| Show WHAT DICKY PROMISED HIS MOTHER MOTHR For several days I r had no time to speculate upon the surprise which Dicky DickY said said he had f for r me m but with ith ill illness illness ill ill- of his mothers mother's which the tho news news news' ness had interfered Dr Jim Paige had confirmed my am amateur diagnosis of Mother Grahams Graham's I ailment as influenza For three days until the tho attack fortunately attack fortunately a com corn comparatively comparativelY mild one one had had run its course both Dicky and I I had our I hearts minds and hands full Then came the tho period of convalescence In I Mother Grahams Graham's case always a most trying time and one which Dicky y in invariably invariably In- In variably dodges as much as ho he possibly by bly canBy can cn B By George I dont don't see how you I stand It it Madge he said one day when he had hastily left his mothers mother's outburst outburst outburst out out- room after an unusually unusually- petulant burst upon her part Im going to keep out of her way until she gets well or Ill I'll say or do something Ill I'll be sorry for afterward I reflected grimly that If I shared his temperamental attitude toward filial dut duty his mother would be sadly neglected The insouciant impudence with which he transferred his tasks to my shoulders chafed me but experIence experience ex ex- has taught me that any remonstrance re remonstrance remonstrance re- re monstrance with Dicky is worse th thC thi i useless Like many men he ho is a tower of strength In any real emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency but selfishly slides out of the humdrum yet vitally necessary details which appear always to be left for the women of tho the world to mull over But even tho the most nerve racking experience ends sometime and Mother Grahams Graham's recovery progressed slowly but surely until the day came when she wag was allowed to sit outdoors upon the veranda and Dr Jim Paige mado made her his last visit DR JIM IS WISTFUL Yoh You dont don't need me JIe any maam ma'am he drawled in his old fashioned way as he took his leave be able to 1 kill a barin bar barIn barin in a day or two more I followed him out into the hall to bid him adieu and as he ho shook my hand he said a bit wistfully I dont don't suppose youve you've heard from Edie have you Not directly I returned I had hada a letter from Mrs Durkee in which she spoke of Edith said she was well welland welland welland and wJ wished hed to be r remembered mem ered to all of 01 us You know of course that sh she is staying in Marvin with Mrs Durkee until the honeymooners return from their trip I knew Edie went north with Alf's Alfs mother a couple of days after the wedding he said but she was wa's was so busy I didn't get geta a chance to see her I dont don't suppose you OU saw her I s sent nt word to her she mustn't come over I S KNEW i iT iT IT T TS S I am afraid your dictum or that of I any authority would not have kept her away if we had needed her I Isaid Isaid said and I spoke only justice to toJ I I J Edith Fairfax and little Mrs Irs Durkee Both Iloth had 1 urged that they be permitted to c come me and help nurse Mother Graham Graham Graham Gra Gra- I r ham but I had steadfastly refused I No Youre You're right She's a great I stickler for duty Edith is the big physician replied and I felt a a. wave of or 1 pity for the shy awkward man who I wore ore his heart so patiently upon his sleeve but I also felt a a. gust of irritation Irritation irritation I tion and something deeper at Edith Fairfax Too well I knew the reason I why she so steadfastly refused the I advances bf of this third or fourth cousin who evidently had loved her I so long and devotedly Her feeling I for Dicky was as patent to me as I that of Dr Jims Jim's for her though I did her the justice to acknowledge that thatto I to outsiders she was not as self be betraying betraying be- be as Dr Jim I be-I I watched him stride down the path to his waiting car wondering if his I rare selfless devotion would even be I rewarded if the girl he loved would ever er open her blinded eyes and realize the value of the gift she had spurned for so long Mother Grahams Graham's p peremptory voice I I was thankful for the strength of I its tones tones Interrupted interrupted my conjectures I and called caned me back to my round of duties 1 r I think Ill I'll go out upon the veranda veranda ver ver- anda again since the doctor says Im I'm I Iso so strong but first I want you to tell me something Do you know what the thing i is is' which Richard is Js Waiting alting I to tell me nie Until I am am amstrong strong enough to hear it I I stared at her h r in amazement I Indeed no I said although the I day you ou were taken ill he came in inI saying he had a surprise for me but I when he found y you u were ill he said that would change things so he might not be able to tell me about it Mother Graham struck her hands I together I knew it she said Hes up to I something he knows will upset me Hurry up get me out on the veranda eranda and when I get my ray breath back bacle Ill I'll I tell you what I know |
