Grandfathers Love Pie | Page 2

take her big husband,
the Captain, on a long trip to the seashore and mountains.
The trip had been taken, but Captain Gordon's condition did not show
the improvement that the anxious members of his family had so
earnestly hoped to see, and after the return the busy little wife
immediately set about securing a couch for his office, for the invalid
insisted that he was able to resume his duties. She explained that "the
Captain might rest a little now and then from his labors," for the sturdy
old soldier would not for a moment entertain the thought of giving up
his work--the loved, chosen profession which he had followed so
faithfully and successfully since he came out--a gallant young officer of
twenty-three--from the Civil War, the sole survivor of the four
members of his household who had gone forth to fight for what was to
be the Lost Cause.
Everything at the office was made especially comfortable, for how
willingly would every one have spared the quiet, kind professor, who

combined so wonderfully strength and manliness with gentleness and
lovableness of disposition.
The experiment lasted one week--he came home at the close of the
sixth day and said quietly, "I must get a substitute until I am well
enough to attend to my work as it should be done." So the substitute
was secured and a consultation of doctors followed, with the result that
a new line of treatment had been adopted. A few weeks failed to bring
good results, so other treatments had been tried, until, a few weeks
before, a skilled specialist had ordered him off to the infirmary for a
period of several weeks.
The days spent here were days of great suffering, but grandfather was a
man of monumental patience, and no word of complaint passed his lips.
It was just at this time that a crushing blow had been dealt the hopeful,
cheery little wifey, who had always been laughingly termed "boss of
the ranch," "head of the house," and suchlike terms, but whose right to
these titles had never been disputed by the indulgent husband or
devoted sons and daughters, for her ready hand always carried with it
relief, and her merry laugh brought cheer and sunshine.
Her only brother had been stricken, and died within a few days, but the
brave little wife and mother had hidden her deep sorrow in her bosom,
and after a few days, only a smiling face was presented about the
house.
When the allotted time at the infirmary had expired, the young doctor,
who had studied the case with such zeal and attended his patient with
the tender care of a son, brought him back to his home.
After having put her father to bed, to rest from the weariness of the trip,
Alice turned around to the waiting physician, a foreboding anxiety in
her heart, and tried to make her question quite natural:
"Well, doctor, how soon can your friend, the specialist, have father well
again?"
After a pause Dr. Emerson replied, "He will not continue on the case,

Miss Gordon."
"O, doctor, what do you mean? He has not given it up? I can not
relinquish hope--I won't."
"And I do not wish you to, Miss Gordon. Dr. Helm did not find your
father's condition to be what he had expected, but we are going to begin
at once a treatment that has been practiced with great success in
Germany, in cases like his."
Nothing more was said at that time between them, but the memory of
that conversation was indelibly printed on Alice's mind, and a long
night of the keenest anguish she had ever experienced, followed.
She thought, and thought, and thought, until the sounds from the
sick-chamber near by, would bring a flood of tender memories and her
pillow would be wet with tears.
It was thus that most of the night was spent. Toward morning she sank
into a deep slumber, but, when she wakened, a terrible leaden weight
seemed to oppress her, and it was several hours before the buoyant
cheerfulness, with which she was by nature endowed, could again
assert itself.
After several days and nights spent thus, Alice came to the wise
conclusion that the situation must be faced, for obvious reasons.
After this decision was reached, she became more calm, and the next
day, without consulting any member of the family, slipped away to the
doctor's downtown office, and waited patiently until he was at leisure to
see her.
Dr. Emerson seemed a little surprised at her appearance, but said,
"What is it, Miss Gordon--what can I do for you?"
"I only came, Dr. Emerson, to say to you that I am now ready to hear
what you have to tell about my father. I want to