each other" | If possible, keep from your father | all anxiety concerning the business. fear nervous prostration In his case" | During his round of calls. Doctor Blyth thought often of the beautiful girl with the sweet, grave voice. He was a stranger in Lindsey and was taking up his uncle's practice. Fred Hall-sick-thats too bad, was his uncle's comment. "But they'll manage all right" with a country doc tors knowledge of his patients af- fairs Mrs. Hall is strong and a good nurse, Ftdelia understands the business | thoroughly. Too bad she isn't boy-- 1t will take about all the managers sal ary to hire a man to come here from the city to do the outside work. Doctor Blyth was disappointed when several calls were made upon the sick manager without seeing Fidelia- She was constantly in his thoughts, and her lovely face seemed always before his eyes.
 By chance, his next call was in the 4 evening. Fidelia met him in the hall as he was leaving.
 DO YOU feel encouraged. Doctor
 "Yes," kindly. ''but his nervous con- dition is serious. Is he worrying about l the businessT
 | q think not" hopefully. T hold | his position as manager, and that en- courares him--he has all confidence in my ability"
 you are a brave girl" enthusiast ically. You have some one for the outside work?"
 She hesitated. coloring rosily.
 IT have the services of very competent 1ineman."
 "Where is your 'centralT "Here indicating the room adjoin- ing. 'Tve always been fathers hel- | To girl smiling brightly. On several succeeding calls, the phy" | sician saw no one . outside the sick room, but Edith Hall, girl about thir- teen. sharp of eye and of tongue wholly unlike Fidelia, he thought.
 I'm hello girl now she cried, im- portantly. "Fidelia's out. looking after the line-the lineman." | He recalled his uncle's remarks re- garding Fidelia's knowledge of the business.
 '"The brave little girl" he mumured. with a tenderness wholly unaccount- able. "She will wish to supervise the lineman's work for awhile. I'd like to be the lineman, if 1t means a daily drive with the little Fidelia.
 On the following evening, he saw Fi- della in her office. He reported hope fully of her father, and rejoiced in her words of praise for his professional care.
 'Tve often thought" she observed earnestly that I'd like to be doctor"
 Doctor Blyth smiled somewhat sattr-
 You forget, Miss Hill," rather loft ily, your physical inability to cope with the hardships incident toa coun- try doctors life. He must brave any II storm or cold-a delicate glrl Ilke you couldn't do it."
 A little, hickering smile lurked for an instant at the corners of the pret- ty mouth.
 physiciansT
 Aren't you somewhat old-fashioned. doctor, not to say antiquated, in your ideas?" quizzically.
 Perhaps" stifiy, "but there are so many occupations for which woman is wholly fitted that 1t seems regret table she should enter upon one en- tirely unsuited to her"
 And may I ask,'' demurely, what are some that you consider suitable for | women?
 well" hesitatingly,. first. home making. A woman should be-er-a wife, and-and mother, of course"
 Those privileges" quietly. "are de- nied some women. Go on."
 School teaching" triumphantly, millinery. dress making"
 Not at all up-to-date,' smilingly, anything else?'
 "Well-er-"lamely T don't recall anything at the moment"
 You wouldn't approve. then, of a woman being a steamboat captain or an engineer. or a housepainter of a ma son?"
 "Certainly not. The last two are utterly impossible anyway"
 "Oh I don't know" lightly, "I can even imagine a woman being good lineman."
 Blyth laughed in open sarcasm.
 T wouldn't care to see the woman Wouldn't she be a terrorT'
 "WhyT" sharply.
 Take your own lineman, for exam pie, Miss Hall. Fancy a woman in his place! Driving in all weathers about this sparsely settled country, climbing poles, sitting astride cross arms" he shrugged his shoulders inpauently That's worse than being a doctorF
 Afterward he wondered if she would think he dlsapproved of what she was doing. He hoped not He consider ed 1t entirely commendable for her tc manage this business during her ia ther's illness, and the office being 1T her own home made 1t seem essentially womanly.
 He promised himself that he would sec her often--he had never before moi a girl who seemed to answer so fully the requirements of his ideal.
 But as the days went by, his glimp- ges of Fidelia were tantilizingly infre- AuAnt. He dislIked to lnaulEs for heI - - -----