Dr. Breen's Practice

azza, bathing her eyes with the sight of the sea, cool and dim under a clouded sky. At the corner next the kitchen she encountered Barlow, who, having kindled the fire for the cook,

"Mr. Barlow," she said, "h

e back of the hand in which he held the chickens. "Well, it 's accordin' to who yo

u," persi

was afraid of was gettin' there too soon. Tell you, a lee shore ain't a pleasant neighbor in a regular old northeaster.

n, where she heard him telling the cook that these were the last of the dommyneckers. At breakfast several of the ladies came and asked aft

to yourself not to give way! I'm sure Mrs. Maynard is as well off in your hands as she can be. If I did n't think so, I s

you mean, Miss Gl

deal more is involved. If you yield, you make it harder for other women to help themselves hereafter, and you confirm such people as these in their distr

g of Mrs. Mayna

se to Dr. Mulbridge. But I hope you won't. I should n

barb to rankle in Miss Gleason's breast, and followed her mother to her room, who avenged Miss Gleason by a series of inquisitional tortures, ending with the hope that, whatever she did, Grace would

nded her mother, as if Grac

answered Gr

come f

But I am going

s, looking about as if for some one, and he brightened joyfully at her coming. He took her hand with eager friendliness, and at her impulse began to

ing?" he asked; and she answer

ter, I'm

with me this morning? I hope she is n't seriously worse?" he added,

," she returned. "Mr. Libby, d

, y

you drive

!" he cried, in

look at the other women. "I shall be ready in half an

said, laughing in his mystification.

irst she was pale, and then she grew red. But these fluctuations of color could not keep her spectators long; one by one they disperse

, "I hope you are not doing anything impulsive"; and she an

arrive. She had not to walk far. He drew in sight before she had gone a quarter of a mile, driving rapidly. "Am

t cruelly unflattering, for it ignored his presence and even his existence. She broke the silence at last with a deep-drawn sigh, as frankly sad as if she had been quite alone, but

I'm glad to be of use on any terms. It

egan, and then stopped so long that he p

id, "

y, "that make it so pleasant for a woman to try to help women." He made a little murmur of condolence, and she realized that she had thrown herself on his sympathy, when she thought she had been merely thinking aloud. "What I mean is that he is a man of experience and reputation, and could probably be of more use to her than I, for she would trust him more. But I hav

you say, character goes for a great deal in these things. I've seen Mrs. Maynard at the point of death before. As a general rule, she does n'

cannot allow your disrespectfulness to Mrs. Maynard. It's shocking! You had

in them. I liked them!"

ght to like those

t to object to her tutoring him. "Well," he said, "as far as Mrs. Maynard

able at times. And she likes to share her sufferings with others, as you say. But her husband was fully entitled to

in the world! Now, Miss Breen," he said earnestly, "I hope

ou don't know they're separated, and that

o! What in th

. I thought of cours

on his ranch, and she had come on here for her health. It's some ridiculous little thing that no reasonable woman would have dreamt of caring for. It's one of he

and I haven't concerned myself in it, except as it affected her health. And I don't wish to misjudge him. And I like your-defending him," she said, though it instantly

I know just what his desertion would be. If he's left her, it's because she wanted him to leave h

low it at present," sai

herwise I should n't be

ve had this understanding. I'm very glad. It mak

And you like that? Yo

t I mean. But it is n't possible-now. Will you let me b

he answere

t ask m

tain

who respected her soliloquy. He drove on rapidly over the soft road, where the wheels made no sound, and the track wandered with apparent aimlessness through the interminable woods of young oak and pine. The low trees were full of the sunshine, and dappled them with shadow as they dashed along; the fresh, green ferns springing from the brown carpet of the pine-needles were as if painted against it. The brea

ome of those?" he

looked down at them in her lap, and said, "It's silly in me to be caring for lilies at such a time, and I should make an unfavorab

you have n't," the

n't do

k any one els

like any other young girl who might be simply and irresponsibly happy in flowers gathered for her by a young man. "I won't tell him, ei

s, straggled off into the boat-houses and fishing-huts on the shore, and the village seemed to get afloat at last in the sloops and schooners riding in the harbor, whose smooth plane rose higher to the eye than the town itself. The salt and the sa

e forbade his help in dismounting, and ran to the door, where she rang one of those bells which sharply respond at the back of the panel to the turn of a crank in front; she observed, in a difference of paint, that this modern improvement had displaced an old-fashioned knocker. The door was opened by a tall an

idge at home?

