Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1918-01-01
A PEACE OFFERING
~ LOUISE OLIVER.
'coPyFish' i,I'. v d. ~. N.cIure NswsD'

nANll 49, ~ ~ - ~ rlkNHzl ~
Ccopyrish, i,l7. y N Mcclure NewsDa-
Doctor Wnulw ID >fnd Ms Ernlnie
Gray had long zen 0ncmies. The
feud had not started 1tef my dlepple
about territorial boundaries. alih1ifh
their lots adlolned. nor had a been
handed down from nnother| 90 eh1||1n
over difference In polite Hfhruth
old Henry wardweii aud E''.& Cray
had never been able 10 nj h on on
the tariff nor the Mohne f0c'rine
No. the doctor and AIS. .srmlnIe
had a difference All th>|r-oEn. which
started when Miss EtnIr'c ras sick
one time and the doctor had Insisted
on her taking codllver oil to build
her up. and she had INSISTED upon re
fusing II as wen as the eggnogs he
prescribed In conjunction with the
other. Miss ErmInie had always hated
eggs. and she couldn't bear milk. and
she simply couldn't swallow cod-lIver
oil.
you've Just got to, Erminie.- the
doctor had declared. You're nervous
and anaemic and everything you
ought not 70 be. and I'm not going to
stand by and let you die"
''If do. it's my own AFFAIR"
'Not while I'm your doctor"
"rll die anyway. II l had to take
those awful doses I'd be dead in two
days. SO I'm going TO die comfort
ably"
"No. you're not going to die at all.
AS long Us I'm your doctor you'll have
to do as / say"
"And what II I don'tr
He spread his hands and shrugged |
slightly.
"You wash your hands Of me, / sup /
pose" she had replied.
"What else can l dor
"Well. there are other doctors In !
town. Tom wardwell. You don't have |
TO waste your time on me. Good morn
ing"
"Now. Erninle. didn't say that"
But she would not reply nor look AZ
him again, so he picked up his hat an
left.
Erminie began TO pick up suspicious
ly after that. She put on pounds of
flesh, her eyes frightened. the bloom
came back TO her cheeks. and her lips !
no longer looked like parchment. But I,
what she kept locked In her closet no |
one could have told but the local |
apothecary, and why she suddenly be-
Came such q good customer Of the
Farm ard Dairy Produce company no
one knew save Sarah, the maid.
But when she had tonsilitis she sent
for old Doctor Bradner. That was the
only time she had been really III in
the two years since the trouble. But
that was enough. YsisYG lie
Doctor wardwell lifted his hat
when brought face TO face with his
combatlve nelghbor and Miss Ermlnie
bowed stlfily. But never a word passed
between them.
She was away all Of the second
summer and returned in September
The days were hot and oppressive and
she sat out on the porch a great deal
OF the time, knitting on gray or Khaki
colOred yarns, meant for the snappy
months ahead when the boys across
the water would need them. She had /
about completed her second set--a |
sleeveless sweater, a knitted helmet,
scarf and pair OF wristlets.
The afternoon paper was flung up
on the porch. landing at her feet. She !
stopped eagerly aud picked Il up,
anxiOusly scanning the names Of those |
10 go. And then In section by itself |
she read: "Noted Local Physician |
Commissioned. To Leave for France |
in Four Weeks Or. Thomas Wardwell |
Called TO the Colors." There wasn't |
much more, merely a confirmation Of |
the heading.
The paper fell az her feet unheeded. |
Her eyes AIRED before her into space; |
her knitting slipped or her knee. She |
knew nOw-she'd known all along
that she was mean and contemplate |
and had chlldlshly given way to petty |
spite, hoping all the time that he
would make the overture for peace.
She realized, too, that what she had |
done bad hurt him beyond repair, and |
yet she had expected him TO be the !
one to bridge the gulf.
just then a paper blew over out OF
the doctors yard-a brown wrapping
paper which had come on postal
package. II bore his name, address
and cancelled stamps as II lay spread
below her. Then Miss Erminie sud
denly had an inspiration. The last
wcolen set was just finished and she
determined that Doctor Wardwell
should wear the things without an
lea Of the donor