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11::-rm-1 puzziugrr.
“ WON'T stand for it! Why should 1?”
Dick pulled an innocent-looking
envelope from his pocket, glanced
at the note for the fourth time, and thrust
it back savagely. He was encamped on
the back doorstep with no other com-
panion to inspire his twilight medita-
tion than Shep and his own gloomy
thoughts.
"It isn’t fair!
all wrong!"
Shep walked up and surveyed his young
master anxiously. It was plain that mat-
ters were not as they should be. He made
sympathetic efforts to divert his usually
happy playfellow, laying a stick respect-
fully at the boy's side and sitting with
head cocked, ready to catch the stick
The whole business is
>‘l"""Tni'AeI‘: Dick hat‘ thrown it. But Dick paid
0 attention.
“Splendid fellow spoiledl” he muttered,
without ever glancing at Shep.
The dog picked up the stick and de-
posited it with accommodating patience
directly in front of Dick. He might as
well have placed it beside one of the tall
columns of the front veranda.
“What’s the use of being as smart as
Rob if you're going to bury yourself in
China?” growled the boy. noticing Shep
for the first time, Shop couldn't tell, but
taking the stick for the third time he
dropped it carefully a little’ nearer his
-master's feet. His brown eyes looked
straight into Dick's as if to say, “I don't
know what‘s the matter, but I believe
you'll feel better if you'll only throw my
stick.” Dick jnn:,n-d ,-:p impatiently,
hurled the stick with all ‘his might across
. the lawn, and -watched the collie bound
‘ fan-ay to find it. Then he sat down and
felt a little better.
It-was a sorry grievance though-a mat-
.‘ ter of-a thoroughly satisfactory cousin
spoiled. Almost as long ago as the days
of building‘ blocks and rocking-horses,
Dir‘? had apropriatexl Cousin Rob as his.
on particular hero. A little later. in a,
shel.--red corner of his affections Dick had
crcct.d a pedestal on which he proudly
and firmly established this one illustrious
being. In Dick's thought the distinguished
deeds of the hero shed a kind of radiant
glow about him, and therewcre constantly.
new wreaths of victory to place ador-
ingly upon the hero‘s brow. ‘To own a
r cousin u-ho was at one time captain of’
his university football team and an all-
American halfback as well as one of the
most prominent men in every school he
attended,' makes it rather necessary for;
anybody, in fact, to provide.a fitting
pedestal of some sort on which to -place
among the other celebrities of his regard
a relative so renowned.
Still, the freshest jaurels heaped around
Dick’s hero -were A) 0 football
' species. Rob was an honor graduate of
one of the best of medical colleges. Now
i l - that he had finished his-hospital work,
. < Rob had intended to carry out this fall
his pet plan of opening an office in this
busy, rapidly growing town of.hlayport.
ick's own father was an overbusy phy-
-seemcd to be in a chronic state o
352%
at
AN
UNSPOILBD COUSIN
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FLORENCE -RXMSE1‘ IEIEENBT
sician. He had anticipated a partnership
with Rob, Dick, too, was soon to enter
college in preparation for a medical course.
‘VDCH Dick's shingle bore the coveted
“M.I).," his father hoped to resign his
practice to the two young partncrs.
Meanwhile Rob had provided something
of a boost to Mayport's football team,
That poor old team had felt itself a hope-
less disgrace to a high school until its
battered courage had been revived by
ardent assurances from Dick of glorious
victory under the coaching of Dr. Rob.
In short, no scheme could be better for
everybody concerned than Rob’s locating
'n Mayport, where appreciation and sure
success awaited him.
But now, to upset it all, Rob was going
to bc a medical missionary! A letter
from Rob had brought the news that very
morning. Missionary! Dick pronounced
the word to himself with almost a trace
of scorn. Though missionaries were all
right and indispensable, they needn't be
such tiptop fellows as Rob. His talents
ought not to be hidden among ignorant
coplc who didn’t deserve such a sacri-
fice. Any ordinary physician ought to do
well enough for those foreigners. Dick
felt that all the best talent was needed.
by Uncle Sam himself.
for Rob’s football glory, why, no
doubt those stolid Chinese youths never
even heard of the game!
Dick felt of the note in his pocket. He
took it out and surveyed it rather guilt-
ily. The note called for a telephone an-
swer between now and church time, an
hour and a half.
>“You don’! catch me inviting this Dr.
Blaine to the house, even if he is Rob's
best friend. "
I’ll beg of? to-night.
go to church at all to hear him talk
about"1
Some one spoke from the doorway:
“IIere’s the basket, son. “fill you take
it, please, to Maggie Walters?"
.His mother's voice was as cheery as
usual. If she suspected the cause of the
storm darkening the merry skies of Mr.
Dick's disposition, she gave no sign of
‘being aware of the thunder cloud.
With the basket in his hand and Shep
‘at his heels. Dick marched down the road,
kicking the dust. won’t pay any at-
tention to that note. The follow had
plenty of nerve to send it."
Dick opened Maggie VValters’ gate and
knocked at the door of her small, for-
lorn cottage, her lanky black dog growl-
ing an unfriendly grceting. Maggie was
not a helpful person to meet if one hap-
pened to be vexed or depressed. She
dis-
content with herself and all the world.
