The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-09-21

run the show. A live wire like you
husband, especially with his city ex
p%erience, would just about fill the bill
|. Do you suppose, Mrs. Billiard, that thu
! doctor would consider All offer of tina
l kind?"
: Esther dropped her eyes to concea
: the CLEAN Of eagerness in them.
? Il really don't know" She plated
her skirt %thoughtfuIly between hel
fingers. How much would the posi-
ton be WORTH"
I'm afraid not more than twenty
five hundred dollars" The man spoke
ap~ologetically. never dreaming how
narrowly he escaped an ecstatic mug
from the demure young beside
him. George had told her that they
would be extraordinarily lucky if he
took in $1,000 On his first year.
She succeeded in ~concealing her feel.
ings. however.
THAT seems rather small, don't you
think2" she murmured, and the upshot
OF it was that she came into the house
with cheeks flushed and eyes dancing
with excitement.
"Oh. George! George!" she ex.
claimed. Was there ever such a
stroke OF good fortune? You're going
to be offered the post Of surgeon for
the gas company at q salary of three
thousand dollars q year"
Esther was 9 proud and happy wom-
an, and = proud and happy oma she
remained throughout the succeeding
five years Of their married life.
The doctors suspicious start proved
no fash in tho pan. but the firing Of
q scintillating train which went leap
ing on from success to success
Billiard had commenced to special
ize as = surgeon. Even ut medical
school he had been noted for the
steadiness OF his hand, and the skill
with which he handled the knife. Yet
no one at the old p and S-neither his
ever have dreamed of predicting an es-
pecially brilliant career for him.
Steady. dependable, conscientious;
those were the terms they would have
applied to him. How was ii then, that
at twenty-eight he became known as
the author Of the celebrated Billiard
operation, and chosen as the directing
head of the great memorial hospital
which Mrs. Sylvia Sands was propos-
ing to erect to her deceased husband?
Again. as the French proverb has it.
"Cherchez Ia femme" In this case,
"Cherchez l'Esther."
Ever she was on the lookout for
some way to further his fortunes and
advance his standing; so, when she
saw in the paper that the great hes
pital for which James l.. Sands had
left by will a portion of his millions,
was to be erected at his birthplace,
Mortentown, the suggestion at once
came to her that no one was so fitted
to take charge of the institution as
her doctor"
Esther had met Mrs. Sands during
n Of the latter's more or less infre-
Quent visits to M%ortentown; for the
junior OF her late husband by many
years. the restless young woman had
in his lifetime hardly given the poor
old millionaire a chance to draw q Icing
breath, 80 p~erpetually did she keep
him on the go. Now, her brief period
Of mourning over. Mrs. Sands frankly
ragged at the harsh necessity which
kept her In staid quiet Mortentown.
She was compelled to remain here for
q year or more. and middle her brains
yer o dreary old hospital.
She was d~olefully bewailing the un-
welcome prospect n afternoon when
Mrs. Billiard was announced, and
snatching at any diversion. ordered
her caller to be Immediately shown in.
Esther made no secret Of her mis-
sion but went directly to the point.
MRS. Sands" abe said with O charm
Ing naivete, II have the most wonder
full husband in the world. and the very
man you need to take charge Of this
new hospital OF yours and make 1t q
tremendous ucces He can relieve
you OF all the bother In connection
with the plans. and will give you q
thousand valuable ideas and suggcs-
tions which nobody else would ever
think Of"
Mrs. Sands stirred to q show of In
terest Hitherto she had never thought
OF anyone for the vacant post but
some eminent g~ray-beard from n
Of the eastern colleges.
She had met Doctor Billiard. and
like everybody else had been most
favorably Impressed with him. It
might be rather amusing. she renected.
20 be 30 closely associated with a
young, goodlooking man of his type.
He has . national reputation, you
know. as the author Of the Billiard op-
Grafton" put in Esther with q little
touch - wifely pride. and that set.
tied It.
Mrs. Sands rose impulsively from
the couch where she set.
II wonder II he could come here
| right away. and talk things over with
me-" she said. Can you get hold OF
him!" waving her hand toward the
telephone stand.
50 Il happened that the doctor, sit
ting In his once. was almost bowled