Phebe, Her Profession - A Sequel to Teddy: Her Book | Page 8

to her invitingly; but Phebe shook her
head.

"No; I don't want to be cuddled, Ted; I'm not a baby. I want to be
understood; that is all. You never can understand, though. You have
Billy and your writing, more than your fair share, and you grew up into
them both. You were foreordained. Other people are. I wish I were; but
I'm not, and yet I want to work, to do something definite." She paused
with a little laugh. "I said something about it once to some nice English
girls I met at Lucerne. They seemed very all-round and energetic, and I
thought they would understand. They just put their dear, rosy heads on
one side and said, 'Oh, dear me, how very unusual!' Then I gave it up
and kept still till I told Mrs. Farrington. She understood."
"Did she?"
"She always understands things. We talked it all over, and she agreed
that it was best for me to come home."
"But how did you happen to choose medicine?"
"What else was there? Besides, I ought to inherit it, and papa ought to
have some child follow him. Hubert didn't, and I must."
"What about Allyn?"
"He is too young yet to tell whether he will amount to anything or not. I
don't believe he is the right kind, either. I am."
"How do you mean?" In spite of herself, Theodora laughed at the
assurance in Phebe's tone.
"Oh, I have studied myself a good deal," she said with calm
complacency. "I am not nervous, nor very sympathetic, and I think I
could operate on people very nicely."
"Phebe!" This time, there was no concealment in Theodora's laugh.
"You needn't make fun of me," she said indignantly. "That helps along;
papa says it does. I had a long talk with him, last night, after you and
Billy went home."

"What did he say?"
"A good many things that there is no use in repeating," Phebe
responded loftily.
"Wasn't he surprised?"
"Yes, as much as he ever is, at anything I do." For the moment, Phebe's
sense of humor asserted itself. Then she grew grave again. "It is settled
that I am to work with him till summer. Then, next fall, if I really want
to go on with it, I am to go to Philadelphia to study there. Hope will be
shocked, and Hu will make all manner of fun of me, I know. I do hope
you and Billy will stand by me, Ted, and believe it is not a schoolgirl
whim, but a real wish to find some work and do it."
Theodora rose and stood beside her sister.
"I do believe it, dear," she said. "I know how I feel about my own work
and how I want to succeed in it, for all your sakes. Only, Phebe, the
time may come when you will be ready to put your profession, not in
the first place, but in the second."
But Phebe shook her head.
"No; I am not that kind, Ted. I'm queer, they all say, and I think my
work will always come first. Mrs. Farrington tried to make a society
woman of me; but it was no use."
"William Farrington!" Theodora said, that night.
"Yes, madame."
"Once upon a time, there was a girl who came down out of a tree, and
took a boy to bring up. That's us, Billy, and I always have supposed
that my hands were full with training you. Now I have discovered that
they are not."
"Is it a new story?" her husband asked, dropping his book and looking
at her expectantly.

"Alas, no! No such luck. I came home with a dozen plans for work
simmering in my brain; but I must put them back and let them parboil
themselves for a while longer. My family are demanding my whole
attention."
"What now?"
"Sisterly confidences. It is funny, Billy; but it is rather distracting to my
work. Allyn took me to walk, this morning, and told me the tragic tale
of his first love affair. It was Lois Hawes, and it ended most
unromantically. He helped her to get ready for the prize speaking, last
month, and then she took the prize away from him and neglected to
mention that he had coached her. Now he rages at the whole race of
girls and says he won't finish his term of dancing school."
"That is unwise of him," Mr. Farrington commented, "Did you bring
him to a better way of thinking?"
"I wrestled with him; but he was still proclaiming that 'girls aren't any
good,' so I beat a retreat."
"He needs a girl to bring him up, as you brought me," Billy remarked.
"There aren't many who would dare attack Allyn," Theodora said,
laughing. "I had you