Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-20

Vanessa To- his magnificent Ovanla, ike spehuld
But the noises hushed 1--WE were loving your
butterflies" said a sweet voice.
at isn't true that white butterfly is ghost?,
said Monty. ii johnny died and then they all
Johnny tf is getting we'll said Dr.. Lloyd. go -,
NANNY Rose said that If you didn't Kill MN
you'd cure him." said Mary suavely.
DO look as if killed good little boys?
Johnny is bad boy. Paula said So
paula isn't our mama indignantly Paula is
matnas sister Mama is angel in Heaven"
That is" said little Mary, III she isn't white
butterfly. We we're looking for a white butterfly
We'll look for luncheon" said the Doctor, and
in the dning-room he succeeded in establishing
spilled his milk, and Monty choked and 10 Kicked
him, and Mary shed tears, on the whole children .d
were not SO bad as Dr. Lloyd 10y had thought W men
3 some small chemical doings which seemed ike
legerdemain.
Paula was still beside the bed and Johnny
doing very we'll He sent her at once to sec the
Others at some distance, and whether of his author
ity or feeling there should be no discussion there
she went finding couple OF long beams lald across
the stream, with a rope hand-rail stretched from
tree to tree.
ooh Paula PAULA" the children cried running to
meet her, nearly as they were allowed, as she come
over the grass, she isn't a monster at all. Benson
saws he's very learned man. He's got strings of
medals! Benson says. Johnny that day came near
DESTROYING something millions of lives hung on.
How can millions of lives hang on something in
tin pan with glass cover? oh, Paula, come here
and see Benson burn ice?
She came back to Johnnys bed, with her arms
full of the Towering wild white azaleas, looking
spirit of peace and health Presently however, he
took the flowers and RHt them into the next ext re- nj
danger now; but he will not NEEDLE with culture
germs again. Now shall leave the case with Dr.
Parshley But Benson and Marina will keep the
children till the boy is right and till they are safe
in seeing him; hope you have forgiven me for
Johnny's bath"
To his astonishment she did not reply. She stood
there, all at pale and dropping
DO you mean he said Shall I continue"
ooh, yes" she sighed. Il SO ignorant, 1 am
so heipless-so young-with all these children to
care for If"
Then I will come till all is we'll" He stopped
Oh pr Lloyd to think that. with all your work
MePe Wise man but YOU didn't know what had be-
fallen you! All night he slept and walked by turns
with the alternate vision of the roseate creature
with her full of the white azaleas all health
and joy, and then of the pale dropping one mplor-
ing~hs aid The shrll cries of quarrelling birds the
hoarse cooling of doves on the roof, the chrpng of
an ived wall full of sparrows all mingled with hrs
dreams when he awoke. Once it would have seemed
maddening. This morning he could not move swiftly
enough to make part of it.
paula says we're to beg your pardon for what
we said, they cried as he came into the breakfast
room. "She says it's no wonder you were mad when
Johnny upset the frame. She says Johnny'd be
deader if it wasn't for you"
There were ups and downs in Dr. Lloyds
tons the following weeks, but the ups predominated
and the ups were very up indeed on the days that
Paula came far the barrier he had placed,
and talked with the children at safe distance. He
himself out of sight although not beyond see
ing, at these moments and the thoughts that swept
through him past his own reading
But when at last it was safe for the children to
return to Old Place certain CONSERVATION seized
him. No glad sorry calling and crying, no sing
ing, no patering of storming feet, no forgiving or
confding caresses-the house dreary as a tomb, the
grounds deserted and the grassy spot across the
stream full of gaiety and life and sweetness And.
than ALL no Paula! No slender, white gowned
sautng the children crowdng joyously the
barrier as they might, no swift, gracious smile for
hhimselfrnothing, nothing but CHASTITY loneliness
Fancy his delight, his fright, too, when Marina hav-
ing brought them out to Paula and Johnny with
Nanny Rose was standing at the other end OF the
and, turning to him. exclaimed, in sudden tears,
oh, please, please, we'd rather stay!
Mary cried Paula And the little wretch fled
and hid her face in her aunts gown.
You can come back every day and all day long"
said DR.. Lloyd.
'And look in the symmetriscope?"
''You take it with you
That glorious possibility dissipated their grief
There race back to the house, and for leaf
cried. you will see orchids? You will see butter
flies and stars and angels wings, and everythingl"
As for Dr. Lloyd with that dark head bent over the
toy in the of that long, fair neck, in the
that dyed the half hidden cheek, he saw something
more than angels wings. Paula he heard them
like to have Nanny Rose-she killed the tree, you
know, and see, it's quite, quite dead! But all the
rest of us might stay if you come, tooF And lust
then they began and, crossing the bridge
fell Johnny like bees upon comb.
What blank it was for DR.. Lloyd after that
morning. Books, frames, laboratory work nothing
contented him. He was listening for the hubbub
of the children, seeing the face Of Paula, with its
dark beauty, the grace of her slow movement, the
tall, slim figure. He stayed So till she came with
the children to take him home with them.
Science was badly neglected in this long Summer
DR. Lloyd, sort of tutor of the children took them
on his tramps, Paula usually along. But when the
last leaf wondered over, he found himself look
ing into the face of Winter with something like
horror. Tiff they were only one family A
thought came as if an angel had stopped into the
room and rradated it with cleaning gold. Then all
was dark again. That preposterous vanity, for one
creature like Paula-he old, already grizzledl He
was really very old-not yet forty-the gray in the