The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-05
The EVENING STORY

(By JEANNE o. Loizeux. }

The Important Thing.
/ (By JEANNE o. Loizeux.)
| Dr.. John Trevor lifted his big
rumpled black head from his book
and, with his mind still full of minor
Surgery. scowled on his friend who
needed. He concluded to give Nor
ton minutes attention and then, if
necessary, put him bodily forth from
| the office and be rid of him.
come out of your hole, for once,
and help a fellow in a pinch" Nor
ton was saying in evident contin-
uance OF a, to him, interesting sub
1ect. BE human. You used to be oc-
casionally decent to a girl in college.
I need you-honest, Trevor. Miss
Dell is here at the Kings with her
cousin You knew her at school
Mary Trenton. 1t seems that one will
not stir without the other. 1 wish to
goodness you would take Miss Tren-
ton to the club dance tonight"
The doctor looked his friend over
with good-natured contempt. He was
snapshot diagn ostician. No need to
look at Morton's tongue; it always
time.
"Again!" he remarked caustically.
'The hundredth time since have
known you! It's Miss Dell, / take it :?
Morton. it occurs to me to inquire
why in thunder you don't marry and
have done with your sufferings? Why
be the eternal target? What Is the
important thing in your life, anyway?
If the law is like medicine, you should
give some time to your profession,
and it looks to me as if you do moth
ing but trail about after some pretty
bundle of skirts. It's well enough, but
you don't seem to be landing any
where in particular
''Well, it's serious this time. If I
thought she would-have me I'd
do-anything! I'm hard hit. think
she likes me, too; but how much?
can't get her alone if you don't help
me. Nobody else in this empty town
is fit to amuse that little cousin or
hers. You remember her? Little and
blonde and - awfully sweet, you
know"
The doctor tried to call up Mary
Trenton's face.
Seems to me do he said
thoughtfully. Morton groaned.
''To think of any human man hav-
ing to remember Mary Trenton! That
is, unless they had seen her cousin!
Are you going to be decent the next
two weeks, Trevor"
''Sure thing, boyl Make your plans
and I'll play dummy Anything to do
you a good turn. But let me tell you
this. the important thing with me is
to build up my practice, and ground
myself at every turn in my profess
sion. I want another year abroad; 1
want the best piano money can buy,
for I miss my music; want ped1-
greed Boston terrier, and a motor car
that can't be beat. But don't want
a wife-not now. I can't more than
support myself yet in the style to
which I have been accustomed, and
1 don't want to touch what Aunt
Joanna left me. 1 want to make good
myself. I tell you this because you
are a vile matchmaker, and because
you may as well know, now, that if
you have anything up your sleeve
shake it out now and have done!
That's all. Call around and IL! be in |
gala toys and do your bidding. Now |
get out!"
Morton obeyed.
That was the beginning of two
weeks unparalleled in the history of
John Trevor, NJ. d. Morton tried his /
to the utmost Con-
every evening, many after
Moons every spare minute, and many
minutes that really could not be
spared, he danced attendance on
Mary Trenton, while his friend won
his 1abored way to the heart of
Eleanor Dell, Mary was used to slav-
bluff, brilliant, totally delightful man
Of science piqued her pride, stimu-
ated her interest. He was, beneath
MS perfect courtesy, Indifferent, wary
She felt, for the first
lime in her spoiled young life, made
1uate and futile. 1t seemed that even
her great beauty did not blind him
% her little faults.
DIR. Trevor began to be interested,
% think that with a little training the
girl might really concern herself with
he real things of life. He took her
the hospitals, and she found
new life of helping open to her Wis,
bodies were to be healed! She felt
more than ever silly and futile, more
han humble and admiring. The doc
or explained everything to her. told
work, it's high aims, its stimulus to
)etter conditions for the world.
The girls began to speak of re-
urning to their own house In another
week. and summer festivities began !
O multiply in their honor. The doc
or actually neglected his practice,
md his research work was forgotten. {
lie did not realize what was upon him {
Until one night he woke from
Iream of setting a broken arm with
tut giving an anesthetic, and found
t was Mary Trevor's round little arm.
I seemed a horrible thing to hurt -,
Ter. He was cursing himself for
rute when he awoke and FOUND him ]
le cursed himself for an utter fool.
hat he could let tiny, yellow-head-
d slip of a laughing girl disturb his
peace even in dream! He
eSOlVed TO get OUT VI the ooASOA NoAAS' I
lie was glad he was going away.
But the next night was even worse, !
or he could not sleep. He now knew,
With 8. sort of terror, that he was in
oye. His prognosis was guarded. Did 9
always hurt like this, love? He 3
you'd. save that shame deferred him.
ave asked the experienced Morton,
ow safely havened in an engage a
1ent to Miss Dell But he, John !
'reyor. NJ. D., would not weakly set T
lie into mere happy domesticity. He
,o,Id devote every energy to his
Outu -ro~s;or Ha would fight off