The Washington times., 1918-08-16
The PlOtters
A SERIAL OF EAST AND WEST
Elizabeth Wonders If Her Feeling
For John Butler Is Not More
Than Friendship

II
Elizabeth Understood his scheme.
Complicated As II might seem at the
nrh glance Amos mad asked his
son 70 arrange for loan OF enough
money to enable him to buy the
farm. He, would wait to hear def
nttely from Clifford before making
an offer to Douglas- II he coul4
make this offer while the young
physician was IN actual need Of
money, there was every chance %
In acceptance.
Since Wade. was paying John
Butler no salary. 1t was plain that
be could not AFFORD to pay one.
Since Butler was willing to give
his services without remunerafion.
II was evident that he knew that
his friend. the owner Of the farm.
could not afrord to pay him. and he
was. therefore. willing to help him
over q hard place
Elizabeth appreciated that an
signs pointed to her brothers need
Of funds She shivered q little ~
this consciousness.
She knew-nobody else 80 well -
she-just how hard up Douglas was.
She knew that this was the hard
est summer OF his or her existencs.
The farm was a dead weight upon
him. He might feel II was his duty
to part with II. Yet how he would
hate to do so-how she would hate
to see the dear old place pass into
other hands! This was the home
to which her parents had come as
bride and groom, and to which.
later, they had brought their chill
dren each summer SO that the little
ones might have . few weeks of
country life.
A Romantic, Spot.
For Elizabeth there was q halo Of
romance about the place, and It
was associated with some Of the
happiest memories Of her young ltfs.
And now she and Douglas might
lose II. The only thing that could
enable them to keep Il would be a
sudden and phenomenal success for
the young physician.
The girl had often reminded her
self how much depended on John
Buffers recovery. Lately II had
seemed certain that he was On the
high road to health Yet II his III
ness had been. As Douglas had A.
serted, entirely matter Of nerves,
what might be the effect upon him
OF learning that his physician and
his physicians sister had besns de-
ceIving him as to their relations
toward one another-that Lizzie
Moore" was really Elizabeth Ware
that The girl whom he was learning
to care for (she aeknowiedgeo .tnas
to herself now) had deceived htm
systematicaIly and persistsntly3
What could she say II he accuse4
. ~ Hm0
CHford Chapin would ten him the
facts. There was no way Of prevent
ing that. The dies was cast The mis-
chief had been done by now John
Butler knew at this very instant that
abe was Douglas Wade's sister.
She prepared for bed. then put On
her wrapper and slippers and walked
softly up and down her room. too
nervous to sleep She must think out
some course Of conduct. something to
tell this man were he to demand an
explanation OF her.
She Ionged to confess the truth to
him II was not so bad after all AT
least II did not look very damning to
her. Yet from the viewpoint Of the
man himself II would certainly not Be
pleasant
She would have to say that her
brother had told her that John Butler
was the victim OF oyerstudy and nerv-
business. increased by too much care
from his mother and by an exzgBer-
ated idea lon her part and his OF the
gravity OF his condition
A Hard ouesti0a.
Nobody likes to be Informed that
his mental attitude. and not his
physical state, has been at fault
We are not ashamed OF the his Of
the flesh We are horribly ashamed
OF any mental twist
To be sure she could inform John
Butler that his mind was now all
right.
She laughed bitterly to herself -
she reflected on. the way in wn1en
he wouldN receive such an aAsur-
ance from her. He would resent
the suggestion that he had svGr
been mentally unsettled-in short
that he had been q hpyochondriae.
What man would not be angry at
such an accusation?
She could not explain to him that
1t was more his mothers fault than
his. He was not the sort Of man
who would allow any one to inti-
mate that his mother was to blame
for anything.
She might as we'll be honest with
herself. She was afraid to confess
the truth. for she wanted to help
Douglas to the full extent Of her
power
She stood still. as IL q sudden
smote her.
Yes, she wanted to help DouglAS-
At first that had been her one aim
But now another desire exceeded
that She wanted to stand well IN
Buffers estimation. She realized
that II mattered tremendously to
her what he thought of her. She
had learned to depend upon his
was Friendship" the correct
word? She asked that question
sternly. Before she could answer It
another question thrust itself into
her brain.
Was friendship the only feeling
that she herself had for John But
Ter?
CTO BE COntinued).