Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-10-28
BRUISES AND BALM
BY GERTRUDE FIELDER.

girl III lne place just makes IL Poiil'
to-"
Bob West" cried BGbs sister.
starting up from the couch, Il red spot |
on either cheek, iii YOU think I've been
near him, you're nightly mistaken.
wouldn't so near his old office If 1
was dead !.
With the last word, Phyllis burst |
into historical weeping, and buried
/, her face in the cushions.
cav, forget it," said Bob, wasn't
| hitting you, anyway. Guess I'll be go
ing while the going's good. SO long,"
Outside the door his lips puckered
| into whistle. Whistling, he emerged
from the house. Whistling he STROBE
| down the walk. Now, ones lips may
| be engaged in whstling the gayest of
gay airs, and at the same time ones
mind be occupied with the working
out of solution to some weighty
| problem.
l wonder what's the matter with
old Phil Phylis was just four years
her brothers senior). She did look all
in, come to think of it. Let's see,
she's been working for old Bainbridse
going on five years, and anybody
that knows anything knows he's
fleece to work for SO ran Bob's
thoughts.
'.Why is Phil working?" asked his
conscience. She's working for you.
For yon. For you'll" answered the
same monitor.
1t was uue Unable to attend col
lege herself, Phyllis was determined
Bob should. In the fall he was to en-
ter Harvard He had been working
all summer, but it had been pleasant
work, that of taking parties on the
lake in an up-tO-date motor boat be
longing to the one hotel which the
village boasted.
The cool breezes from the lake
were very much preferable to the
! dingy back room where Lawyer Balm
bridge had his Office and where Phyllis
was employed as his stenographer.
AS Bob's thoughts reached the point
where it seemed as if every bird on the
bough screeched forth words: shes
working for you. For YOU, For you Y
he slammed the front gate, and
stepped from the curb directly in the
path of tearing, footing, oncominS
automobile
The next thing that Bob knew he
heard groan. Again he heard it, and
yet again. The sound was close by,
very close. He opened his eyes. A
face he had seen before somewhere
bent over him.
"You, young scaliwag." came Z
brisk voice, wait till l get you out
= side you'll sport more than one black
eye"
AT that Bob tried TO sit up but firm
hands kept him down. In the room
someone sobbed Came the brisl
voice:
mo bones broken. Bruises, lots o
em. but let's be devoutly thankful it!
no worse. hope it's enough. however
to cure him from throwing himself il
front of automobiles in general, ant
mine in particular I'll run i'll agaii
during the day
Gee, i had the funniest dream,
said Bob with d yawn. 1t was in tn
wee small hours of the night, an
Phyllis had shooed her mother off t
bed and taken her place by Bob's bee
side.
81 dreamed you and DR.. Boyd me
q each other at Aunt Hates last sun
- mer. and Just because we haven't &C
whackS of mon YOU wouldn't let hi
know where we lived. In the dreal
DR.. Boyd came dancing into the rooi
lust as if he were young"
"He is young" murmured liYlli
LAYING her head on Bobs pillow.
"And he said" continued Bob, /" A
I've found you at last and Pm neN'
~ going to let you go Say, honest 81
~ aren't you sorry you've got brol
er?'
I'm sort of sorry for the girl WI
hasn't brother" came from the 9th
Fl end of the pillow.
you're /, good sport Phil COZ
mented her brother, pulling her lol
4 braid of hair. 1t was his style of b
slowing a caress. and Phyllis with
happy heart accepted 1t as such.
1t was some weeks later that
young DR.. Boyd was picking Bob
quite as though he We're Il baby a
was depositing him in the chair
the window Bob opened his mouth
shot out these words, We've troubl
enough without you hanging arou
here
"Troubles What do you call tr'
bles?" queried DR.. Boyd.
"Dr. Boyd" he said sudden
/. what do YOU think of a fellow II
Z allows his sister to work herself
shreds to put him through college
81 think it's high time he put
brakes on and stopped it, answer
the doctor.
'Im going to-" said Bob, "a
what's more"
Hold on" interrupted the doct
'Tm not done. | was about to {
and let her husband advance