Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24

polite" w
| I'm a plain man. SIR" said Crunden.
grufty. IF my girls sick. I want her
| end of it,
| Bear with me-" said DR.. Blake, urbane-
ly. Il wish to be of service to YOU I
am father myself you know. as well as
There was much Kindness in his tone as
| he said this. He seemed to drop his pro-
fessional manner. He seemed determined
| not to be huffed. He was. Of course dis
missing himself. not being dismissed by
Mr.. Crunden and he had evidently made
up his mind to exit graciously. Really
the eminent DR.. Blake was not a bad old
boy, In spite of his pompousness. his
medical maxims and his very long bills.
II repeat" said DIR: Blake, II wish to
l can say, outwardly all is as it should
Debut there Is this lassitude. Lassitude
at Miss Crunden's age Is a serio0s thing.
BY the by. how old is she exactly?"
Twenty-two."
$50 1 surmised-about Twenty-Five A
critical age-always a critical age.
In our little conversations 1 have been
struck struck by your daughters charm and in
She's had a good education"
Internationally. 1 may say-not as a
doctor-as father-Miss Crunden is
very charming young lady. 1 respect and
admire her We all respect her."
Old Crunden snorted.
You black-balled her for your tennis
club
Not l. my dear sir. I proposed her
| was very sorry to hear afterward what
had occurred. But now-did 1t distress
her-make her unhappy
Il told her" said Crunden. proudly.
she oughtn't to care two straws."
Good advice. But then, you know.
young ladies of twenty-five are often
fpv ntf al
advice: You say. however. she hasn't
fretted about that?"
NO" said Crunden, after a moments
thought, "she wouldn't be such fool.
mo; very good. But if some fanciful
trouble Expresses her-well, suppose she
doesn't confide everything in you"
Shes sensible girl. If she wants
anything, she knows she can ask for It,"
"Oh, very good. But I'll give you my
conjectures. think your daughter is I'M
happy-a girl pining. as it were.''
Why should she pine? For what?"
"Ah! 1 can't prompt you there. You
itself to your"
mo"
when 1 said one is sometimes baffied
by case, had this in my mind. You
know there is sickness that girls are
subject to which is not easy to diagnose"
What sickness is that?''
Love sickness-only a conjecture-but,
is she in love?'
NO"
mo unhappy love affair? Not pining
for some handsome young fellow whom
she knows you wouldn't approve Of? Mr..
Crunden, 1 tell you fairly, If she is des-
perately in lOve-sick of love, as girls are
sometimes-that would at once account
for all the symptoms"
mo, it's not that. Can't be. We don't
have young fellows hanging about here
handsome or ugly. Besides, my girl has
her head screwed on tight enough"
Good. Then we must look out for
some other reason. thought I'd tell you
what passed through my mind-just to
offer friendly hint-which hope you
take in good part
Il thank you, SIR
Just hint. You see. she has no
mother to confide in. think If you can
win her confidence, it may be well. En-
courage her to confide in you. Girls need
safety valve; girls are absurdly fanci-
full. I learned that at home in Hill Rise,
not in the hospital or lecture room. Good
morning. 1 shan't come again-unless
you summon me-"