White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-06-18
THE FEMININE TOUCH
BY LOWELL oTUs REESE

hold on hope. The doctor and Birdie
they were two young people, but
both faces were haggard and drawn
like the faces of the aged. And still
they were able to greet the returned
reason of their last patient with a
joke!
| He won't take it," said the doctor
81 reckon you'll have to hold his
nose!"
Hot with unreasoning rebellion, l
locked from the doctor to Birdie
Calamus. The girls eyes were still
the indomitable, compelling eyes Of
the old Birdie Calamus; but shining
in them now was new, tender light
that shines in the eyes of all the
mothers Of the world Drink it,
Uncle Buck" said Birdie gently.
And suddenly wasn't afraid Of
Birdie any more. But obeyed her
| didn't obey because l was afraid
either. The phenomenon did not ap-
peal to me at the time, however,
only knew that was glad to do it
and then went to sleep. Birdie was
holding my hand.
AS fell asleep l heard the doctors
voice again: That's the last one!" he
exulted. We've saved em all, you
and 1! Miss Birdie, there isn't a
woman in the world who could have
done what you've done"
mix, kid-nix!" BRIDES voice re-
sponded. "I'm too tired to listen to the
sobstuff, Doc! Pm sleepy, boy-Im
tired to death. L"
And the last thing l heard as
went to sleep was the sobbing of a
terribly exhausted girl and the voice
of tired young doctor soothing her
Everybody was up again. None Of
us was strong enough to brag about,
but the rest was simply matter of
good food and religious stunning of
Alb Linder's brew. There was no par
ticular reason why the young doctor
should not go, yet unaccountably he
tarried
II like Stovelid," he said one day.
Il like the climate and the-er-the
scenery.
Doc and l were sitting on the porch
of the hotel one evening when he
made this remark. Inside the hotel
Birdie Calamus was singing. Back in
the kitchen Sam Duck was singing
too 1t sounded like a cat fight, but
poor Sam Duck was not aware of this
looked abroad at old Dead Man
Butte, rising bare and waterless
against the sky, pelted by thousand
centuries of storm-driven sand, made
bald by a million years of fierce sun
baking his ancient head. l viewed the
shriveled desert waste, crowding in
Hospitality about us and sweeping
away to the blue Panamints, lying
grimly under the east. Above us the
brassy sun glared upon Stovelid with
a whitening heat.
Eyes," l cordially agreed with Doc
This is a wonderful place!" For no
man can see anything but beauty in
his own home. Whereupon l invited
Doc to settle with us permanently.
"This place has great future" |
told him. "And all the boys are strong
for you. They've asked me to talk to
it over with you"
But Dos grinned and shook his head.
Buck" he said, II can't begin to tell
you how l wish 1 could do what you
> want. But l can't. You see, Chucka-
walla merely loaned me to Stovelid
| promised to go back as soon as you
, boys were able to stand and smoke
again. l should have gone sooner;
but-but-'
| didn't say much for few min
utes. Then told the doctor some.
thing that had been lying grievously
upon my soul
"Doc," l said, when l was coming
out Of my fever called you-a tender
foot!"
Doc laughed till he cried and then
l saw that he was more than ever a
boy, with cowlick that wouldn't stay
in place and mischievous eyes that
had not yet learned to watch the
world for envy and hate and selfish
ness. well, Buck" he said, II am a
tenderfoot; amt II"
you're a liar!" l told him holly
DOC, you're a whole flock Of wild
cats! And Birdie Calamus is an angel
and we hated Birdie Calamus when
she first came"
"Sh!" says Doc. Il want to talk
to you about that. Buck, when she
came into Chuckawalla, cussin' team
of mules into run, l thought the
same way about her. She certainly
looked like poison and sudden death
to any fool man that would dare her
tongue. Yes, sir, | was afraid Of her.
But after I'd seen her work over you
| fellows for couple or three weeks
| saw that she was designed by Provi-
dence to be doctors wife-and l
| figured that | was the lucky doctor
You'd all have died if it hadn't been