th a certain hesitation,

him," said Grace, moun

ant?" asked t

with an accent at once o

eluctantly, and she opened a door i

re Grace sat beside one of the front windows. She spent her time in study of the room and its appointments, and in now and then glancing out at Mr. Libby, who sat statuesquely patient in the buggy. His profile cut against the sky was blameless; and a humorous shrewdness which showed in the wrinkle at his eye and in the droop of his yellow mustache gave its regularity life and charm. It occurred to her that if Dr. Mulbridge caught sight of Mr. Libby before he saw her, or before she could explain that she had got one of the gentlemen at the hotel-she resolved upon this prevarication-to drive her to Corbitant in default of another conveyance, he would have his impressions and conjectures, which doubtless the bunch of lilies in her hand would do their part to stimulate. She submitted to this possibility, an

"I had to keep you waiting," he said. "I was up all night with a patient, and I was asl

sat looking steadily in her face. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you"

that I am not sure that I am

r her to go on, and then he

uld not continue. She felt that she ought to gather courage from the fact that he had not started, or done anything positively disagreeable when she had asked for a consultation; but she could

shion, neither kind nor unkind, but sim

e matter?"

symptoms? Where and

stared at each other in recipro

f I ask you what

a flush. "It is n't in regard to myself that I wis

an used to making short cuts through the elaborate and reluctant state

ion again, and she briefly gave the points of Mrs. Maynard's case, with the recent accident and the symptoms developed during the night. He

"I will see her as soon as possible. I will come over to Jocel

example. She stood hesitating a moment. Then, "I don't know whether you understood that I wi

. "No, I don't understand. What do you mean by not relinq

d the girl firmly. "I am

Phys

my card"-she began wi

nd then he stared at her again with much of the in

orner, and I have never happened to meet any ladies of our profession before. Excuse me, if I spoke under a-mistaken impression. I-I-I should not have-ah-taken you for a physician. You"-He checked himself, as if he might have been going to say that she was too young and too pretty. "Of course, I

with a gesture of her hand that she would not sit

s had apparently no effect upon Dr. Mulbridge. He continued to look at her with hardly concealed amusement, and visibly to grow more and more conscious of her elegance and style, now that she stood before him. There had been a time when, in planning her career, she had imagined herself studying a masculine simplicity and directness of address; but the over-success of some young women, her fellows at the school, in this direction had disgusted her with it, and she had perceived that after

d, with the instant superiority of a woman where the man suffers a

hing in his relief. She divined that it would leave him with an awkward sense of defeat if he quitted the subject there; and in fact he had determined that he would not. "Some of our ladies t

been abroad,

nd now he said, with easy recognition of her resolution not to help hi

e New York school,-the homoe

ut he did not say anything. He remained looking at her as if she

I may expect you," she said, "a

g her a pace or two, with a face of acute distress. Then

ongealed into hauteur, and then dissolved into the helplessness of a lady who has been offered a

ng to do with your-your-being a-a-a-woman lady. I should not care for tha

turbation. "But if you refuse, that is sufficient. I will n

ity. They are purely professional-that is, technical-I should say disciplinary,-entirely disciplinary. Yes, disciplinary." The wor

ry that I should know. Will you allow me?" she asked, for Dr. Mulbridge

We could find no common ground. Have you never heard that the-ah regular practice cannot meet homoeopathists in this way? If you had told me-if I had known-you were a homoeopathist, I could n't have considered the matter at all. I can't now express any o

on. "I had heard that you made some such distinction-I reme

under the circumstances, I can't agree with you that th

istinction, as you call it, in cases where there is no immediate danger; tha

er which I could not conscie

he word! It is not ridiculous. It

red in Dr. Mulbridge's eye. "I m

t that personally you are not responsible. We can lay aside our disti

onnecticut was expelled from the State Medical Association for consulting with"-he began to hesitate, as if he had not hi

your difficulty, and pity any liberal-minded person who is

" said Dr. Mulbridge, "tha

te, she used them with a woman's effectiveness, and her intention made them descriptive. "Good-day," she added, and she made a movement toward the door, from which Dr. M

was instantly on her

erable pride, and I never will. Mrs. Maynard needs greater experience than mine, and she must have it. I can't justify myself in the delay and uncertainty of sending to Boston. I relinquish the cas

t of difficult concession. "I will come.

you object to my nursing your patient? She is an old

r help, and your"-he was going to say advice

entatively, "Good-morning," and he responded experimentally, "Good-morning"; and with that they involuntari

What in the world were you quarrel

t quarrelli

nded like it.

her son absent

en? That gi

es

pon my word!" exclaimed Mrs. Mulbridge. "So

other, if you can hurry dinner a little, I shall be glad. I have to dr

g man with her? H

man with her?" as

hout speaking. She coul