La Junta tribune., 1907-06-08
oe0VSSVvV~|VW
OF the Twentieth
Century.
BY Otho b. scnsa.
Copyright, i,a. by May MeKeon.
BY Otilo b. Scnca.

room. lDqulring nn1ious!y. How 10
you hnd my father. Dr. Blythr'
His condition Is serious he admit
ted, but with good care
She cut short the conventional piat-
fudes.
when will he lie able 10 go out
agnin?''
Not for weeks emphatically.
Her look Of anxiety deepened.
What s your fathers business.
Miss Halir'
He is manager Of the local tele-
phone system and attends personally
to feps firing and keeping up the line"
.-That means a great deal Of hard
work. syDpathetically.
"Yes, particularly In the winter. The
circuit comprises nearly 800 phones.
and the line extends out into the coun-
Try In all directions
"Dlscontinue II In the winter" IN.
thinkingly.
The subscribers need II more then"
xraveiy. Nearly all OF them are farm
ers and depend upon their telephones
for communication with the village
and with each other
III possible. keep from your father
all anxiety concerning the business.
fear nervous prostration In bis case"
During his round OF calls DIR. Blyth
thought often OF the beautiful girl with
the sweet. grave voice. He WIS u
stranger In Lindsey and was taking
up his uncIe's practice.
Fred Hall sick? That's too badr'
was his uncle's comment But they'll
manage all right" with n country doc
tors knowledge of his patients af.
fairs. Mrs. Hall is strong and a good
nurse Fid.iia understands the bust
ness thoroughly. Too bad she isn't a
boy II will take about all the man
ayers salary TO hire u man to come
here from the city to do the outside
work"
Dr. Blytb wns 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
evening Tidelin met him In the hall
as he was leaving
"Do you feel encouraged DIR. BlythT'
'Yes," kindly. but his nervous con-
dliion is serious Is he worrying about
the businessf''
Il think not" hopefully. II hold his
position as manager, and that encour
arcs him. He has NIL confidence In my
ability
"lou are a brave girl" enthusias-
tically. 'You have some one for the
outside work -
She hesItnied. coloring rosily.
IL have the services of very COM
petent iinemau."
Where Is your 'centralI
Here" Indicating the room adjoin-
Ing. I've always been fathers hello
girl" smiling brightly.
on several succeeding calls the ply
sician saw no one outside the sickroom
but Edith Hall, girl about thirteen.
sharp OF eye and OF tongue wholly I'M
like Fldelia he thought
I'm hello girl now" she cried i'm
portantIy. "Fidelia's out looking after
the line the Iineman.'
He recalled his uucle's remarks TO-
garlinc Fideiia's knowledge of the
business.
'The brave little girl" he Inurmured.
with a tenderness wholly unnccount-
able ''Shc will wish to supervise the
llneman's work for awhile. I'd like TO
be the lineman II 1t means daily
drive with the little Fidelia.''
On the following evening he saw
Fidelia In her office. He reported hope
fully OF her father and reJoieed In her
words of praise for his professional
care.
1--WE often thought she observed
earnestly. that I'd Ike to be n doc
tor
DIR. Biyth smiled somewhat satirical.
ly.
"You forget, Miss Hall" rather lofti-
iy, your physical inability TO cope
with the hardships incident to a conn
try doctors life. He must brave any
storm or cold. A delicate girl like you
couldn't endure it,
A little Pickering smile lurked for an
instant nj the corners OF the pretty
mouth.
Don't you approve of women being
physicians:"
Frankly. Miss Hall. I do not
Aren't you somewhat old fashioned.
doctor. not TO say antiquated. in your
idcas:' quizzically.
Perhaps. stifiiy, but there are SO
many occupations for which woman
is wholly fitted that It seems regret.
table she should enter upon one entire
ly rnsuited to her"
"And may I ask" demureiy. what
are some that you consider suitable for
womenT'
"wcil.~ hesitatingly. FIRST. home
making. a woman should be-er-a
wife and--and mother. of course
Those privileges" quietly. ARE de
MED some women. Go on"