The Carter Girls

eried Nan as the front door closed on

o be looking after his things. Oh, girls, just think how we have always let him do it himself! I can't remember even having darned a sock for him in

!" sniffed Helen. "

I can't wait to tell you what I think about him; I must get busy." Douglas picked up her bur

d let him know how much I love him. I'd like to know how it would help any to have poor dear Daddy go off without once seeing his girls. Hasn't he always been seeing us and haven't we always taken all our troubles to him? How would we like it if he

'm going, too

now I am so mortified I can hardly hold up my head. We have been actually criminal in our selfishness. I don't intend ever as long as I live to get a n

ing that our own Father is crazy or something. Won't answer for the consequences! I reckon he won't. Why should he be right in his diagnosis any more than Dr. Davis or Dr. Drew or Dr. Slaughter

ed giving it to us so? Of course he didn't. I could see he just hated it. He would have let us alone exce

ense, but, thank you, I've got just as much as Douglas

then! You certainly are

could have done a better job on a face with a hatchet. He's got a mug

like blue flowers, growing kind of high up, out of reach, but once he smiled at me and I knew they were not out of reach, really. Wh

emely commonplace young man you are a wonder. I am goin

r new hat, I intend to hav

"Of course you are going to countermand the order f

nd it! Why

surely. You must have taken in

forth on what is no doubt his first case, laying down the law to

ught you thought that you love

onths on a dirty old boat without ever even being allowed to hug his girls. I bet he won't let this creature boss him any more than I will. Daddy

er with her? I have never seen Helen ac

did hate and despise doctors, too. Has ever since she was a little girl when they took out her tonsils. She seemed to think it was their fault. Sh

ty none of these terrible things, except headstrong. Thoughtless she was and spoiled, but generous to a fault, with a warm and loving heart. Her love for her father was intense and she simply would not see that he was ill. As Douglas said, she

to call in consultation their old friends and relatives. Besides, he wanted no excitement for the sick man, no adieux from fr

istol off right by his ear and he would not bat an eyelash! She worked herself up even to thinking that they were doing a foolish thing to allow this beetle-browed young man to car

o get the new hat in spite of Douglas or perhaps twist the other one around so it would be more becomi

t this minute and find out for myself just how sick he is, and if he, too, is hypnotized into thinking this d

s accustomed to admiration and approval. Her youngest sister, Lucy, was about the only person of her acquaintance who found any real fault with her. Why, that young man seemed actually to scorn her! What reason had he to come pussy-footing into the library where she and her sisters were holding an intimate conversation, and al

may I

t the girl's heart stopped beating-could he be dead? He looked so worn and gaunt. Strange she had not noticed it before. She had only thought he was getting a little thin, but she hated fat men, anyhow, and gloried in her father'

ened his eyes an

persons having two legs apiece makes ten legs-silk stockings cost one dollar apiece, no, a pair-fifty cents apiece-that makes five dollars for ten legs. Everybody has to put on a new pair every day, so that makes three hundred and sixty-five pairs a year, three hundred and sixty-six in leap year, seven hundred and thirty stockings-that makes one thousand, eight hundred and

t know," and Helen

e four servants, that makes eleven, not quite a dozen. What I am worried about is that some of you don't get two chops apiece. I am wondering all the time which ones don't eat enough. There is nothing at all on one little French chop, although I'm blessed if I could make one go down me now. But, honey, promise me if your mother and I do take this trip that this young man, whose name has escaped me, is going to arrange for us, that you will find out who it is among you who eats only one chop and make 'em eat more. I am afraid it is Nan and Bobby. They are more like your mother, and of course fairies don't really eat anything to speak of-but it mus

is be her Daddy? This broken, garrulous man with the gray face and tears, womanish tears, flowing shamelessly from his tired eyes? Dr. Wright was right! Their father was a very ill

in her father's room, disobeying the stern commands of the physician who could see with half his professional ey

wretch, but I am not a sneak and I will stay right here and take the ragging that I

e her only a casual glance, seeming to feel no surprise at her presence, but went immediately

romise me to look into a little matter of French chops that was worrying me. She and I have been having a little crying party about silk stockin

er but he never looked at her. "And now, Mr. Carter, I have a notary public downstairs and I am going to ask you to sign a pape

e until I attend to tickets and thing

uda and Panama engaged; slow going steamer

t had to attend to everything myself. It sounds like my own funeral. I

e best man sometimes does attend to the tickets and in this case even decided where the honeymoon should be spent. I chose a Southern trip because I w

nd sunlight. I feel sure you have done right and am just lying down like a baby a

blowing up that she had expected from Dr. Wright, not having got it, still stayed just because she did not know

ives your daughter full power to act in your absence." Dr. Wright spok

y. "Otherwise she would have some troubl

! I am only

ht of that," s

I am," muttered th

ian, or better still, give you power

l what is going to upset a nervous prostrate. "Well, all right. I can do it if it is up to me," the doctor

has been worrying me," said the patient, as he signed his name