Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1907 — Fabian’s Cure [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Fabian’s Cure

By LULU JOHNSON.

I Fabian Impatiently paced the piazza. It was 8:10 and the breakfast bell ;had not sounded. But not because he was hungry did Fabian anathematize the cook. Ho had wakened with little appetite, but ever since he had begun to order 'his life he had had breakfast at 8. It had been the sole recommendation of this boarding place that they had |breakfast at his accustomed hour instead of 7:30, as seemed to be the custom in most of the boarding houses In 'Carrs vllle. j Because Fabian always took the first two weeks in August as his vacation he followed this custom, too, though the break in the even routine lof the office annoyed him. But Habit was Fabian’s fetich. Habit decreed a two weeks’ vacation in August, and so he continued to seek a resort where the orderly routine of his life would be the least interrupted. This year lie had rather fancied Glen farm, but they bad breakfast at 7:15. Fabiau had inquired irritably why not 7 or 7:30 and had decided in favor of Brook farm, where meats were served at about the hours to which he was accustomed In town, though it annoyed him to have to eat bis dinner In the middle of the day and a cold supper at night. Ever since he had reached his seventeenth year Fabian had been alone In the world and he had fallen In a rut of system. His orderly habit of mind made him a valuable man in the office, but his unwillingness to depart from custom drew fen' friends, and at twenty-six he was still heart whole. The delayed breakfast was a far greater annoyance than a more serious disappointment might have been, and he gnawed at his mustaebe as he strode up and down the piazza. He caught the first jangle as the bell was lifted from the shelf and turned to enter the house, but just then, there was a scream from the road, and he turned to see a girl endeavoring to beat off the farm dog, whose muddy paws had already left their imprint upon her dainty skirts, ■ Something in her pose caught Fabian’s fancy, and he went racing down across the grass plot to her rescue,

.Whistling to the dog as he went. But Carlo was determined to make friends with the girl and paid no attention to the calls until Fatfian's hand rested heavily upon his collar and the toe of Fabian’s boot emphasized lightly the indiscretion of accosting strange young women on the public highway, i “He’s a dear old thing,” smiled the girl as ,Carlo picked out the shortest route to the back yard, his tail tucked lngloriously between bis legs. “I suppose it is more my fault than his. I walk down to the postoffice every morning, and he always barks' his ‘Good morning,’ but today he seemed to want to shake hands, and be did not {realize how dirty his paws were. You (won’t punish him, please.” “He’s not mine to punish,” said Fa|blan absently. He was thinking not !of Carlo, but the girl. No woman had ever made strong appeal to him before, but he felt dazed in the presence |«f this radiant girl with the gentle .eyes and the smile that made the whole {landscape seem brighter. He was on Ids knees in the road now, trying to remove the worst of the muddy paw {prints with his handkerchief. It was a clumsy effort, for he only made Smudges worse, and with a laughing {word of thanks the girl stopped him. i “It will be all right when it dries," said, with her wonderful smile. i“You are very kind, but It really does hot matter. By the time I gpt back from the village It will be all right {lt*a just a little wash skirt anyway, and a trip to the laundry will remove jfdl traces of the dog’s Impetuosity.” With a nod and another smile shs started'down the road, and presently Fabian pulled himself together and went In to his delayed breakfast. He sat In a trance through his brief meal and hurried back to the piazza. After breakfast it was bis custom {to read the morning paper, hut he sat ,wlth It In his hand this morning and did not even scan the headlines. He was watching the road for the glint «f • whito dress, and when It caino > *—- - ■ ~

hi Right far down the road he strolled to the gate with an elaborate assumption of carelessness and was leaning against the fence as the girl came up. The dried mud had been shaken from her dress, and with a smile ph4 called his attention to the fact. “You Bee It’s all right,” she declared. “But I thtuk you need a guard,” he declared, with sudden bravery that startled him. “With your permission, I will form an escort to ward off dogs, dragons and other insects.” , He fell Into step beside her before she could refuse, and they walked briskly on. Fabian wondered If It was possible that she bad been going past the farm every morning while he was at breakfast and without his knowledge. It seemed now as though he could feel her presence through stone walls. Never having been la love before, be was swinging the length of Cupid’s pendulum, und he exerted himself to be entertaining. So well did he succeed that when he reached the gate of Glen farm, all to soon, Miss Semple agreed to go for a walk Inf the afternoon. Fabian went into the house with her that Kerr, whom he had met the year before, might complete the Introduction more formally, and even smiled when Iverr Introduced him as “tlie human time table,” with a laughing dissertation upon the exactness of bis habits. • The rest of Fabian’s morning schedule was completely upset, though he returned to Brook farm and there was nothing to interrupt the even tenor 6f his routine save his thoughts. He could only pace the piazza and think that Marclo Semple was to walk with him that afternoon. The hours dragged Interminably, but at last he could with decency present himself, and together they started for the falls. “How much time have we?” said Marcia as they started out. “Mr. Kerr warned me that you had probably allotted a certain time to our walk- and that this must not be exceeded." “Kerr,” said Fabian viciously, “suffers from softening of the brain. We are going to make this walk just as long as we possibly can.” Marcia laughed her rippling laugh that seemed to Fabian the most divine music he had ever heard, but she returned to the subject again when they had reached the falls and were sitting on the mossy bank for a rest. “Impulse is better than system,” she declared. “Now, suppose that you had not followed Impulse, but had gona In to breakfast. I should uot have known you and should have lost a delightful walk.”

‘‘The argument Is most potent,” he said gravely. “Behold In me a backslider from system.” “Time will tell,” she declared. “We shall see.” But time told strongly in Fabian’s favor. To hasten the cure he went to an opposite extreme. Instead of the most regular life he led the most erratic existence, aided and abetted by Marcia. The day before his return to town she declared his cure complete. “You have not done a single thing today at the time you usually do it,” she declared as they leaned over the bridge that spanned the tiny stream and let their eyes feast upon the moonlit landscape. “You did not even have dinuer.” “Yes, the cure is complete,” he said. “I think I rather like doing what I 'want to do instead of following a well ordered plan. But you have got me Into worse trouble.” Marcia did not answer. Her eyes followed the ripple of moonlight across the water, and the hand that rested upon the railing gripped the wood more tightly. “You should ask what the trouble Is,” he said after a moment. “Then I should tell you that instead of a schedule the most important thiug in life Is you. You have lifted me out of my humdrum existence into the new world of love, dear. Is there hope that some day my love will be returned?” “I think I had better say yes,” she said, with a happy little laugh. “It will Insure the permanency of the cure.” “And do you love me a little?” he asked humbly. A soft little hand stole Into his, “Dick, she said softly, “why else should I have worked so for your cure?”

CARLO PICKED OUT THE SHORTEST ROUTE TO THE BACK YARD