"Doc," he said, when his survey was completed, "how old are you--
twenty-five or twenty-six?"
"Twenty-five--just your age--why?" and the doctor looked with an
expression so wholly innocent of Guy's real meaning that the latter,
instead of telling why, replied:
"Oh! nothing; only I was wondering if you would do to be my father.
Agnes, I verily believe, is more than half in love with you; but, on
the whole, I would not like to be your son; so I guess you'd better
take some one younger--say Jessie. You are only eighteen years her
senior."
The doctor stared at him amazed, and when he had finished said with
the utmost candor: "What has that to do with Madeline? I thought we
were talking of her." "Innocent as the newly-born babe," was Guy's
mental comment, as he congratulated himself on his larger and more
varied experience.
And truly Dr, Holbrook was as simple-hearted as a child, never
dreaming of Guy's meaning, or that any emotion save a perfectly proper
one had a lodgment in his breast as he drove down to Honedale,
guarding carefully Guy's bouquet, and wishing he knew just what he
ought to say when he presented it.
Maddy had gained rapidly the last three days. Good nursing and the
doctor's medicines were working miracles, and on the morning when the
doctor, with Guy's bouquet, was riding rapidly toward Honedale, she
was feeling so much better that in view of his coming she asked if she
could not be permitted to receive him sitting in the rocking-chair,
instead of lying there in bed, and when this plan was vetoed as
utterly impossible, she asked, anxiously:
"And must I see him in this nightgown? Can't I have on my pink gingham
wrapper?"
Hitherto Maddy had been too sick to care at all about her personal
appearance, but it was different now.
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