Lower coast gazette., 1913-08-30

elbow about the musical c~areer?"
"Why, nothing about it," she replied
stoutly; then as she went out she
turned to thrust her head back
through the door. "Next time you're
baffled in a case, Doctor Bruce" she
said, saucily, "I'm at your service"
The following morning when Doc
tor Bruce came softly up the Deane
steps he almost stumbled over the
wheel-chair on the veranda. Mrs
Deane was sitting idle; the untouched
sewing had slid from her hands; ii
her eyes, fixed on the far distance
was a look of listless indifference.
The sight smote him: MARTHA
he said, as he steered the chair int
the house, eve come to change YOU
treatment"
From a corner of the telephone
room Miss Chloe looked up with puck
cred brow and poised needle. "There
l had just settled mother out where
it was cool!"
"And we were going out presently
to show her that lovely fancy stitch
she's forgotten" Miss Lydia chimee
in.
"She doesn't want to remember any
fancy STITCH" said the doctor
brusquely. Get up, Rachel" HI
leaned over the wheel-chair, and lift
ing Mrs. Deane bodily, placed her il
the chair that Rachel had left
"Now," he remarked in a satisfied
tone, as he fitted the ear-piece clum'
silly over the willing head, "l've
changed your medicine. One dose
every morning for three hours, anl
every evening late for one."
The sisters were a%stonished, they
were outraged; they doubted his san
ity.
"Look here, girls" commanded
Doctor Bruce, when they were at last
speeches.. He had seen them both
open their eyes to the light Of day
and when he said Look" they usual.
ly looked. "Whose case is this?"
Miss Chloe shifted a little. "But
now, when there's no necessity for il
any MORE" she began, land wher
mothers sick from it, anyway
"There is necessity" the doctor as
serted, "and she's not sick from 1t
she's sick for it"
Miss Lydia, with two bright spots
in her cheeks, rushed into the fray
Crippled, too," she began.
at's not Martha that's crippled,
and, anyway, she doesn't work the
switchboard with her feet; it's this
town that's crippled for lack Of tele-
phone service. Ray, here, would make
a frst-rate pianoforte-tinkler, but
Martha's got telephoning down to an
art. Ashton's been demoralized ever
since you two well-meaning blunder-
buses drove her out Of her corner.
can't and won't stand being rung up
at all hours to tell the price of eggs,
or whether I have fresh butter for
sale any longer
Rachel laughed.
CATER consulting with another au-
thority," the doctor continued, sober
", II knew this to be the best course
The two daughters were slightly
Modified. After all, had he not
brought the family bark safely, for
two generations, through a sea Of all
ments"
"You will have to shoulder the re-
sponsibility," Miss Chloe said, grudg-
ingly, after a moment.
That evening Rachel turned reluct-
antly inIo the doctors little Office
when he hailed her. The day had
seemed long since the hard hour Of
making explanations to her surprised
family. at the dinner-table. She had
told her story briefly, without COM
ment or complaint, and they, divin-
ing her state Of mind, had received
it, for the most part, in sympathetic
silence. But it was impossible not
to hear, as she left the room, jim
mics "Ho, the bounce has gone out
of poor old Ray!" and her mothers
gentle murmur. She decided instant
" that the "bounce" should come
back, but the business or regaining
it had made the remainder of the day
seem endless.
"Here," said the doctor, "sit down,
girl. / suppose you understand that
you were working that exchange bet
ter than nine greenhorns out Of ten
could have worked it, don't you? But
a wizard couldn't fill Martha Deane's
place. And the truth is, that was the
only course to take after you opened
my eyes," He rose, lighted the gas
and then turned a searching look OF
his companion. "And you knew il
would be, Ray McCoy!"
what other could there be-" re-
piled Rachel, cheerily.
martha didn't mean to be obstin.
ate,n the doctor said. "one WASN'T
J conscious of any crankiness at all
! But she was Pickering out like q
lamp after the oil is gone"
Rachel got to her feet.
"Wait a minute" commanded Doc
tor Bruce, II, for one, am not going
to have a hand in nipping that ca
reer of yours in the bud. His big
laugh rang through the little room
"I've been talking with the directors
Of the telephone company for about
the twenty-fifth time, and they've
agreed at last that Ashton ought tx
give her operator a raise. Then ]
settled things with the Deanes. The
girls jumped at my plan, and Mar.
tina, as long as she can peg away
even a little at her old job, doesn't
care if she never sees a red cent
again, and said as much. So the up
shot is, you're to do most Of the work
and draw most Of the pay-that is, il
you want the contract"
"If / want the ~contract!" ex.
claimed Rachel. "And more than
was expecting to earn!"
Certainly" said the doctor
"That surplus is for your consulta'
ton fee. Now let's cad up our pa
tent"
As he bent over the telephone he
pulled Rays head down to a leve