The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-10
EVENING STORY
CORDELIA'S CASE.
(By Dorothy Douglas. }

"Oh isn't that fine!" his wife cried
| joyfully. She knew just how desper-
ately her husband needed a Few
weeks change. He labored day and
night among his many and wide
| spread patients and he was tired
Yes do wish Alex was married
Professional people command Tar
greater respect when they are proper
! " married. She smiled softly
WHO could we fling across Dr. New
ms path-while he is here
| "Cordelia Mayborn is the only glri
| round here-but she's always so CON
foundedIy healthy She hasn't called
in a doctor for ten years. Snes just
the girl for Nevin."
Couldn't we put her up to calling
him in while he's here. she coula
pretend fainting fits or melancholla-
/ Either would serve to get them &C
quainted without any suspicion; She
would do it just for a lark, not Know
ink our reasons" Mrs fraser il 9,-
ed excitedly and was ready to dash
off at once to Cordelia and put the
ruSe before her. -
| Women are born matchmakers.
Dr. Fraser laughed, like most nus
bands, putting the entire blame on ms
wife.
| Cordelia Mayborn jumped into the
net as she jumped into anything that
| promised interest. She cast SWIFT, dry
glance at her gloriously healthy color
and fine. vigorous body, and wondered
| Just what complaint she could sum-
mon that would demand an immediate
call from young DIR. Nevin- 1t dld
not for a moment occur to her that
| Alice Fraser was planning matrimonial
i byways for her. or she would as
suredly have turned her strong back
on DIR. Alexander Nevin and refused to
meet him.
TOr nd
soon safely away on their much-needed
holiday with the secret safely tucked
between them.
| Cordelia had decided upon some
trouble in her ankle-a peculiar some
| thing that prevented her from putting
her foot to, the ground. She called
up DIR. Nevin during the afternoon of
his third day as DR.. Fraser's locum
| tenens.
When she peered cautiously thru
the curtains upon hearing the small
motor painting at the curb, Cordelia
smiled. She liked the set of DR.. Ne
wins shoulders and the seriousness of
/ his eyes. 1. was more or less of a
pity to have to enter into ruse
against him.
! Cordelia was looking like nothing so
much as a glowing fragrant, healthy
rose when DR.. Nevin entered. She
was propped up in most charming
assortmen of cushions. Her eyes, as
they greeted the doctor, were lifted
in a most appealing expression.
DIR. Nevin drew a long. steadying
breath and began questioning her. To
say that he was puzzled by the Pc
culiar malady with which she seemed
afflicted was putting it mildly. Never
in his long study of disease had any
thing SO strange happened to any liv-
ing being.
He thought of govt, housemaids
knee, rheumatism, paralysis and all
kinds of Affections, but his questions
only drew forth statements that COM
pletely fooled diagnosis. When he left
| Cordelia- Mayborn after his first visit
to her DIR. Nevin felt convinced that
she was suffering from a complaint
unique in the world of medicine.
| Il am always much worse at about
$50 in the evening"" she had added as
he had turned to leave her.
Shall 1 drop in again this eve
ning?" the doctor asked hopefully.
Her wistful smile of patient martyr
dom answered him and he went away
with her image strongly imprinted in
his mind.
After a day of strenuous exercise
lCordelia prepared for the visit of the
doctor. She intended to show him
how utterly impossible it was for her
even to put foot on the floor and she
wanted to look particularly lovely,
Cordelia found herself unexpectedly
trembling when the small motor drew
near the curb.
| Doctors have no right to be so
frightfully attractive" she told herself,
but she might have added that patients
had no more right than they. 1t was
hard on any man to have to ask pro-
fesSional questions of a girl patient
when he would much rather be telling
her that she was the most wonderful
woman in the world.
His visit that evening was fraught
with premonitory warnings. Cor
della had tried to stand up and move
across the room, but had ended by
having DIR. Nevin's arm flung swiftly
about her. Cordelia had been so
startled by the sensation that the
touch of his arms caused her that she
very nearly forgot her malady. AS
for the young doctor, he helped her
almost roughly back to her seat.
Don't do that again. he COM
manded swiftly. Cordelia delighted
at the flash in his eyes and the tightly
closed jaw. Her malady was proving
more exciting than she had antici-
pated. She knew that a love affair
, had begun suddenly and unexpected
ly., She hoped DR.. Nevin felt she
1t was two days after this expert
ence that the doctor, calling upon
, the next-door neighbor of Cordelia
rubbed his eyes as if he were dream
ing. Only the previous evening he
had called professionally on Cordelia
and she had been unable even to
stand upon the afflicted foot
Cordelia, in her own garden, was
Z dashing about like a mad thing in
! pursuit of a great golden-winged but
[ terfly.
The doctor lost no time in advanc-
= ing upon his patient.
Cordelia had the grace to blush
E and blush gloriously when she looked
t up to see the doctor standing at the
entrance of the garden.
> "Oh, 1 thought this was your day
> at the hospital!' She flashed swift
smile at him. The game was up she
knew. She trembled inwardly, Won
dering how he would accept her &C.
ton.