A Girl in Ten Thousand | Page 4

the table,
helping him and his wife in her affectionate way, and seeing to the
comforts of all. It did not occur to him as even possible that Effie could
carry such a dreadful thing as rebellion in her heart. No face could look
more perfectly happy than hers. Was it possible that she was pining for
a wider field of usefulness than the little niche which she filled so
perfectly in the home life? Dr. Staunton never thought about it at all.
Effie was just a dear little girl--not a bit modern; she was the comfort of
her mother's life, and, for that matter, the comfort of his also.
He looked at her now with his usual grave smile. "Well, Effie, useful
and charming as usual? I see you have not forgotten my favorite dish,

and I am glad of it, for I can tell you I am just starving. I have had a
hard day's work, and it is nice to feel that I can rest for this evening at
least."
"Have you been to the Watsons', dear?" inquired Mrs. Staunton. "They
sent a message for you two or three hours ago."
"Yes; I met the farmer in the High Street, and went straight out to the
farm. Mrs. Watson is better now, poor soul; but it is a bad case, the
heart is a good deal implicated. I shall have to go out there again the
first thing in the morning. It would be a dreadful thing for that family if
anything happened to her."
"The heart--is it heart trouble?" said Mrs. Staunton.
"Yes, yes! Don't you begin to fancy that your case is the least like hers;
yours is only functional, hers is organic. Now, why have I broken
through my rule of saying nothing about my patients? You will be
fancying and fretting all night that you are going to shuffle off this
mortal coil just as quickly as poor Mrs. Watson will have to do before
long, I fear. Why, Effie, what is the matter? Why are you staring at me
with those round eyes?"
Mrs. Staunton looked also at Effie, and the sudden memory of her
recent conversation with her returned.
"By the way," she said, "if you are likely to be at home this evening,
John, Effie would like to ask her friend Dorothy Fraser to come in for
an hour or two. She wants to introduce her to you."
"She is one of those modern girls, is she not?" said the doctor.
"Oh, father, she is just splendid," said Effie. "If you only knew her, if
you could hear her speak----"
"Well, my dear, don't get into a state, and above all things, don't learn
that dreadful habit of exaggeration. I dare say Miss Fraser is very well,
but there are few prodigies in the world, my little Effie; and, for my

part, give me the home birds--they are the girls for my world; they are
the girls who will make good wives by and by. There, my love, I shall
be pleased to welcome any friend of yours, so ask her over, by all
means. She won't mind the old doctor's pipe, I hope?"
"Oh, no, father!" Effie could not help smiling. She knew perfectly well
that Dorothy thought it no harm to indulge in a tiny cigarette herself,
not often, nor every day, but sometimes when she was dead beat, as she
expressed it. Effie had to keep this knowledge of her friend's
delinquencies to herself. If Dr. Staunton knew that Dorothy did not
consider smoking the unpardonable sin in woman, he would not allow
her inside his doors. "I will go and fetch her," Effie said, jumping up
and putting on her hat. "She is longing to know you, father, and you
can smoke two or three pipes while she is here."
Effie left the room. Mrs. Staunton looked at her husband. "I doubt if
Dorothy Fraser is the best of friends for our Effie."
"Eh!" said the doctor, taking his pipe out of his mouth for a moment.
"What ails the girl?"
"Oh, nothing at all," replied Mrs. Staunton. "Effie is very fond of her,
and I believe she really is a fine creature. You know she is educating
her two brothers."
"What is she doing--how does she earn her living?"
"Oh, she is a nurse in a hospital. She has been in St. Joseph's Hospital
for years, and is now superintendent of one of the wards. She gets a
good salary."
The doctor rubbed his hands together in a somewhat impatient way.
"You know my opinion of lady nurses," he said, looking at his wife.
"Well, dear, make the best of Dorothy for Effie's sake. I hear the steps
of the two girls now. You will do what