"The boy had only to hold that gait," reflected the
Doctor, "and he would, as Nathan had said, land at the very top of his
profession."
In the evening, the Doctor slipped away from church as soon as the
services were over, leaving Dan with those who always stay until the
janitor begins turning out the lights. Martha would walk home with
fellow workers in the Ladies' Aid, who lived a few doors beyond, and the
Doctor wished to be alone.
Crossing the street to avoid the crowd, he walked slowly along under
The big trees, trying to accustom himself to the thought of his boy
dressed in the conventional minister's garb, delivering time worn
conventionalities in a manner as conventional. It was to this strange
thinking old man, almost as if he had seen Dan behind the grated doors
of a prison cell.
Very slowly he went along, unmindful of aught but the thoughts that
troubled him, until, coming to the Widow Mulhall's little cottage, where
Deborah and Denny were sitting on the porch, he paused. Across the street
in front of his own home, Martha and her friends were holding an animated
conversation.
"Come in, come in, Doctor," called Deborah's cheery voice, "it's a fine
evenin' it is and only beginnin'. I was just tellin' Denny that 'tis a
shame folks have to waste such nights in sleep. Come right in, I'll
fetch another chair--take the big rocker there, Doctor, that's right.
And how are you? Denny? Oh the bye is all right again just as you said;
sure the minister had him out in the garden that same afternoon.
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