The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-06-02

Little limb" exclaimed Mrs. Gift
| lord, with emphasis. She's as cheeky
rs town-hog | can't imagine what
Shirley cambridge was thinking of
when she brought that low born child
put of her sphere"
Something like growl came from
| the doctor as he struck open the
screen-door Limb I'll bet ten
| dollars she's an angel in a cedar
| tree at a church fair compared with
jome better-born young ones / know
Of who are only fit to live when
they've got the scarlet-fever and who
ought to be in the reformatory long
lgo. And as for Shirley cambridge,
It's my opinion she and her mother
and a few others like her have got
about the only drops of the milk of
human kindness in this whole aban-
ioned community"
Dreadful man." said Mrs. Clifford,
1otto voce, as the door banged vicious
y. ITO think of his being born
Southall! Sometimes l can't believe
IT,"
Mrs. Mason shook her head and
smiled. "Ah, but that isn't the real
only his SHE'LL
I've heard that he has another
side," responded the other with
guarded grimness, "but if he has, l
wish he'd manage to show it some
times.''
Mrs. Mason took off her glasses and
wiped them carefully Il saw it when
my husband died." she said softly.
That was before you came. They
we're old friends, you know He was
| sick almost a year, and the doctor
used to carry him out here on the
porch every day in his arms, like
child. And then, when the typhus
came that summer among the negroes,
ae uuarantined himself with them-the
only white man there-and treated
and nursed them and buried the dead
with his own hands, till it was
stamped out That's the real Doctor
5outhall.''
The rockers vibrated in silence for
moment. Then Mrs. Clifford said: Il
never knew before that he had any
thing to do with that duel Was he
Dne of Valiants seconds?'
Yes" said Mrs Mason; land the
major was the other. l was little
girl when it happened. l can barely
remember it, but it made a big sensa-
ton
And over a love-affair!" exclaimed
Mrs. Clifford in the tone of one to
whom romance was daily bread.
Il suppose 1t was
For a time the conversation Ian
guished. Then Mrs. Clifford asked sud-
denly Who do you suppose she
could have been ?-the girl behind that
old Valiant affair."
Mrs. Mason shook her head mo
! one knows for certain-unless, Of
course, the major or the doctor, and
wouldn't question either of them for
worlds You see, people had stopped
gossiping about it before 1 was out of
school, There's Major Bristow at the
gate now. And the doctors just COM
Ing out again"
The major wore a suit Of white
linen, with a broad brimmed straw
hat, and a pink was in his button
hole, but to the observing, his step
might have seemed to lack an accus-
toned jauntiness. AS he came up the
How do you feel this morning, Ma
ior''
"Feel?" rumbled the major; "the
way any gentleman ought to feel this
/ time of the morning, sah Like hell,
sah."
The doctor bent his gaze on the
hilarious blossom in the others lapel.
IF | were you, Bristow," he said
scathingly, Il reckon I'd quit galivant-
ing around to bridge-ights with per-
fumery on my handkerchief every
evening. It's the devil of an example
to the young"
The rocking-chairs behind the
screening vines became motionless,
and the ladies exchanged surreptitious
smiles If the two gentlemen were
aware of each others sterling quail
ties, their mutual appreciation was in
inverse ratio to its expression, and,
as the Elucinian mysteries, cloaked
before the world. In public the doctor
! was wont to remark that the major
talked like a Caesar, looked like a
| piano-tuner and was the only man he
had ever seen who could strut sit
ting down. Never were his gibes so
barbed as when launched against the
majors white-waistcoated and patri-
clan calm. and conversely, never did
the majors bland suavity so nearly
approach an undignified irritation as
when receiving the envenomed darts
of that accomplished cynic.
The major settled his black tie. "A
little wholesome exercise wouldn't be
bad thing for you, Doctor" he said
succinctly You're looking a shade
pasty today
Exercise" snapped the other
viciously, as he pounded down the
steps. "Ha, ha! l suppose you exer-
cise-lazying out to the Dandridges
once week for julep, and the rest
of the time wearing out good cane-bot-
toms and palm-leaf fans and cussing
at the heat. You'll go off with apo
plexy one of these days.
Il shall If they're scared enough to
call you," the major shot after him,
nettled. But the doctor did not pause.
turning his head.
The major lifted his hat CALAMITY
to the ladies, whose presence he had