Show I s sI g HL EXPEDIENT I i I t By Y William Chester Estabrook hi Iii Gt r 7 1 J 1 I I bt l 1910 1210 1 10 by t e Ke Ne New Tat reck O 0 AH All r rt rr emil 1 drifted across the hills bUis as old Dr DrI I 1 came out ont Oil l of or his bus house and went scent down TWILIGHT Into the village A tawny spring swollen J I I i j stream slipped sUpped with a n sound bo Iw I I Heath neath the worn wore boards of or tho the pike bridge The rhe dust lay Iny In puckers pu kers from n recent r ent rain mIn Mingled I country odors filled tilled the air II I The physician passed the tho general store that had bad hadI be belonged beI belonged longed to Joseph Jos ph Rittenhouse He Ho looked in and ands j waved w s cd a n friendly greeting to Joey the I dead Josephs son and the tho stores stOICS present proprietor I I i Joey JOl was wearing a blue sergo coat and n a pair of oC oCi i w mite llo duck trousers Tho combination was new to toI I the village e At it sight of ot It the physicians keen ayes cye 1 1 narrowed He Ile went ent on down the street to a small I i I I Louse house bou that reached up like a brown band to the bond bend bondIng 1 II Ing oaks A bracelet of oC green dooryard encircled It itI I I Its gate was open for tor the convenience of oC those who I J I t I passed dally dully through It not from rom The Tho front room was filled with tho the tenuous dusk but tho the I t F tt iI L ono ano beyond was lit It by a n big bl lamp that flowered like a aI I I II I t I yellow fellow bulb Beside it a woman worked She was WIlS a aIn 1 I Ii I I Ij little sandy sand thing between fifty Hl and sixty sL ty in a rough o I and aud green flannel waist The pins thrust into j I i tho the breast of or it were like nn an insignia She had a n t tape I measure about her neck n k kI i 1 I Ih I I Good Coed evening Electra the physician called from 1 i I the door step stepi I t 1 i I Why Wh Its Hs you rou Is Jg It doctor she exclaimed OI Come ComeI I I I I right in I got ot my lap full fulI of or stuff so I wont get up UI u I If Y I f i f r excuse my mr manners Sit down there in inI r I I ys chair I j 1 I t She Sho Sh thrust the chair forward with her foot and andal iI al I with Jtb her foot also drew toward her one of o those I t I i j forms over oer which women tit fit their gowns I Ii I i std aid began to drape the classic flowered silk folds I r Is I toss you rem dont dout recognize the lady ladr do you ou she sho sheI I with her crinkling smile i t Dr stretched his old legs leg out before him and andI I I tipping his head quizzically regarded r rI the th graceful J I I I Ii i No 0 Im afraid I dont he admitted with an nn anI t I I amused look I I Its Mrs Irs 1 I Is it It Indeed r I Electra mec McCullum gave the headless form an nn em ern emphatic ernI I I P pat and stuck n a tentative pin in here bere and antI therel there i I l Its tIll the Image hunge of or her Its Hs her to thelast fraction I I of or a curve I i My Ir acquaintance with Mrs is not IntI j I unite mate the old oJ physician ph gravely observed o I 1 I Miss loss S lips set thinly Her faded fa blue i I l ryes twinkled beneath their sandy brows I 1 q I I I iI Mine lIue Is sloe she n Id succinctly j jI I I j Dr looked over oer at her questioningly ills His I I tone toile was careless 1 I 1 Just Test how much do you rOil happen haen to know about her Jer JerI r I Electra 1 he inquired j I I I She bit hit off the end cud of her thread and suspending it ItI ita 1 a I and her needle In the thc air regarded him with eyes as I keen as ns his h Is own awn 1 I i I I T know the prettiest woman that ever eer came cameto Ii to this town infra I Im P b His fIls fingers mussed mused mus ed the f fringe of her I t I I Ir chenille table lahe cover Prettier than Minnie Heston II I r f i i for lor Instance I It t i 1 according to the ordinary mans Idea ides of oft J t j beauty A painter or a n sculptor would choose I I was not thinking of or the painter or the sculptor I II I aI 1 he e unused mused I I I I I I No 0 said Ball she Bho quickly you was thinking of oC Joey I I A little silence fell She broke It by flinging a n sud BUel sudI I I l r 1 1 en sharp question at him j I I I It What Is It that thai Nature puts pills In some women that 1 t I thin iho dont put In others Its not good looks nor I I tense the Lord knows luos But It makes all the differ t i ince 1 J He vie shook his bis head I think I understand un what you I J 1 scan Electra Electro he said Ml slowly Dr Activity I With quite unnecessary vehemence she ibe whirled the 1 leadless figure about I l 1 yes lyes A smile tugged at the corners of or the physicians D Tell ToU me what else you know about Mrs M rs Percy eld t come here bere to marry Anybody can cnn I I r S I half an eye ere She not the kind to make her heri i I wn living lh and then theres th those two children and t i inch nich children The Tb wont keep her ber for tor torI ver er even oten if It she ehe is related to them made I 1 ip tp their mind to marry her off ott and ehen aheR made up I ter er mind to be married off and mauled married shell be lie IJ r i 1 8 sees seest eo eor 1 i t r it t She swung the figure figuro about again with a clattering I I f t Iron rollers She touched the flowered folds sl Hi I II 4 I I i i You know alOW what this dress dreas Is for tor dont you i They