San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-05

YES, my car is over ut Nick's,'
said DIR. Willis so simply, that it al
most disposed of the sinister thing i
felt reaching its tentacles from The
Hedgerow TO The Birches where l sat
with my dear old guest. mick is
thinking Of buying car. Mines real
ly much too good for an old country
doctor. Tommy Haley, who drives my
car for me, was eager to go down to
the old swimmin' hole with the boys,
so left the car with Nick and started
to walk home. Then l got to thinking
that Nick had said something about a
partnership car for him and your
husband, and that put my mind on you
and here / am"
"But you will stay to dinner, won't
you?" l pleaded. ''If any Of your pa
tients need you, I'll be your chauffeur.
1t wouldn't take us any time to go over
to the Hedgerow and get the car, and
then I'll whirl you around the country
side at great rate, if need be-"
I'D almost relish a night call for
the sake of having such a driver,
chuckled the old man, adorably.
Then he made a fine bow, held out
his arm like the sweet old gentleman
he was, and so we marched in to din
ner with pomp and circumstance.
As l piled the Doctor with generous
helpings Of lamb and roast potatoes
and peas and crab apple jelly and
peeled tomatoes. l found a lot OF
amusement in watching how absent
mindedly yet with what appetite he
ate. Suddenly the doctor stopped with
his salad fork pointed at me accusing
ly as he asked:
as this my second tomato or my
third?"
81 wish it were your seventeenth"
1 said.
"And that I'd have collie and let you
mother mo with hot water bottles and
paregoric?" he laughed.
"You need mothering," murmured.
The old man nodded.
Perhaps. All of US men-folks are
little boys at heart. But it is ages
and ages since I've had a chilled,
peeled tomato with this kind of boiled
dressing. It's much better than oil,
mayonnaise or whatever it is they
make nowadays"
III come over and show your
housekeeper how to do it," I offered.
"She would be so hurt to think that
she's been making her oil mayonnaise
and giving me the tomatoes sliced and
with their skins on all these years, :"
Tears wellcd to my eyes. In those
few words the precious old man had
given me such a clear picture of my
self. The tomatoes became symbols of
his selfleSsness-hi flawlcss and al
most tragic unselfishness. / could see
him coming down the years doing gen.
tie penance because once when he was
a rash boy there had been n brief
young love that had been outside the
law. Somehow l could see the old
doctor making up Bcrthe's wrongs to
all women-including the woman who
kept his house-and kept it obviously
to suit herself and not the doctor.
l leaned forward accusingly as /
demanded:
Don't you ever think of your self?"
"Why of course-whenever 1 have
time" DR.. Willis said cropping for
my meaning.
"And when do you have time?"
demanded.
y-what-whatver do you
mean, Mrs. Harrison?" asked the old
man.
Gould you call me Anne?"
at do IL, t,,, hnorf cafI nr willie
II have ever since l first saw you
ministering to sick souls as well as to
frozen bodies"
"Well. then, if I'm Anne to you, to
me you're another friend to boss
around. And / want you to stop dis
tributing automobiles as souvenirs,
and to have your tomatoes fixed the
way you like, not the way your house
keeper happens to do them, and to
stop giving your money to whoever
comes along with hard luck story"
Il don't!" protested the doctor,
twinkling encouragingly.
Then why wear heavy felt SOM
breros and thick gray flanncls in the
Merry Month of May?"
I'm saving my money"
You're no miser," i protested.
But must save. owe it to-
Berthe"
"Tell me-" I demanded gently.
Dear DR.. Willis, tell me why you are
depriving yourself of the things you
ought to have. Your carl l think
you've made up your mind to give that
to Nicholas Perry and to trudge the
country roads"
Il haven't" the old doctor broke
in. "Ive offered TO let Nick have it
for $500. know little old car can
get for that--a very nice car-and l
must have one and I can't afford TO
put money into it.