The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-10-12


c "What you doing there, st. John2' sale
e the voice like fathers (almost) at his very
= elbow. He twisted about, and there was tht
t Doctor smiling up at him from purrinl
l automobile. He began to Chamber down.
r "Hellol" he said; Il guess I'll 60 witt
: you. It's hot up here"
"Right-ohl" said the Doctor; and The
/ steadying help OF his strong hand eased the
, ache most wonderfully. The grocer's bo,
was very humble, for such desperate char.
acter He merely observed that the red,
headed girl wanted the kid back by sun
down.
Shutdown it is, " said the doctor; then, to
St. John: :" DO you know what tea party
is, bub2 A regular grown-ups' tea party?"
St. John nodded.
MY mother has em-but she calls 'em
just teas"
"Oh, wisdoml Teas, thenl" And the
doctor laughed "What say we go to one2"
I'D just as soon."
AS the car took hill, leisurely, they met
young man coming down, walking fast, at
sight of whom the doctor stopped short on
the incline
Hi, Hod" he called. whats up2"
The young man stopped, looked straight
ahead an instant, then came over to the
machine and rested his hands on it; he wore
white hannels, grass-stained and dusty, his
eyes were tired, his yellow hair mussed, and
he held an empty little pipe between his
teeth so hard that it seemed as if they or it
must break He talked with it there-not
opening his teeth at all-an interesting thing
to watch; and he spoke senseless things, as
grown-ups often do, jerking them out
WHAT Welt got mine That's all.
This mornin' Don't blame her-but can't
buck up-in hurry. Will pretty soon
Make 'scuses for me, will you2 Someone
may ask. The aunt won't. She'll be glad.
She never wanted me-"
Hod-what are you" The doctor
jerked exactly as the young man did, and
St. John was glad to hear him shocked
because the dirty young man was not
wanted. The young man stood away, turn
ing to go.
"S all right-don't fret, Dick. I'll walk
myself straight. Say-you get busy.
The aunts got her to say she'll go to New
port. Understand"
The doctor made queer noise-so queer
that St. John turned to look at him; but the
doctor was staring with all his might at the
young man. That person half smiled-the
oldest, crookedest quirk, because of the pipe.
"You-blitherin idiot" he said "She
can't wait forever-you've never said any
thing Lately there's been too much other
lady. Mrs. A., mean-see2 Be a man
6rst-M. d. afterward. Folks are talkin -
made me wonder, even. Don't gawp-
makes me- feel better t tell you. Martyr
virtuous-all that, yknow. S'long." He
started.
1t was pretty at the tea-rugs and
tables and bright cushions on the lawn near
the tennis-court; but there was large,
foury-faced lady in a silky lavender gown
who sat and talked in high-up voice to the
people about; and she put up her Cutlery
glasses and looked at the doctor as though
she wasn't quite certain whether she knew
him, and said: Dear me, I'm afraid the tea
is out! And who is this boy?" She was
nicer when she heard ST. Johns name, and
said, How quaint" when he made his
bow; and pretty lady in big hat, who sat
by a tea cart, called the doctor and gave him
a cup Of tea and talked long time to him;
and people whispered something about
" Mrs. Appleton's nephew" and came up
and said silly things. But finally tall
young lady, in white, with no hat, appeared
bringing cookies and big glass of milk on
tray; and when she bent down and smiled
and spoke, St. John put his hand in hers
instantly. They went to long seat, and he
drank all the milk and ate the cookies and
then leaned back against the lady, whose
name was Lydia, and who was talking to
people, and looked for the doctor. Strangely
enough, the doctor was looking at them; and
St. John slipped down, went over to him and
took his hand.
Come over where we are, he urged; and
the doctor all but crushed his fingers. "Bub
you're wonderl" said he.
The lady looked up and nodded when
they got to the seat, but went on talking
with Others Once in while the doctor
spoke to people; but mostly he huncheo
down, crossed one knee over the other and
swung his foot-and St. John saw some
thing that made him start. The young
lady felt it, smiled around on him, and
bent low.
"What is it, dear2" she asked. Because
he liked and trusted her he told her; and he
had never seen a lady turn SO very red. She
half smiled, but her eyes looked as though
she were going to cry; and the doctor must
have been watching, for he said, short and
sharp: What's up, John1 What you
want2" ST. John turned candid eyes on
him, bit aggrieved al that tone.
told Lar a fouf Mr. I eadciS pof ha.,iry