The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-01-03
DR.. Bradford S
Obstacle
By Anne Collins

|
Jane Dawson kept n boarding house.
Had Jane lived q generation ago her
friends would have been filed with
| pity for her because of this. They
| would have nodded their heads sadly
[ together and have said: What a
| pity that Il young woman of James
position and family should be reduced
to taking in bOarderS." But, being an
up-tO-date young woman of the TWEEN
tieth century, Jane preferred to look
upon her venture with deep interest,
| put her boarding house on business
basis, kept her books with accuracy
and was regarded as one of the bust
ness women who had won out in the
neighbOrhoOd where she lived.
The Dawson House." as Jane chose
to call her establishment, had
definite number of resident bOarders
and an indefinite number Of meal
ers," as James housekeeper called
them. In the latter class was Doctor
Bradford, who was known TO the regu-
lar Dawson House clientele simply as
q promising young doctor who, hav-
ing spent the last two or three years
at the front, had now taken an apart
ment somewhere In q nearby neighbour
hood with the intention of building
up practice.
Doctor Bradford, ii was whispered
was very much attracted TO Jane. That
was not so very remarkable for Jane
in spite of-or was ii partly because
Of?-her businesslike manner and
trim, severely made blue serge frOcks
was decidedly attractive bit of fem
ininity. The remarkable thing about
1t was that Jane showed that she was
attracted to the doctor AT least il
had been noticed by the observing
ones of Dawson House that the doc
tor not infrequent!y fingered after
dinner to join in hand of bridge
with Jane and some favored married
couple. For II was, indeed, consid-
cred q favor TO be invited to spend
an evening in james hoSpltable sitting
room where cracking logs on the
hearth and warm-shaded lamps and.
most of all, James indescribable smile
which always was at its best in her
own private sanctum-cast q spell
Of cheer that was warmer than the
hospitality of any other part of the
house.
Sometimes, though, this the observ-
ing ones did not know, Jane and the
doctor spent a leisure hour or so to-
gether in bracing country walks; but
apparently-apparently surely TO Jane
the doctor merely sought James
friendship in her companiOnship. On
more than one occasion of late how
ever, his manner verged on something
warmer than friendship, but always
he stopped himself abruptly. How
ever, there is always last time when
q man Is able to stife his desire TO
come to an understanding with the
woman to whom he is attracted, and
this last time came one evening when
Jane and he were bending over q
game of cribbage in Jane'S sitting
room. Impulsively the doctor clapped
his hands over cards and pegs and
board just as Jane was about to peg
out to the finish.
Jane" he said. I've got TO tell
you. You know my mind is not on
the game. I'm thinking only of you
and have been for weeks. Jane, I'd
try and make you love me enough to
be my wife if l thought IL could ever
work Out-but-"
| James hands that had suddenly
turned cold were, with an effort at
cOmposure, trying to straighten out
the pack of cards.
"But what?" she said after a mo-
ment's silence, and then, as the doctor
seemed to be unable to make an ex-
| PLANTATION she went on with q DELHI
erateness that was characteristic of
Jane: "Do you mean that there is
some reason why you couldn't ask me
to be your wife?"
| There is reason why you might
not wish to accept me-" he said.
Jane looked across the table, her
frank eyes meeting his.
as it something that happened when
you were In France"
The doctor nodded in the affirma-
tive. II didn't think much about IT
till / got to this country. Why, Jane,
| even my mother told me l must have
been insane to do it-and il is because
Of 1t that she didn't want me TO set
tie down at home. That's why came
here and took the apartment"
II am sorry" was oil Jane answered
and perhaps the doctor was disap-
pointed that Jane did not force full
Ter confession from him.
Jane spent what seemed to her
boarders q foolish proportion of her
earnings on the furnishings of her lit
tie sitting room. New pictures and
books and objects of ornamentation
that tempted her soon found their
place in the room, though she would
have hesitated some time before buy
ing q new hat or gown. The doctor
was always interestd In her purchases,
however, and had a keen eye to detect
any new book, or picture or art OBJ
ject. For the weeks that followed his
attempt at confession Jane had been
none the less cordial than before, but
whenever their conversation ap-
preached a point where the confession
I