Aikenside | Page 2

remonstrated, saying he knew nothing whatever of the
qualifications requisite for a teacher; that he could not talk to girls,
young ones especially; that he should make a miserable failure, and so
forth. The people would not listen. Somebody must examine the
teachers and that somebody might as well be Dr. Holbrook as anybody.
"Only be strict with 'em, draw the reins tight, find out to your
satisfaction whether a gal knows her P's and Q's before you give her a
stifficut. We've had enough of your ignoramuses," said Colonel Lewis,
the democratic potentate to whom Dr. Holbrook was expressing his
fears that he should not give satisfaction. Then, as a bright idea
suggested itself to the old gentleman, he added: "I tell you what, just
cut one or two at first; that'll give you a name for being particular,
which is just the thing."
Accordingly, with no definite idea as to what was expected of him,
except that he was to find out "whether a girl knew her P's and Q's,"
and was also to "cut one or two of the first candidates," Dr. Holbrook
accepted the office, and then awaited rather nervously his initiation. He
was not easy in the society of ladies, unless, indeed, the lady stood in
need of his professional services, when he lost sight of her at once, and
thought only of her disease. His patient once well, however, he became
nervously shy and embarrassed, retreating as soon as possible from her
presence to the covert of his friendly office, where, with his boots upon
the table and his head thrown back in a most comfortable position, he
sat one April morning, in happy oblivion of the bevy of girls who must,
of course, ere long-invade his sanctum.
"Something for you, sir. The lady will wait for an answer," said his
"chore boy," passing to his master a little three-cornered note, and
nodding toward the street.
Following the direction indicated, the doctor saw, drawn up near his
door, an old-fashioned one-horse wagon, such as is still occasionally
seen in New England. A square boxed, dark green wagon, drawn by a

sorrel horse, sometimes called by the genuine Yankee "yellow," and
driven by a white-haired man, whose silvery locks, falling around his
wrinkled face, gave to him a pleasing, patriarchal appearance, which
interested the doctor far more than did the flutter of the blue ribbon
beside him, even though the bonnet that ribbon tied shaded the face of a
young girl. The note was from her, and, tearing it open, the doctor read,
in the prettiest of all pretty, girlish handwriting:
"Dr. Holbrook."
Here it was plainly visible that a "D" had been written as if she would
have said "Dear." Then, evidently changing her mind, she had with her
finger blotted out the "D," and made it into an oddly shaped "S," so that
it read simply:
"Dr. Holbrook--Sir: Will you be at leisure to examine me on Monday
afternoon, at three o'clock?
"MADELINE A. CLYDE.
"P. S.--For particular reasons I hope you can attend to me as early as
Monday. M. A. C."
Dr. Holbrook knew very little of girls, but he thought this note, with its
P. S., decidedly girlish. Still he made no comment, either verbal or
mental, so flurried was he with knowing that the evil he so much
dreaded had come upon him at last. Had it been left to his choice, he
would far rather have extracted every one of that maiden's teeth, than to
have set himself up before her like some horrid ogre, asking what she
knew. But the choice was not his, and, turning to the boy, he said,
laconically, "Tell her to come."
Most men would have sought for a glimpse of the face under the
bonnet tied with blue, but Dr. Holbrook did not care a picayune
whether it were ugly or fair, though it did strike him that the voice was
singularly sweet, which, after the boy had delivered his message, said
to the old man, "Now, grandpa, we'll go home. I know you must be
tired."

Slowly Sorrel trotted down the street, the blue ribbons fluttering in the
wind, while one little ungloved hand was seen carefully adjusting about
the old man's shoulders the ancient camlet cloak which had done duty
for many a year, and was needed on this chill April day. The doctor
saw all this, and the impression left upon his mind was, that Candidate
No. 1 was probably a nice-ish kind of a girl, and very good to her
grandfather. But what should he ask her, and how demean himself
toward her? Monday afternoon was frightfully near, he thought, as this
was only Saturday; and then, feeling that he must be ready, he brought
out from the trunk, where,