The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-05-20
His Old Friends Daughter


| This was the doctors first reflection
when he had read the letter, with
Lorna sitting awaiting the result-sit-
ting and smiling a smile Of eagerness
and contentment while she gazed about
her. Somehow the smile seemed scarce
| ly to suit her black frock.
"Poor papa didn't know what was to
become Of me- she remarked when
WHEREFORE turned his wrinkles toward
her. "He said there was no one but
you. He had awful bad luck, you
know, poor dad!'
"She's no good for governess,'
thought Wilberforce in that moment.
"She's too young and pretty, and she
doesn't distinguish properly between al
adverb and an adjective"
To her. however, he spoke with sub
lime cheeriness.
tits all right, If you can rough 1t,
my dear" he said. The next moment
he blushed to his greying hair. The
my DEAR had slipped out unawares.
He was q very tender doctor to his
youthful patients-could persuade them
even better than their mothers to bolt
his nastiest messes. That was how 1t
happened.
I'm forgetting myself" he added,
with rather stiff laugh. What
mean Is that We'll rub along somehow
till you tire of it, Miss Harper. It's
difficult for me to imagine that my old
friend Toms daughter can be grown
up"
Her own laugh in reply was anything
blu. stiff.
"Oh, It's quite all right, DR.. Gates"
she exclaimed land very, very good Of
you; but please don't call me Miss Har
per- I seem to know you SO well, you
know, because dad was always talking
about YOU He used to call you Wildly
, Gates and me-Trilby. That was be-
cause I didn't wear shoes If I could
help it until I put up my hair"
Wildly and Trilby!
Wilberforce hoped to heaven such IL
} conaa tenation would never reachs his
housekeeper's ears.
But it did. That first evening the
girls spirits had become high enough
for her to take sundry little liberties
I with him. She insisted, for example,
= on watching him make UP his medl-
\ cines, asking reverently about the poi
| sons and decided that DR.. "Wilby" was
much nicer than DR.. Gates. She called
him DR.. Wildly at dinner, and looked a
challenge at the towering and stately
Mrs. Martin, who was placing an entree
on the table at the time.
81 expect Mrs. Martins shocked
she ventured, struggling like the spoilt
young thing she evidently was.
IT expect she u.s." ventured he.
| "Well, yes" said Mrs Martin her.
self, after some impressive eyebrow &C
4 ton; ut Is not q manner Of addressing
I Dr. Gates which I can precisely say
l that I like"
J The next day people began to tall
about Lorna taking its dear doctors
arm In the public streets; and Mrs
\ Martins lips wore threatening aspect
l from breakfast to bedtime. Mrs. Mar
tin waited at table now with a tigh
4 mouth anu BlduCeb Ut LoTfa WHICH uel
master thoroughly understood.
Wilberforce was himself already dis
turbed In mind and spirit, amused lit
tie, but disturbed still more.
OF course, there was the alluring sid
! to it. Some of the visions that cam.
to him of perpetual life with a dyinI
! young sunbeam were so truly disquiet
ing In their insidiousness that he coul.
only pace about and stamp his foot o.
- them.
- Lorna loved flowers, and would hav
them.
She persuaded Wilberforce to Civ
u her a shilling day to spend on sue
u pretty things. The result was delight
full, She put rosebuds by the very sku
on his surgery table. and Wilberforc
u admitted quite truthfully that he at
" his breakfast with more pleasure tina
n ever before, thanks to the fragrar
ID blossoms by the coffee pot.
II But Lorna herself was the flares
q blossom Of all. And this also he admi
u ted--ta himself
q a week passed. and Lorna's secon
q ! Sunday in Rulatead arrived.
do you know. Mrs Martin" aske