The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-12-18


like pot roast, with gravy"
And I would turn my face to the
wall.
Three hours later l would hear
Sis coming softly up the stairs, &C
companied by a tinkling of china
and glass. ! would face her, all
protest.
Didn't / tell you, Sis, that !
couldn't eat a mouthful? Not a
mouthf-r-! How perfectly scrump-
tious that looks!' -
Whereupon would demolish
everything except the china and
doilies.
1t was at this point on the road
to recovery. just halfway between
illness and health, that Nora and
Max brought the great and I'M
smiling Won Gerhard on the scene.
1t appeared that even New York
was respectfully aware of Won Ger
hard, the nerve specialist. in spite
of the fact that he lived in Mil
waukee.
Won Gerhard took my hand in
his own steady, reassuring clasp.
Then he began to talk. Half an
hour sped away while we discussed
Observation-Disclosures - every
thing but Dawn O'Hara.
learned later that as we chat
ter he was getting his story, bit
by bit, from every twitch of the
eyelids, from every shadow, and
wrinkle, and curve, and line of my
face.
Suddenly he asked: "Are you
making the proper effort to get
we'll? You try to conquer those
jumping nerfs, yes?"
l glared at him. Try! l do
everything. # ever a girl has
minded her big sister and her doc
tor, that girl is /. I've eaten
everything, from raw beef to
champagne"
"Eggs?" queried Won Gerhard,
as though making happy sugges-
tiGn.
Eggs" snorted. Eggs!
Thousands of 'em. Eggs hard ard
soft boiled, poached and fried,
scrambled and shirred. eggs in
beer and egg-noggs. egg lemon
AIDES and egg orangeades, eggs IN
wine and eggs in milk. and eggs
au natuel. So! Eggs"
"Mein Himm-l!" calculated he.
fervently. And you still live" A
suspicion Of a smile dawned i'll his
eyes. wondered IL he ever
laughed. Some fiend IF rudeness
seized me-
Laugh" I commanded
DR.. Ernest Won Gerhard stiff
fened. "rardon?" inquired he.
laugh" I snapped again "I'll
tdre "ou to do 1t. I'll double dare
you. You das.en't."
But ne did. After 4 moments
bewildcred surprise he threw back
his handsome blond head aud gave
vent to great, deep, Infectious
roar Of mirth
After that we got along beau
tifully. He turned out to be quite
human, beneath the outer crust of
reserve. He continued his exam
ination only after bribing the Spal-
poems shamefully, so that even
their rapacious demands were sat
isfied, and they trotted off con-
tentedly.
"So." said Won Gerhard at last.
"This-this newspaper work-it
must cease" He dismissed it with
a wave of the hand.
Certainly" I said, with elabor-
ate sarcasm. How should you ad-
wise me to earn my living in the
future? In the stories they paint
dinner cards, don't they? or bake
angel cakes?"
Are you then never serious ?"
asked Won Gerhard, in disapprov-
al.
Never" said I. "A worn-out,
worked-out newspaper reporter,
with q husband in the mad-house,
can't afford to be serious for a
minute. because II she were she'd
go mad, too, with the hopelessness
OF it ALL" And l buried my face in
my hands.
The room was very still for a
moment. Then the great Won Ger
hard came over, and took my
hand gently from my face. Il
do beg your pardon" he said. He
looked strangely boyish and I'M
comfortable as he said it. 81 was
thinking only of your good. You
will forgive me?"
Forgive you? Yes. indeed" |
assured him. And we shook hands,
gravely. But that doesn't help
matters much, after all, does it,"
Eyes, II helps. For now we I'M
derstand one another, is It not SO?
You say you can only write for a
living. Then why not write here
at home-for magazines? Never in
my life have I seen so many maya
zines as here in the United States.
But hundreds! Thousands"
mel" i exploded "A real
writer lady! When may I begin ?
Tomorrow? You know l brought
my typewriter with me-"
wait, wait; not so fast! In a
month or two, perhaps. But first
must come other things-outdoor
things. Also housework.
"Housework!" echoed, feebly.
''Naturlich. A little busting, a
little scrubbing. little sweeping,
a little cooking. The finest kind
of indoor exercise. Run and play
out of doors with the children.
When I see you again you will
have roses in your cheeks like the
German girls, yes?"
"Yes," echoed meekly. 81
wonder how Frieda will like my
elephantine efforts at assisting
with the homework. II she gives
notice, Norah will be lost to you"
CHAPTER III.
Dawn Develops q Heimweh.
It's hard trying to devotion into