The Crux

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ning-room, nursing one hand in

Mr. Cuthbert still lingered about Miss Susie's corner, to

was due to her general friendliness of disposition, to an interest in pleasing her aunt'

rom which the two angular waitresses had some time since removed the last

near him." Both of these damsels professed great terror of the poor

Susie, nervously; she never

er office," Professor Toomey anno

ily. "He's a great baby, that's all. Here!

rton rose in her defence. "Get out!" he said, "Go back

hing," Jimmy Saunders remarked with some acidity. He did

a corner, still bawling. "Stop your noise," Mr. Cuth

hing of the kind. If you, all of you, wil

's management. Mr. Cuthbert was sulky, but followed Susie;

ngered, d

how to manage him. Just lea

and keep him out, till the old w

or Toomey had departed long since, to fulfill his suggestion of calling Dr. Hale, but when that gentleman appeared, he found that Viv

it hurt, and he was frightened. He is afraid of ever

very near her. "He does not seem much afraid of you, I notice, and he's used to me. The soda is all ri

tter comes by nature, I think

y. "It's a good quality, o

up out of my nap!" Grandma's smooth, fine, still dark hair, which she wore in

iss Lane resolved herself into a Red Cross society, and attended to

with what wise gentleness the big man won the confidence of the

he said, and offered him a shining nickel a

y chose the lozenge, and hastily appl

a, who had gone back to her room and fetched forth three fat

leaves him you know," Vivian explained. "And the girls ou

en her send out the others, and attend to the boy's burn with her own hand. Jeanne Jeaune was not a sentimental person, and jud

not recall it." Dr. Hale had long since won her approval, and when Theophile at la

money, and she knew that there must be some waitresses-these were probably no worse than others. For her unfortunate so

requent dances and the little groups which used to hang about the table after me

him. She could see and judge the feelings of the men, these many men who ate and drank and laughed and paid court to both the girls. Dr. Hale's bru

ersistently offered, were new to Jeanne's experience. When Morton hung about and tried always to talk with Vivian exclusively, sh

no beauty-to compare with my youn

uoted the explanation of the homely widow of three husbands when questioned by the good-

" explained the triple widow, "I

cautious after the sudden approach and overthrow of Mr. A. Smith; yet more than one young gentleman boarder found busines

and over-conscientious characters, keenly sensitive to the thought of duty and to others, pain. She could not play with hearts that might be hurt

best in him rose in response to her wise, sweet womanliness. He had the background of their childhood's common experiences and her early sentiment-how much he did

hey talked in the dining-room the sombre eye at the peephole watched with growing disapproval. The kitchen was largely left t

on the white scoured table, while his mother sewed, and watched. He had forgotten his burn by now, and sh

iently seductive, or perhaps it was Grandma who held him, sitting bolt upright in her usual place, at the head of one ta

ks, perhaps-He could not say-His boys were all well-He did not wonder

ord with angry scorn, as symbol of all degeneracy; and also despised pinochle, refusing to learn it, though any one could induc

igrew would say, "I don't want t

ssor Toomey had insisted, on one occasion; to which

n Vivian admitted that. All the hard lines of his face curved and m

ettigrew; but a doctor has no time to call his own. And a

as the front door was heard to open.

to go. Miss Orella met him in the hall, and bade him good-bye with re

le act as if I were going to Alaska," he sa

eman stood holding Miss Orella's wrap, with his dry smile. "Good-bye,

e-aged way, he enjoyed this enlarged family circle as much as the younger fellows, and he and Mr. Unwin seemed to vie with one another to convince Miss Orella t

e at the moment, with her usual clean and clear-starched appearance. "I've been a

ind a permanently elderly person; while to Mrs. Pettigrew it looked only natural. "Rella's only a young thing anyway," was her comment. But Jane Bellair marked and approved the added grace

bustled about in the pantry, bringing cheese and crackers, cake and frui

anne cheerfully brought her a plate of cold beef. She was

rew, surveying the scene from the head of her ta

between well-Fletcherized mouthfuls, "is that

the middle of a sentence, as was his wont; "is being beauti

s the new, delightful"-he was gazing admiringly at her, and she looked so em

s, in the most caustic Bainvillian circles, could never deny that she had "a good complexion." New England, like old England

nd going-and the nice people-who stay." She looked at

ate slammed, and trunk-burdened steps pounded heavily across the piazza. The bell rang sharply, Mr.

ered a lady; slim, elegant, graceful, in a

thought you could put me up, somewhere, and told him to come right here. O

oud," said Grandma, without an

m some more. The man departed swearing softly at nothing i

excited, moved anew by her old attraction, eagerly helped the visitor take off her wraps, Mrs. Pettigrew standing the while, with her arms folded, in the doorway of her room, her

nfusion, sat in a wreath of down-dropped

my health; I'm on my way to California. But when I found the train stopped here-I didn't know that it did

and disappeared completely,

hall find a hall bedroom palatial after a sleeping car; o

t sleeping on a hard, short sofa in that all-too-public parlor. She was hastily planning in her mind to take Susie in with her and persuade Mrs. Pettigr

now," he said. "In the meantime, you're quite welcome to use my

n reappeared, and Jeanne, peering sharply in, resentful of this new drain upon her pantry shelves, saw a fair, sweet-faced woman, seated at ease, eating daintily, while Miss Elder and Vivian waited upon her, and the men all gathered admiringly about. Jeanne Jeaune wagged her head. "Ah, ha, Madame

eaune; "go you to your bed

insisted on bearing Mrs. St. Cloud's trunk into her room, receding voices and closing doors.

in the least about her, that she wanted nothing-absolutely nothing. At last they left her, and still later, after some brief exchange of surprised comment and warm

u a glass." But Susie only huddled the bed

nything, until to

ne of the tables. The windows to the street let in a flood of light from a big street lamp, and she found h

itting up for? It's awfully late. I'm just after some

said. "Yes, I will.

and set it down, turning to go, but he reached

d talk to a fellow. I've been try

seen me every day, and we've talked hours this very

All the other times there are people about-doze

s one, noting with keen and disapproving interest this midnight tête-à-tête. It

his wishes to succeed in life, to be worthy of her; but when the personal note sounded, when he tried to take he

time," she said. "Now do be q

and got into bed, without eliciting more than a mild grunt from slee

sistent tap upon her door. She listened, believing it to be a wind-stirred twig; but no,

"but it is of importance. May I speak for a li

, the swaying cottonwood boughs mak

ake an end to it," said Jeanne, after a little hesitation.

hink he wants to?

anne. "You know, all can see that he loves

object to

bad life," said

u anything definite to tell me-anything that you could prove?-if i

s, considering her words. "He has h

u prove

and Anastasia and Estelle-they have had it.

can you prov

l, it was no secret. I myself

not to be recognized?" Dr. Bell

ut a boy-gay and foolish, with the others. What does a boy k

ht. You know personally of that time, and you know the

ote. The woman rose, stood for a hushed moment, suddenly burst forth with hushed intensity: "You must save her, doctor-you will! I was young once," she wen

ellair sat sternly thinking in her chair,