Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-15
CHAPTER XVIII
Tho Touching az Hand.

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CHAPTER XVIII
Tho Touching oS Hands
Dammit, sir, Or. Jefferson Leo Boil
lock was a gentleman, SIR! He car.
ried himsclf with the dignlty Of stage
version fold marshal OF Napoleon. Ths
the more dilapidated his busgy, only
the more pronounced became tHe strut
Of blue. .blooded son Of the Old South.
His father was q Georgian, his mother
Nirginfan. Younger physicians came
into the valley and DR.. Jefferson Lee
Bullock's patients deserted him for Q
college boy with an automobile. But
as his fortunes went down bis gray
mustnches went up and his imperial
still hold. here and there, greater pres.
tige than a fashy car. His clothes had
been seedy many . year. bat he wore
his broad hat with an air and put his
money, faith, and feet into Q pair Of
new boots that were marvels for small
ness and heels.
Perhaps many Of the valley had
clan. They called him Colonel. And
he prided himself In the titls, which
he wore like his hat and boots. He
was a practitioner by force Of eircum-
stance t'Damn the Yankees" be Il
psrenthetically observed). q GENTLEMAN
by birth and habit, q colonel By the
blessing Of blood.
And although he was q prying. Cos.
sipins, meddlesome old follow with the
romantic head of a schoolgirl and q
heart Of gold, BY no means 80 old as
old man fceeon, nor yet as old man
Warner. he had nevertheless reached
% Snd ago ps',sdetae s,e.a. age ..s, Of ,,sn dis
afraid Of Rachel stetheriI. but being
q gentleman and a soldier (by inher-
tied title), no wore his goatee and mus.
taches fercely before her, cooked his
hat at an impudent angle. and went
straight to business like the devil he
was.
IT'S perfectly damnable, madam!
Damnabls" he announced quite in bis
best strain Of ths lordly air. "Such Q
thing is a disgrace 70 humanity, to
Lockworth Valley, to you and me and
everybody. And especially to you. II ]
may be allowed to say SOL"
"Don't you come dsmninr me, col.
onel,' warned Mrs. Stetherfl. You're
apt to get your old head snapped OF.
What's wrong this time?"
"Wropg!" He rose upon his tightly
squeezed together toes, rocked back
upon his high heels, and blew out bis
cheeks at her, Wrong! Dammit, the
worlds out Of joint"
He threw out bis arms in a wide ges-
ture, fun Of melodrama, dropped them
to his sides hopelessly. showed his hands
into his pockets, and with tremendous
dignity fell TO chinking together therein
certain metallic substances which gave
forth a jinslins sound, vastly less like
that Of coins than Of nails and iron
washers.
"Humph - retorted the old woman.
Generally when . man says the whole
worlds out Of joint IT'S just his own
nose. nose Now haven't got all day to
Madam cut in the colonel lofeily.
"If you mean to insinuate that I have
como before you In my own behalf, II
the insidious serpent Of suspicion---"
colonel" she said rather hastily. She
mored mood upon her, she had been
touched with compassion for the poor
old fellow and had sent for him to
doctor q simulated illness. He had de-
tected her. had stalked out Of her pres.
spoken TO her for a year thereafter.
'But let's Hear what you've got to
It's Julia" The colonel rosa upon
from the heights. "Gniess somethins il
done for her and done right and done
quick, she's going of like that" He
mapped his thin old white fingers nery.
ously. And she ought to be good for
another forty years"
"Julia2" said the old woman.
"Yes, Julia Z" He rocked back upon
his heels and ratified his nails and
washers belliserently;
who the devil is Julia? Is she tho
'sThe cook 7" snorted the colonel. |
Judas Priest. madam! Or the cat |
sew baby! Hsii's bells !! Rachel
Stetheril, do you mean to tell me that |
vou don't remember Juliaf
The woman who nursed your ovr
daughter when she'd have died but for |
that! Julia Camden. who ."
why didn't you say sof'' demanded
Rachel ststhsnl sharply. whats the
Nothing much," he informed her
Just a trifing combi-
nation Of an acute trouble needing an |
operation BY . specialist, . bit Of star
gaticn thrown In, a mortgage with In
.erest to pay, seeing her own children
ishting their way up with no single
For an instant Rachel Stethsril's old |
syes clouded up like winter skies. Then
hey cleared as TO a fash Of lightning,
"Tm buying lot Of land for olives"
,he said tartly. Prom that fool Bond.
Hers is one Of the small ranches Bond
hasn't gobbled up. I'm going 70 buy
hat and a whole lot more. I'm paying
$50 an acre to all such n Julin Gam.
len. How many acres has she Eot3"
Eighty said the colonel.
We'll, that $4,000. How
much ,es,. Is The moItssas.'"
''shucks! Tell her want that land
70 bad III take the mortgage over, my
elf. What about her children7 How
many has she? How old are they?"
Two. Ronald = two or thpss. Enid
8 about nineteen"
What does the girl do7''
Shes taken the teachers exsmina.
vorking at your mills In Loekworth.
hlnk she gets about So a weekI She
axes care of little Ronald on the side
nd nurses her mother and "
Enid J" The old woman shifted.
IT they'd have been practical people.
hey'd have named her Jane or Mary
nd wouldn't have boon starving now.
'ell her that ! need a maid. How
nuch do you want me to pay her for
'aAng around In my way"
III you give. her what the position
J worth !" said the colonel with msan.