Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-02-25
CHAPTER VI.

The ancient bromide to the effect
that man proposes but God disposes
was never better exemplified than in
the case of John Stuart Webster who
having formulated certain daring
plans for the morrow and surrendered
himself to grateful slumber in his
stateroom aboard the Gulf States Lin
tied, awoke on that momentOus morn
10 distinct apprehension that all was
not as It should be with him. His
mouth reminded him vaguely Of a
hird-and-animal store, and riot and in
SurrectiOn had broken out in the
geometric center of his internal
economy.
Webster was sufficient of jack-leg
doctor to suspect he was developing
a splendid little case of ptomaine
poisoning. He decided to go into ex-
ecutive session with the sleeping-car
conductor, who wired ahead for doc
tor to meet the train at the next sta
ton. And when the sawbones came
and paved Jack Webster over he
gravely announced that If the patient
had the slightest ambition to vote at
the next presidential election, he
should leave the train at st. Louis and
enter a hospital forthwith. To this
heart-breaking program Webster en-
tered not the slightest objection, for
when a man is seriously i'll, he Is in
much the same position as a politician
--tO-wit: He is in the hands of his
friends
However life had the habit of 60
ing hard with Webster so frequently
hat fortunately he was trained TO the
minute and after three days of heroic
rAttling the doctor awarded Jack the
decision. Thereafter they kept him in
the hospital ten days longer, feeding
him up as the patient expressed it
at the end of which period Webster,
some fifteen pounds lighter and not
quite so fast on his feet as formerly
resumed his journey toward New Or
leans.
In the meantime, however, several
things had happened. To begin DO
lores Ruey spent two days wondering
what had become Of her quondam
knight of the whlskers-at the end
of which period she arrived In New
Orleans with the conviction strong
upon. her that while her hero might be
as courageous as wounded lion when
dealing with men, he was the pos
SCISSOR, when dealing with women, OF
about two per cent less courage than
a cottontail rabbit. Being a very hui
man young lady, however, she could
not help wondering what had become
of the ubiquitous Mr.. Webster, al
though the fact that he had mysteri-
ously disappeared from the train en-
route to New Orleans did not perturb
her one-half so much as it had the dis
appearee. She had this advantage
over that unfortunate man. whereas
he did not know she was bound for
Buenaventura, she knew he was !;
hence, upon arrival In New Orleans
she dismissed him from her thoughts,
serene in abiding faith that sooner or
later her knight would appear, like
little Bo-Peep's lost sheep, dragging
his tail behind him. so to speak.
Dolores spent week in New Or
leans renewing schoolgirl friendships
from her convent days in the quaint
old town. This stOp-Over together
with the one in Denver, not having
been taken into consideration by Mr.
William Geary when he and Mother
jerks commenced to speculate upon
the approximate date Of her arrival in
Buenaventura. resulted in the prema-
lure flight of Mother jerks to San
Miguel de Padua, a fruitless visit on
the part of Billy aboard the Cacique,
OF the United Fruit company's line,
followed by a hurry call to Mother
jerks to return TO Buenaventura until
the arrival Of the next steamer.
This time Bllly's calculations proved
correct, for Dolores did arrive on that
steamer. The port doctor came
aboard, partook of his customary
drink with the captain, received a
bundle Of the latest American news
papers and magazines nOsed around,
asked few perfunctory questions,
and gave the vessel pratique.
Dolores observed a gasoline launch
shoot up to the landing at the foot OF