human
It's all right, Tom; go it while you're young. But that kind of love's young dream generally ends in a nightmare. He hesitated a minute, and then said:
gpt
Well, so long as we're all here in the family, I'll tell you about a case I had last night. There's an old fellow--old Dutchman to be exact, down in Spring township; he came here with us when we founded the town; husky old boy, that is, he used to be fifteen years ago. And he had Tom's notion about the ladies, God bless 'em, when he was Tom's age. When I first knew him his notion was causing him trouble, and had settled in one leg, and last night he died of the ladies, God bless 'em.
human
Lord, but he suffered, and to add to his physical torment, he knew that he had to leave his daughter all alone in the world--and without a mother and without a dollar; but that isn't the worst, and he knew it--at the last. This being twenty-five for a living is the hardest job on earth--when you're sixty, and the old man knew that. The girl has missed his blood taint; she's not scarred nor disfigured. It would be better if she were; but he gave her something worse--she's his child! For a moment the Doctor was silent, then he sighed deeply and shut his eyes as he said:
gpt
Boys, for a year and more he's been seeing all that he was, bud like a glorious poison in his daughter.
human
Well, what's her name? The rest of the group in the store looked down their noses and the Doctor, with his paper under his arm, obviously ignored the question and only stopped in the door to pipe out:
gpt
This wasn't the morning to talk to me of the ladies--God bless 'em.
human
Well, say--now isn't that something worth looking at? That beats Niagara Falls and Pike's Peak--for me.
gpt
And I have three to his one; I tell you, gentlemen--three to his one; and I guess I haven't told you gentlemen about it, but I got the exclusive agency for seven counties for Golden's Patent Self-Opening Fruit Can, an absolute necessity for every household, and in another year my three will be wearing their silks and diamonds! He smiled proudly around the group and added:
human
My! that doesn't make any difference. Silk or gingham, I know I've got the best girls on earth--why, if their mother could just see 'em--see how they're unfolding--why, Emma can make every bit as good hash as her mother, a hint of tears stood in his blue eyes.
gpt
Why--men, I tell you sometimes I want to die and go right off to Heaven to tell mother all the fine news about 'em--eh? Deaf John Kollander, with his hand to his less affected ear, nodded approval and said,
human
That's what I always said, James G. Blaine never was a true friend of the soldier!