gone gono as far tnt aa as that lh t have they ho hoI hof I f ppe I Sho ho laughed Her IIer laughter l had bad a fresh clear DO 00 sound und un 1 i r Taint the wedding drags rc The Tho ore are o 0 I 1 Il go going 0 g k tag ing tn to give ghe a big party for tor or her A lawn 11 wn fete r te where dresses In fancy dress Not masked you understand Just fancy costumes I going to be Inc a 11 Dresden shepherdess She Shu paused paulC l in the tho rhythmic t swing of or the needle and looked at him with pregnant i I eyes Shell ll land Jand her lamb all nil Another silence fell rell Silences ware common be bp bei i tween them it Jt the distinct was t of ot oft ott t It thin Uila one that made it t unusual t 1 Imagine Joey n a wife ten years rIts older older J than t r 4 t down and began benn to iet careful stitches In the bodice of o the flowery silk robe Electra he lie Inquired over the rim dm of oC the glass a little deceit de l is excusable If its for love It Anything n thing suld said Electra McCullum with her bel thin shoulders and nm her old maids figure is excusable If I Its for that He TIe sipped the cherry P L JUK 5 00 r I If 14 3 t I In n r i I I I l I I Ft I r f 1 I d c r rJ J I I I rd lr lrI I j l 4 1 f I i 41 i iJ t J Electra he inquired a little deceit is excusable if its for love it I I himself O If a day ami two cull chit dren she laughed out sharply But nut you ou make maim him see sec It like It Is IB not if Ir you ou tallied talked to him till you dropped over oyer laybe If Ir his mother was at home she could Influence him But nobody else can The physicians gentle face was wag full tull of ot serious anxiety break brenk heart Miss McCullum continued That Is ts If Ir hearts hearts henrt really break brenk nowadays so shy and and ani proud she wont think of or lighting for her rights Shell Just stay home and shut herself In InAnd inAnd And AnI this this Pamela In lu her shepherds garb shell She gave the innocent Image of or the ab absent absent absent sent Mrs a vigorous rigorous punch and put down her needle When a I woman wants to bring a D man to lo lolitO the Iho proposal point and nothing else will do It she always s gets gels up U a fancy fane dress diess affair where she silo can call powder ponder her unit hair and paint her cheeks and wear rInk pink rosebuds s Ever ger notice Dr arose with a sigh Im sorry you regard the situation as fiS really grave ave Electra ht tit h said Mamas Marna been worrying wO but bul 1 thought her overanxious Electra McCullum put aside her work and nud moved with him toward the door She looked at nt him wistfully wistfully fully The village was In the habit of turning to him himIn hl himin In times of ot anxiety as well as In Illness His ills mission hind had hn been b en one of healing henlIng to other hurts and Ills than those of the body bod alone w J You cant think of ot anything to do can you ou she questioned Seems Scorns as If it aint real friendly to ma DIn to stand by br In I her and und let this thing happen ITe He stood In the doorway looking down the shadowy street The pale lamplight touched his grave old face and his uncovered J white head It does It We Wo must see sec what we can do doWhen doWhen doWhen When Is this party parts Friday day after tomorrow Ive got to work wort wor wormy my fingers off oil to finish that dress or shell lJ hard hysterics again a aln Eh Eli he queried turning back to her that tha t tOh Oh that kind all nil right rl ht for or all nil her heT posing as being bemS so 9 brave and serene Electra nodded t She Sine had bad an awful fit of em one day because b sue she find any lavender sewing silk in fn town Imagine lne that kind of or a woman as ns Mrs Irs law Oh Its awful Doctor Poor fool h Joey The physician ph smiled his bis Indescribably moving that halt half merry half halt gentle smile that was wItS as II familiar to the village as aB his sturdy old figure Itself Dont be too hard on him Electra He TIe In Invent invent vent that special kind of or weakness you OU know As he passed the store he saw that Joey had bad left eft It In charge of ot a clerk anti and when bo he became came to the Rittenhouse residence further down tho the street the boy boj bo bolted boiled out of or tho the gate with one hand full tull of honeysuckle h nc and the other oilier fumbling with the smart bow tie tic beneath his hi cleft brown chin His Love for the Boy BoyHe He Rc was waR ii a straight handsome impulsive lad Ind with witha a It way that won him Immediate friends and another way that kept them The physician loved him almost like a son Ron Well Jo Joey y T he greeted eted him Tho The boy brought up in some Bome confusion contusion I was just jUHt taking a n few tew sprays of honeysuckle to Mrs Irs be he explained so 80 fond of ot flowers and the Stutsman honeysuckle blooming yet I see said Bald Dr 1 I guess you OU know Mrs dont you OU Joey Inquired with an un admirable show sho of offhanded hess She pretty fine It does a n fellow tellow good to lo losee see sere a n woman bear things like 1110 she bears om cm Hows that Jop e T TWell Well yon SIH lil sirs one through a lot Her er hun hll r band must have hae been a brute She had to leave lenc him But she never complains game all right The say sy the lie way ny she met mot It was splendid Dr did not comment II Trio Ho was