Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-02

ment, temperament is just another word
| for temper! / don't believe in making
excuses for it. That's a great trick of
| Williams. I'm sorry to say
| Il should have thought you'd have
cured him of it by this time?' DIR. Law
endar murmured, and then he asked if the
| doctor was out.
ooh. yes" said Mrs. King. dryly:
willy always manages to get out in the
evening on one excuse or another. You d
| think he'd be glad of a restful evening
at home with me sometimes. But no.
Williams patients need a surprising
amount of attention, though his bills
don't show it. When Mrs. Riches cook
was sick-just as an instance-he went
six times to see her. I counted"
| We'll, she got well?' said DR.. Law
endar.
Got well? She'd have got we'll if he
| hadn't gone near her. Martha began to
stroke the gathers on a bit of cambria
with precise needle that suddenly
trembled. THE woman herself was not
to blame; it's only just to say that-and
there's one thing about me, Dr. Lavendar
| may not be perfect, but L am always
Just. No, she was not to blame, it was Mrs
Richie who sent for William. She Is the
most helpless woman l ever saw, for her
years; she is at least forty, though she
uses sachet powders and wears under
! sleeves all trimmed with lace, as if she
were sixteen! l don't want to find fault.
Dr. Lavendar, but l must say that /
wouldn't have trusted that little boy to
her."
'Oh." said Dr. Lavendar, Il trusted her
to the little boy! She'll be so busy look
ing after his sleeves she'll forget her
own"
sure 1 hope you are right, but, in my
opinion. she's very helpless and foolish
woman-if nothing worse. Though, &C
cording to my ideas, the way she lets
Sam Wright's Sam behave is worse!
DR.. Lavendar was suddenly attentive.
How does she let him behave?''
We'll: he is so daft over her that he ne
elects his work at the bank to write
verses. Why doesn't she stop it?'
Because said William King. appear
the barn and picking off straw here ana
there from his sleeve, "she knows moth
ing about it,
DR.. Lavendar and Martha both looked
up. startled at his tone.
Women" said the DOCTOR would Cos
sip about "a clam!'
II am not gossiping" Martha defended
herself but DR.. Lavendar interrupted her,
cheerfully
well. / am. came over to gossip with
William on this very subject Martha
will you let him put match to that
CRATE? l declare the seasons are chang
ing. When l was your age it wasn't cold
enough to have fire in May. Look here,
Richie doesn't know Sans sentiments?''
Il mean that women like Mrs Richie
are so unconscious they don't see things
like that. She's as unconscious as
girl
"Tckv' said Martha
"a girl! said DR.. Lavendar Say a
tree or a boy, but don't say girl Why
William, everybody sees it, Even Benja-
min Wright. Of course she knows it,
She doesn't she isn't the kind that
Of hot %
some women would have discovered it
months ago; one of your strong-minded
ladies. perhaps-only Sam wouldn't have
been spoony on that kind
Well" said Martha. II must saw.
flat"
But William interrupted her-"To prove
what SAY, she lets him come in and
bore her to death. just out of kindness.
Do you suppose she would do that if she
knew he was such an idiot as to pre-
sumo to-to-''
Well said DR.. Lavender, ''as there is
so much ignorance about. perhaps Sam
doesn't know he's lost his heart?'
But at that William laughed. He
knows. Trust young fellow, That's
just the difference between man and
woman. sir: the man always knows; the
woman, If she's the right kind, doesn't
until she's told
TEX said Martha
DE- Lavendar looked down at the bowl
of his pipe, then he said, meekly II was
under the impression that Eve ate her
apple before Adam had so much as a bite
Still, whether Mrs. Richie knows the
state of Sans affections or not do wish
she would urge him to put his mind on his
work. That's what I came in to speak
to you about. His father is all on edge
about 1t. and now his grandfather has
taken 1t into his head to be worried over
It, too. But you know her better than
the rest of us do. and l thought perhaps
you'd drop hint that she would be doing
missionary work if she'd influence the
boy to be more Industrious
"Pll go and talk it over with her,"
Martha volunteered. II am always ready
to advise any one"
William King got up and kicked at a
lump of coal in the crate. II am sure
you are he said, dryly: but no talking
over is necessary. I shall probably be 60
word if DR.. Lavendar wants me to.
Nothing definite: just enlist her sym
pathy for his father-and get her to pro-
tect herself, too. He must be an awful
nuisance
That's itr said DR.. Lavender. "Td do
it myself. but you know her better than
do. I'm getting acquainted with her
through David. David is really a re-
markable child. I can't tell you how |
miss him." And then he began to relate
Davids sayings. while Martha sewed
fiercely, and William stared at the hearth
rug. 1.-The little rascal is no Peter Griev-
GUS DIR. Lavendar declared, proudly;
and told story of badly barked knee
and a very stiff upper lip; land the ques-
tons he asks said the old man. holding
up both hands: Theological questions:
the house of bishops couldn't answer
emf He repeated some of the uues-
tons, watching the husband and wife
with swift glances over his spectacles:
when he had wruns a reluctant laugh
from the doctor, and Mrs. King was not
sewing so fast, he went home, not much
rested by his call.
(To be Continued Tomorrow