The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-23
CHAPTER TWO

LINGO vas shown into Dr. Lara )
y Office in the Laird Hospital for
children BY a vhite-capped nurse.
DR.. Laird was bent over pile Of
. papers on his desk. He looked up
and smiled.
Sit down, lassie." he said kindly
III be through IN a moment or so.
I've got 10 finish this report on
Jimmie's measles, poor little lad.
But he's coming through fine and
wanted ice cream for breakfast" he
chuckled as he returned to his work
lingo sat in a chair across the
mahogany desk and waited. DR..
Laird now wore a white linen coat,
and she watched his pen move rap
idly across the paper before him.
. Then she looked about her.
Bare. clean floors, bare, white
walls. everything spotlessly clean
The sun glinted through white mus
lin sash curtains and sparkled on
nickel instruments in a glass case.
The limbs Of a tree brushed agains.
the window and somewhere outside.
{ bird sang.
Her ewes went back to DR.. Lairis
desk and for a moment rested on a
smiling Yong face in a silver frame
eyes crinkIng at the corners. She
looked away. tEen back again. The
Young man IN the frame was still
smiling at 1er: fine. friendly eyes;
thick. dark nair waving BACK from
a high forehead.
She looked up quickly as DR..
Laird's chair creaked and he leaned
back. smiling
And they call you-let me see.
something ike Jingle Bells. What
is the name they call you. lassie?"
~Jingol"
All, yes-Iingo! 1t has music IN
1t, and happiness"
Happiness" the word snapped
from her lips. I'm not happy
Mop" he drawled kindly. Then
10 is time We began. How old are
you?"
~Twentv-last November"
"Twenty-and your life Is before
YOU. Tell RE about yourself, lassie.
I'm your friend. Let's start or that
road 10 happiness by being on the
level. Come now. 1 have just half
hour before lunch. Right from the
FIRST"
You bnow-who my father wasp"
finally.
Tom Carter. Yes. know"
And when ne was killed-by the
~Op5-" she was speaking jerkily,
ne left me alone Mother died
,hcn I was born-and dad brought
ne up"
He was a good father. I hear"
III say ne was" and for a brief
instant the young face frightened.
Il was a lovely face beneath the
little. scarlet tam. Short. dark hair
curled against smooth. olive cheeks:
long. dark lashes shaded deep, blue
eyes, and. when she smiled. there
was a flash Of even. white teeth
back of red lips.
He saw to it that I went to
school-and I graduated when I
was 10.
He was expecting a break
don't know much about it, but he
said We would go away and never
come back to thaC street-never! But
they got him-and that was the
end Of that"
The end of that" echoed Dr.
Laird softly. And you stayed on?"
There was nothing else to do"
sharply when I finished school I
kept on with my studies and kept
house for my father. When-he
died. Mr. and Mrs. Quincy came to
live at our place. You see, Mr..
Clney was helping him"
DR. Laird nodded. L see. And
YOU lived with them?"
They just moved in-when dad
went"
They were good to you?"
oh. sort OF. and she shrugged
her shoulders. They meant well,
guess. but they-couldn't see things
my way
DR. LAIRD'S shoulders straight
II ened and he nodded encour-
agingly.
And just what is your way,
laSSie?"
Wei. you see. dad always liked
things nice and clean. He was used
70 living right and he taught me