Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-12-05
AS Often as Is
Necessary
BY EDGAR T. MONTFORT

D>s~A
"Sh-h-h, grille" Doctor Branson
stroI<ed her soothingly. It'll be better
soon. Natures kind and you'll learn
to love again"
Never. Never. There's never
been anyone before Dick and there'll
never be anyone after him."
She burst into sobs and buried her
head on the doctors breast.
"Now, you're going to be my own
brave girl and brace up and face It,"
he said after while. Here" He
drew a fresh handmade handkerchief
out Of his pocket and handed It to
her.
She took the handkerchief he slipped
into her hand and sat down, wflted.
heartbrOken little girl.
The doctor passed hand through
his hair YEARLY, shrugged his shout
ders and sighed.
Dorothy" he spoke with en-
thusiasm, his old, vivid personality
coming to the toip again, If l tell
you something you must promise you'll
never repeat it to anyone"
WnaC Is 1tT
you'd better listen now. This is
about your father"
Dorothy looked up with awakening
interest. The doctor hurried on:
you know he and I were lifelong
friends. We went through high school
and later through college and medical
school together. Well, 1t was our last
year at Harvard. Jim had been work
ing pretty hard, but somehow he'd man.
aged to spend good bit Of time with
q very pretty girl whom he met some
where at dance. She was charming
and just before graduation he told
me that he was engaged. remember
the night he came home and shook me
out of q sound sleep to tell me all
about 1t. Then one evening not two
weeks later he came to my room and
well, something had happened. I
never got the straight Of 1t, but he
acted like a lunatic, and for a while
I was uneasy about him. That's how
we came to 60 into partnership in the
first place He was 80 down and
lonely I thought that the struggle
would be too depressing for him alone.
So we came here and settled-opened
offices on the 10th Of July and on the
18th your mother walked into the
Office with a sprained wrist. The rest
you know" the doctor ended.
"But, doctor, dad was always so
crazy about mother" said the girl in
credulously.
Surely he was. He raved over her
just as he did over his little Boston
friend. That's what I'm trying to show
you-that. :"
But you needn't think that I ever
WILL" she interrupted hastily.
well, the point under discussion
now is what we're going to do with
you. We're awfully short Of nurses
down at the hospital. If you'd care to
register and help a fellow out-we
need you. We really do. But the
work would be hard, I'm warning you"
Dorothy thought in silence for a mo-
ment, then spoke without enthusiasm:
II suppose I'll have to do something
with my life, and musings as good as
anything else"
The doctor quickly covered a smile,
then answered quite seriously:
"It's better than anything else.
child,
SO 1t was arranged and Dorothy en-
tered training Immediately. The 1rst
few days she lived in daZe. Life
seemed to consist of endless duties,
aching bones and nights of almost
drugged sleep, and in the morning
when the loudly changing rising bell
called her to another days work she
struggled out of her sleep like one
fighting for consciousness. But after
a while order came out of the chaos,
the work became more interesting and
less of a strain.
And as the months passed Dorothy
forgot her own suffering and buried
her troubles in those Of others. And
there came into her face the old alert,
Intelligent interest in things and In her
voice there was new warmth and
sympathy. And Doctor Bronson, say
ing nothing, watched his little friend
with much satisfaction.
The summer flew by and autumn
came.
It was late in the afternoon OF q
long day that Dorothy appeared in his
office, her face glowing with happi.
ness.
"Lrl save you the embarra ssment Of
admitting It," laughed the doctor
Just tell me who 1t is"
Doctor Wilson," she laughed hap.
PLY. "Oh, he's too wonderful If you
only knew him as do. He's 50 good
to those poor people in the wards and
often sits by them for hours just to
cheer them up
The doctor tried to conceal his
amusement, but l. was not lost on
Dorothy.
"That's all right" she said. "You
may laugh all you want to. I'm too
happy to care. But, doctor, do tell me
one thing. How often can girl fall
in love anywayY'
UAQ often as is nacaSSarv IaOuho d