Red Pepper's Patients / With an Account of Anne Linton's Case in Particular

re one-was not to be imagined. And if it had been Anne Linton, why should she have refused to know him? There could have been little difficulty for her in identi

s in broad daylight at a distance of not more than four feet. He had seen into the very depths of her own bewildering beauty, and the encounter, alway

t tones. "I suspect I was something of an idiot to

prove it. Nevertheless, when he was at home again he was not sorry to be

his mother must be away. With her he went straight to his point; the moment the first greetings were over and he had been congratulated on his ability to spend a few hours each day at h

"Do you prefer to think it

ng to answer

wanted to think myself. I wish I ha

ke eagerly. "Would yo

r seeing her only twice you couldn't be sure. I don't think any change of dress or environment could have hidden

es

ensational novel, known a rich girl to pretend to be poor, unless for a visit to a poor quarter for charitable purposes. What possible object could there be in a girl's going about selling books unless sh

" was King's abstract of these re

looking into a pair of beautiful eyes. Have you never observed, m

red much about them, except now and

, too, are going t

for not speaking. If it wasn't"-he drew a deep brea

she would never see you again, and she yielded

was in it-a balm she had perfectly understood and meant to put there. Well she guessed what his disablement me

one day not long after this. She brought him a letter, and she was scrutinizing it closely a

ity a hundred miles away. It was one in which lived an old school friend of whom she had never spoken, to her recollection, in King's heari

ar-which had been going, as it happened, in the opposite direction from the city of the postmark. He recognized instantly the handwriting upon the plain

glad to hear from her. It is the first time she ha

n would have been to try to conceal his interest in the letter the surer was Jordan King to proclaim it. The very fact that this announcement w

en upon her face. She knew her son's habit of finishing one thing before he took up another, but she understood also that he wished to be alone when he should read this letter. She

with the little book-rather better than usual. Sometimes I almost wish I hadn't spent that fortnight with Mrs. Burns, I find myself missing her so. And yet, how can one be sorry for any happy thing that comes to one? As I look back on them now, though I am well a

ite to me, care of general delivery, in this town, at an

Lin

approached. He folded the let

From the hour I first saw Miss Linton I've been unable to forget her. I know, by every sign, that she is all she

s hand upon the shaking shoulder of the prostrate lady, who had gone down before her son's decision, gentle though his manner with her had been

ivable; it's not possible! Doctor, you must tell him, you must argue with him. He can't marry this girl, he can't! Why, he doesn't even know the place she comes from, to say nothing o

ty manly man, too-as his frankly telling you his intention proves. Most sons would have kept their plans to themselves, and simply have brought the moth

nything. Why didn't she tell you something of herself? Jordan could not say that you knew the least thing about her. People with fine family records

touch. She's a girl of education, of refinement-why, Ellen came to feel plenty of real affection for her before she left us, and you know that means a good deal. As for the mystery about her, what's that? Most pe

ngs over. The room was veiled in a half twilight, partly the effect of closing day and partly that of drawn shades. The deep and sobbing breaths continued until suddenly Burns'

"isn't worthy o

she listened. People were not accustomed to tell Mrs. Ale

the thing contemplated is not an offense against another. You have no right to

hy I do oppose him. I want him to be happy-he

g him as by letting him alone. And I can tell you one thing surely, Mrs. King: Jordan will do as he wish

can you think he

fish-to marry the woman he wants instead of the woman y

s! How can you speak so, when all I ask for is

r lady. What you reall

ane glance confronted her wild one. She lifted her shaking hand with a gesture

ok the delicate hand of his

ur boy as I would a younger brother, and I want you to keep him because I can understand what the loss of him would mean to you. But you must know that you can't tie a man's

her. Many patients in danger of losing self-control had known the strengthening, soothing touch of that strong hand. Red Pepper was not accustomed to

d Burns, bending close, was saying before he left her: "That's a brave woman. Ladies are lovely things, but I respect women more. Onl

g to himself things of a quite different sort, let him not be blamed for insincerity. He had at the last used t