The Coming of Bill

sp

tween him and the things of this world. Commonplace objects lost their character and be

d a prosperous looking individual moving, like a liner among tugs, in the midst of no fewer than six offspring. Kirk fixed him with such a concentrated stare of emotion and excitement that the other was alarmed

. Ruth's unvarying cheerfulness was to him almost uncanny. None of the doubts and fears which blackened his life appeared to touch her. Once he confided these to

ant. All that he had experienced till now had, he saw, been a mild apprehension, not worthy of a stronger name. His flesh crawled with the thought

s when she needed him most. When she was facing her father with the news of the marriage he had not been at her

r seeing Ruth to ask him to telephone to Mrs. Porter. In his overwrought state, this

ng upstairs. She put forward the lame excuse that she had not dined. Kirk gave her the sherry and sandwich and resumed

In a short while fear

went into the little kitchen, where he found eggs, which he mixed with milk and swallowed. After this he was aware of a momentary e

d him upon himself and caused him to pass his character under review, with strange and unsatisfactory results. He had never realised before what a curiously contemptible

doctor came quietly down th

el

ldn't be better." The doctor's eyes searched his

some eggs and milk.

nd hustled him into the kitchen, where

said. "I'll h

ould

sky. Where do

or munched a sandwich with the placidity of a summer board

th the gimlet eyes. At least I don't, but she's got sense. Go on. You haven't done yet. Another

e? Goo

r nerve. Nothing awfu

e was somethi

wait,'" quoted the doctor sententio

ha

pipe and t

sno

case may be. You don't want to appear looking as if you had been run over by an automobile after a night out. You wa

was alo

r a few puffs he replaced it in his pocket. It seemed too callous to think of smoking now. The doctor was a good fellow, but he

irs? He strained his ear

e had sunk once more into the depths when he was aware of a soft tappi

in and see how things were

art leaped at the sight of him. It was as if he had

in,

into the studio, embarrassmen

y cop on the island's standing by waiting for me to pull something. Another minute and they'd

re just now. He said ev

e knows hi

rk's ears were strainin

ll," sai

hat he wanted. The doctor meant well, but

a drink, Steve. I e

hook hi

briefly. And there

, Ki

es

r throw that medicine-ball-often-you wouldn't believe. S

the street outside a heavy waggon rumbled part. Somebody sh

aid. But the singing ceas

alk quickly up and down. S

he said. "You'll be all in if you k

ped in hi

of?" He recovered himself quickly, ashamed of the outburst. "I'm sorry, Steve. Don't mind

hed his chin

ok it just like you. Found he was getting all worked up by having to hang around and do nothing, so

dad did. 'Gee!' he says to himself, 'I believe the way I'm feeling, I could just go and eat up that gink right away.' And the more he thought of it, the better it looked to him, so all

he barkeep and about fifty other fellers throws them out, and they goes off to a vacant lot to finish the thing. And dad's so worked up that he gives the

e pa

he small gloves, just to get things off your mind for a spell a

tared

ut at that. I shan't mind. Just try to think I'm some guy tha

at day the faint ghos

's f

f you're ri

, too. I ain't known Miss Ruth all this time for nothing

and more padded species met with his approval. Steve, during these daily sparring encounters, was amiability itself; but he could not be counted upon not to forget himself for an o

looking as if he was suffering from mumps, owing to a r

k felt that even a repetition of

consolatory in word as well as deed. He kept up a

ain't often you hear of anything going wrong at times like this. You

wing at the body which

true,"

a little breathlessly

warily roun

king a left, "that oug

luding to his last speech, not to the counter which had

rfully friendly toward Steve, so grateful for his presence, and his sympathy, that it had been hard, in spite of the other's admonitions, to

tioned above, that he ceased to be an individual with private troubles and a wandering mind, and became a

success of his treatment. It had worked even more quickly than he had hope

m, began to feel a slight diminution of his detached attitude toward this encounter. Till now his position had been purely that of the kindly physician soothing a patient. The rapidi

him with some violence against the wall; and from that moment nature asserted itself. A curio

Steve did not slip; he went to m

*

o bears weighty news. Her determined face was pale and tired, as it had every righ

field,"

ooking about her, she

ange, shuffling sound. She listened, astonished. She heard a gasp, then cur

Mrs. Porter. She opened

A lesser person, after a far less tiring ordeal than she had passed through,

t freely, but this he appeared to consider a trifle unworthy of serious attention. On the floor, an even more disturbing spectacle, Kirk l

ng an eye which for spectacular dilapidation must have rivalled the epoch-making

Winfield

n't want to be knocked through the wall, so I has to cross him. Maybe I'd gotten a little worked up myself by t

ned the wounded o

. Dingle, is what y

re is,

s been h

nd to take his mind off it. My old dad, ma'am, when I was coming along, found that dope fixed him all right, so I reckoned i

shook his

r common sense is astonishing. I have no doubt you saved Mr. Winfield from a nervous break-down. Would you be kin