Poor Maggie had long since forgotten
how to smile, if she ever did know how
at all. Her sharp face, its thinness em-
phasized by straight hair drawn tightly
back. was always a dull, angry red. But
it was mostly because of the peculiar
fierccness in her eyes that the most dar-
ing small boy in Mayport admitted being
afraid of Maggie Walters.
This morning she appeared at the door
in answer to Dick's knock, glaring sus-
piciously at her yisitor. Dick took off
his cap as he presented his oh’:-ring.
“Here are a few good things to eat that
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rnothcr thought you and Tom might enjoy
for your dinner to-morrow," he ventured,
Peering at the basket distrustfully,
Maggie half shut the door upon her
caller. But she opened it again and took
the basket,.grumbling as she did so. like
a disgruntled parrot, in high, ‘petulant
tones.
"I'm ’bout tircd takin' food other folks
SL‘lILl ’round thinkin’ I ain’t smart enough
to earn my own," she began. "“'ell,
[Jose I might's well have this. since your
mother sent it. I dunnds she's so ruean’5
the rest. I'll wager you hate t' come in
this place. Most folks thinks it'll kinder
pollute ‘em to set in my chairs.“
But Dick seated himself in a near-by
rocker and spoke to the young man who
sat grinning half foolishly in the corner.
Poor Tom! If he had been quite like
other people he never could have endured
his sister's housekeeping, to say nothing
of her company.
“Have you heard from your other two
brothers lately, Miss VValters?" asked
Dick, as Maggie jerked the pails out of
the basket.
“Heard
.4
snapped
from ’en1? Yesl”
Maggie. “Always and forever wantiu
somethin' o me. Now they're both sick
t’ once in the city. XVant me to come and
see ’em."
“Why don’t you go?" inquired Dick.
"Some one will take care of Tom and
MARCH 8, 193
cvergone. It was his father's way-and
o s. ‘
"Two brothers in trouble and she
doesn't care about helping them,
they're not at home. “'hat a state of
mind to he in!" thought Dick as he and
Shep walked home with the empty basket.
He had sotnctimcs u'0n<lcr('(l if it were
safe for this pitiable, bitterly unfriendly
creature to be allowed to take care of
hcrsclf and Torn. But his mother had
assured him that Tom was contented
enough with Maggie's brusqne ministra-
tions and that she was quite harmless, and
not to blame for her strange ways.
And those two brothers! That was the
queerest yrt.
P
gie Walters had succeeded
better than trusty old Shep in rousing
Dick from his unaccustomed melancholy.
Ile had scarcely thonglu of ob for at
least thirty-live minutes. until the sound
of church bells reminded him of the whole
dismal affair. One thing was settled-he
wasn't going to church to-night to hear
that fellow talk, the follow that had dis-
suaded Rob from settling comfortably in
Mayport. There was no use of saying a
word to mother about that old note in
which Dr. Blaine had announced that he
was to speak unexpectedly in Mayport
and, before going away early in the morn-
ing, would like a talk with Dick.
“I am not going to church this time,
mother,” said
“ ucwavs as-u r-oruzvrx yvmrr.-e‘ s0Mr.1'HIs' or us.
help you get to the city. It isn't so very
far"
“Ain’t goin‘," answered Maggie curtly.
"Ain't seen 'em for so long I hardly know
what they look like. ‘his one brother
here's as much as I can tend to," she de-
clared, pointing backward with her thumb
at Tom. “I don’t care nothin' for ’em
'cause they're so far off they don't mat-
ter no more. Don't feel's if I knew ’em
at all-except when they're wantin‘ some-
thin‘ of me."
If there was but little about poor Mag-
gie Waiters to inspire courtesy, Dick's
kindly "Good evening!" as he took the
basket from her, did not indicate it. In
Dick's home, more ancient and more hon-
nred than the tall grandfather clock in
the hall, or than the precious, cracked
blue dishes in the mahogany cupboard, an
old. insistent notion ruled that to be a
gentleman at all is to he a gentleman to
Dick quite un-
concernedly.
“ ' sir, I
)un
bci .. v
are!" replied his
fine address to-
night instead
of the regular
prayer meeting.
though I don't
know who the
speaker is to be.
Your fa‘li‘lEl‘li‘lIIS
just this nunute
driven ‘away.
There isn't any-
one else to assist
in o t h e r,
her uncer-
tain anklc, an
rather think you
wouldn't like to
keep her away
from church.”
“All right,
Dick
less than an hour
till church time.
Dr. Blaine woul;
very
the trolley
Mayport if he hadn't done so already.
Five minutes went by. No telephone
message had been sent by Dick. Ten min-
utes--fifteen Dick trampcd upstairs to
his room. He jerked off uis necktie and
collar very much as Maggie Walters had
jerked his mother’s pails and dishes out
of the basket. He plastered down his hair
with nnconnnon vigor, uhile his cheeks
felt hot and angry, somewhat like Mag-
gie “faltcrsl
Dick trampcd downstairs and out to the
Dr. Blaine must be in town by
Some one else could invite
him tospcnd the night. “Hope he chokes
mildly,” muttered Dick so suddenly that
Shep looked up at him in surprise. “No,
I don't either, but anybody that wants
his company" till he's ready to leave town .
is welcome to it. ,
A few minutes later one young gentle-
man, carefully indiffercnt toward tho int
fr .