The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-08-21

Why, ne SAID, you are cold. Poor
little girl! That fellow scared the life
out of you. Sit here by the fire a
minute. I'll give you something to
warm you up"
mo; please let me go. can't stay,
really. I'm sick. and l want to &C
home. I'll come back some other night
on purpose to see you"
She looked at him appealingly.
II wouldn't for minute think of
letting you go in such condition." he
insisted, arranging the cushion in the
chair and drawing the latter close to
the fire. "You can wait few min
utes, surely, until you have had time
to pull yourself together"
"And will you give the note?" she
asked anxiously.
"Why, that'n be all right" he as.
sured her "It isn't the note care
about, it's you.'
She seated herself reluctantly, and
he went to the sofa, gathered up an
armful of cushions and piled them un-
der her feet, SO that they were on a
level with the logs.
"Therev he exclaimed, with a boy.
ish exuberance that caused her ia
smile in spite of herself.
Then he poured out some Scotch
whisky, squirted little settler in 1t
and held the beverage to her lips.
She demurred.
"No; l never touch liquor" she said
"But you must" he coaxed gayly
cts medicine. I'm the doctor and
you have to obey orders"
She drank a little, and he gave hel
the glass, which she held in her lap
The stuff did not taste unpleasant OF
too strong.
There's no occasion for you to hur.
~" Crawford urged. "It isn't 9
o'clock yet. You don't have to &c
back to the theater-I told you I'd fix
that. All your folks are there, and II
you reach home by IL or even half-past
it will be early enough"
The whisky was warming her veins
and steadying her nerves. She felt
that it was doing her good.
"But what'll tell PatsyY' she said
'She must have found out long ago
that had left the Long Acre, and
she'll be wondering what's become OF
me. I'd rather go-much rather"
She took another sip at the glass.
"Never mind about Patsy" laughed
Crawford. ''She has to stay at the
theater; she's chorus leader and can't
leave till it's all over, because the
chorus is on till final curtain fall
Then it will take her some time to
dress and join the old people, and il
will be nearer midnight than II by the
time they reach your fiat, even If Nal.
lory takes them straight there All
you will have to do will be to put a
handkerchief around your head, as If II
were aching, and say you left because
you felt i'll. No one will ever be the
wiser. And you won't be telling a fiji
either when you say you were feeling
badly. Just now you were really ill
But you are better now, aren't your
He took her hand and stroked and
pressed it.
"Warm as toast" he declared.
ooh, yes; feel much better" she
admitted.
"That's right. I'm so glad, because
we are going to have little supper to
gether," he said.
| Supper? Oh no." she declined, vi
sions of the Fifth avenue caravansary
rising before her.
"Oh. yes" he affirmed, in the same
tone
II couldn't What would people thinl
of me if went like this?''
"But we're not going anywhere. W.
will stay right here, us two, by thu
fire."
"Not tonight. Some other time"
"Tonight-this very night. It's or
dered and will be here in q few min
utes, so, you see, you simply have tt
stay"
"Well, if it's ordered. But do yor
think it's right?''
Fright? What is there wrong about
It? What's the difference whether you
lunch with me in restaurant or have
supper with me here?"
Nora felt there was a good deal Of
difference, but she said:
81 don't know"
'"There isn't any," he declared, with
an accent Of conviction and finality.
Rogers entered and spread snowy
cloth on the little table, which he placed
in front Of the fire. Then he brought
in tray laden with the repast and the
bottles of wine.
"Put the tray on yonder chair. will
do the serving" said his master, goina
to the windows and letting the double
curtains fall.
The valet deposited his burden as d.
rected and vanished.
Crawford was brimming over with
gayety, and Nora began to enter into
the spirit of it. The few sips of whis
ky were warming her blood and max.
ing her bold and at her ease. She want
ed to help him set the table. He gen.
tly forced her back into the chair
against the cushion, and the cloak slip.
ped from her shoulders.
"You sit there, and don't you dare to
move" he ordered, holding up a warn.
ing finger.
"But I'm not an invalid" she pro.
tested laughingly.
eyes, you are-the dearest, sweetest
little invalid in the world" he said,
bending and looking into her eyes
land, as have already told you, I'm
your doctor, and I'm going to give you
v0,1r u1odfoino-thoroY