thinking of or orthe the Iho lavender sewing silk Its ls to 10 be bc hoped somebody will he be able ablo U o make lip up lipto lipto to her some day for fOt all 0 suffered the boy said as fiS he went off The rhe physician continued d on his way home He rte shook his wise old head bond bondI I dont suppose a man ever eer liven lived who at nt age want to 10 make it up to somo some woman older than himself a widow nine ll e times out of ot ten tea with at nt least one child A chuckle slipped out of his hl throat thront My 01 widow had three He Ho looked back at nt the tho old Rittenhouse home borne It Yens was the only 1 ue no In town that pr tende to stateliness ness How liow admirably It lt fitted The physician could see sec J her r there in her hel IIII hey jo Jc flowers He TIc could s st e her In tho the homey old living room loom He lie could see her J r everywhere about the house And he could not endure to sec Bee Mrs Irs there even in fn his hits imagination The very ory Idea of it hurt him Ho lie knew how her presence res would hurt his old Mary Vary And Am to think of those unmannerly youngsters youngs tors being turned loose In such a place It was unthinkable A light streaming from a softly curtained window across the street attracted his bl attention and He ie e de deliberately Il went over oer lie Ile had no Intention of prying pry In but be lie certainly stopped and strained his eyes i 1 ithe the thc dusk usk at the girl who sat sol Inside the room embroil embroidering ering roses rOSCH on a piece of white while linen Now she worked feverishly non noi now dropped her work worl and nn sat sa t staring absently Into space the toe of her hel shoe stir stirring stirring stirring ring the tha hem of her gown own Slip She was a fresh h colored cleanly cut young younS person Iler on with no snore more pretence thou than the flower she embroidered or than luau her simple gown gon Itself Jt elf As he looked 1001 1 at nt her he lie thought of or what Electro Electra McCullum had said about her herA A painter or a sculptor sculptor tor for would choose Mm The pure profile of o her face ace reminded him of the faces of or Ivory Ivor and of marble he had lied seen He ITe sighed Ho lIe knew the world well veil rte lie know anew youth and Its easy Impressionism lie I Ie knew the chance chanco a 1 girl like this would have havo hn 0 against the woman who had come adventuring among them When hen he reached home he did not hot go Into Inlo the house at once onee but sat down on a 1 little bench hench beneath the walnut tree treo he had hind planted fifty years before He lIe leaned lenne Ills his head hend against the trunk trun and stared stored up at atthe the tho clouds It ll took him a long lime time to go to sleep slee that night and null then he dreamed of ot the eternal triangle of or the theman theman man and two women At breakfast he was I His Ills face showed Its anxiety He lIe picked absently at his fish balls halls What in the world have lioe you got on your our mind father fathel his In Inquired when the tho chil children lieu dren had hall finished nn be J their breakfast and her husband hud bud left lert the table The physician arose and pushed back his bis chair There was ms no twinkle left len In hi his keen old eyes e es They wore were harassed Ive 10 got gol Dresden resen shepherdesses he lie said suld The Expedient He lIe was doing up powders powder for Lizzy Wilson when he be had hod hla bl Idea It came to him like a n lash flash and he h could hardly wait to 10 get Wilson out of the th The rhe Instant he lie was gone Jono he grabbed nh fl his old felt hat bat and went oil off of at nt a n trot down the tile hill toward Electra Me Mc Ie Electra was ou her knees before Mrs dress drees form She looked around It at him as he appeared start sturt startlingly ly In her inner door Mercy What is it Il she he mumbled about a 11 mouth mouthful ful of oC pins pin He TIe sat down panting He was you do not go o up a hill hlll or come down It at ue without feeling It Ive thought of or a n way to save Joey Joor Rittenhouse if Jf help nil me he lie wild said Ill do anything said 1 she but dont you try to tell me about It for tor a minute 1 I sot got ot some of or that cherry shrub you OU liked HO so well lust IUt year ctr Ill get it H She whisked out of ot the room and Into It Il again with a atall atall atall tall thin glass Kliu Ilat s on a 1 tray Take It she commanded ed and IlD If Ir Murna Marna scolds 8 you let her do o you ou any harm ha rw He lie c took It with a n chuckling laugh Inu b and aud she shu sat things to eat cat t They pulled steadily persist persistently t Ho He II thought they the would drag dra his arms trOD from i their sockets 1 Their mother was saying something half half pathetic In n U that wonderful voice oleo of or hers h and Dd h ht f want to lose loso a word of or It It H lie IIo smiled a detached smile at nl tho the children Then ho bethought him ol of t something to lo stop their demands and their pulling J and he brought It forth triumphantly shining new ne no rc candy cand that had come as a sample by the i mall J The boy who was suns the older oilier grabbed It and stuffed It into his big mouth till his bis cheeks checks stuck out IIo llo went weal off a little way and began be an to stamp In tho the |