The Washington herald., 1914-04-10
DAILY SHORT STORY.
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
By LOUISE ALICE KNOX.

ting among the other patients. was his
wife.
''Mollyr' he cried in suppressed amaze
uent, starting forward. Whats the
matter-feel sick7"
The anxiety in his face changed to
an expression Of utter blankness at her
answer.
Good morning. DIR. Ferguson! No, I'm
no sicker than these other patients-I
can wait my turn very easily!''
wait your turn" he repeated the
phrase dazedly. He stared down into
Molly's calm face with gasping incred-
ulity.
Molly, what does this mean?'' he de-
manded under his breath.
But he received only a smile for an
swer.
Plainly, Molly did not intend to ex-
plain her strange visit until her turn
came. After a moment OF waiting, DR.
Ferguson turned and beckoned the pa
tient next In line.
As he took the nervous patient into
the inner Office and began a test of her
heart. he puzzled over the cause Of his
wife's visit
It's the newspaper work" he decided
finally. She thinks she'll get around me
by pleading nervous conditions brought
on because she can't have her own way,
Oh. you sly little Molly
Yet, though 1t amused him to see the
girTs clever slyress. his will was as
nrmly set as ever against the idea of
Mollys taking up newspaper work Not
only would her social friends hold up
their hands in horror at such a move:
step OF that sort would reflect upon
him. As il the wife of DIR. ]. Mead Fer
guson had TO work,
So when Molly at last came into the
inner office and took the chair bv the
great nat-topped desk. although her hus-
bands eyes twinkled at the entirely
feminine method TO get around him. he
showed in every line OF him an iron
opposition.
Case of nerves because you can't do
newspaper work. he anticipated her
similinGly.
Molly's hands dropped Imply into her
lap. She looked long and reproachfully
into his amused face.
Then she droped her eyes. A tear
slipped out from under long lashes
Il thought YOU could do for me as
much a. you do for other patients-hear
them out with an unprejudiced mind-but
see that you can't" she said sadly. II
guess I'd better 60
But as she rose he stopped her. Some
thing in her manner touched the deepest
chords in his nature. He looked down
into her hopeless face with a feeling of
genuine contrition. She looked so pretty
and childish standing there.
Come. sit down again, and I'll treat
you as a patient" he said. why. OF
course. I'll treat you as I treat other
patients. IL you want me to-as If I
couldn't do that much for my wife This
shall be just a professional visit IL you
wish it. II WAS mean OF me to take that
stand"
1T was" she said simply. sitting down
again. II mean to pay you for this. 7
want il to he a real professional call.
For although II may not seem 10 you that
I have nerves, I have. oh. I've been
miserable for weeks
DIR. J. Mead Ferguson settled himself
back in his swivel chair. He put his
finger tips together as he did when other
patients sat before him, and tried to
imagine that the beautiful. troubled girl
lin the big chair was not his wife at all.
but an absolute stranger.
you've heen feeling miserable" he re-
peated judicialy. Well. that certainly
looks like nerves. Nerves are the result
of worry
Without looking at Molly. he knew that
she had Strengthened and was noting
thankfully that he meant to deal with
her impersOnally.
Now. what are you worrying about,
Mrs. Ferguson? There must be a cause
for your worry
He congratulated himself on his self
control: it had taken no small effort 10
say Mrs. Ferguson"
To his surprise. Molly jumped TO her
feet and began to pace the floor. Seem
ing to forget him entirely. she passed
up and down before his desk. His eyes
took on n shade of alarm as he noted
that her hands were clenChed and her
step had that catlikc clinging quality
which he had seen only in extreme cases
of nerves.
He leaned forward and stared at her
In surprise. Had he. then been blind to
this side of his wife? Was she in reality
a more highly-strung creature than he
had always believed? He listened tensely.
when her voice suddenly rose in an out
burst of rebellion:
''Oh. I've always worried" she cried
vibrantly. seemingly to herself. Il re-
member when il first began. That was
years ago-when I was fifteen. I wanted
to teach music then. l had studied and
studied with that hope in my heart. II
wanted to spread beauty in the world BY
helping other girls to express their feel
Ings in music. This seemed to me the
most beautiful thing one could do. saw
no shame in teaching. I don't see any
now! But my mother forbade il. She
seemed to find some disgrace in this man.
ner Of spreading beauty in the world
She told me that our social friends would
be shocked-that they wouldn't be able to
my earning my own living
And, So she ended bitterly my
dreams were frustrated. My ambition
was killed. I gave up music entirely |
music seemed to hurt me after
that. 1t seemed to sing to me that I was
a quitter-that I had turned my back on
ambition. In other words, it made me |
worry
With the cessation of her voice. her |
pacing stopped. Silently. she stood by |;
the wide office window. her back to the |
doctor. Her shoulders had droop that |
seemed to say: What is thesuse of try |
ing to make him see? This bit of reminis-
cence hasn't meant anything to him
hasn't told him that this first disappoint- !
nent of my life has been repeated again |
and again. He will never understand |
that a woman can have ambition as we'll |
as man. He will never understand that |
II I cannot do the newspaper work, n
shall suffer every time l pick up a paper !
After this newspapers will cry to me: |
You're a CsIittcr! You've turned your |
back on ambition Oh. what is the use?' !
With a hopeless motion, she turned. Then !
she started. To her surprise. her husband |
was standing close behind her. In his |
ACE Was tho imDerSOnally interested IODlS |