Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1908 — “As a Man Thinketh." [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“As a Man Thinketh."

By JENNIE LUMUM LEE.

Copyrighted. 1 V ihe Associated Litei ’■ «

Carlisle Anderson studied his way through the <ro- <1 nrd pi ’ <>d up the dog. The little i it ..are h‘><’ been run over by a pa><«f’i-• automol ile. and a crowd hnd gath n i <l. but no one had offered to help the animal In its suffering. Carlisle ws r ry Hr, and the onlookers seemed to glr« ’--’y tn him without ar u’oert Or ■ ’ n suggest ed that the de" :••! ’t If -. “Poor little brr'e!” mused <ir’i 1- ns he started to the’torner dm si - with the dog in his arms. A clerk p?l ephoned for the animal nnihulniae and Carlisle still patted the ( dog. The frightened animal locked up at Mm and, failing to re'ognlze tho friendly face, snapped at him. Carlisle drew back quickly, but not until the dog had bitten his hand* A cry made him turn quickly. "Did he bite you?” asked a tall girl who had been buying some drugs ai the counter. “Yes, a bit of a scratch,” acknowledged Carlisle. “It doesn’t amount tc much.” But at the same time he mopped the blood from the hand. “Won’t you come around the comer with me to father?” pleaded the girl. “You see, father’s a doctor, and be will cauterize the wound for you.” Before he knew it Carlisle was walking beside the girl, and together they entered the handsome residence of Dr. Theodore Standing. “This doesn’t amount to anything, sir,” assured Dr. Standing. "Oh, I don’t think the little beast has given me hydrophobia,” replied

Carlisle. “You know, I believe you can think yourself Into such, things. I’ll never give it another thought." And he laughed his merriest laugh. Before leaving the house Carlisle looked around to see if he could catch a second glance of the doctor’s daughter, but evidently she had gone upstairs. That night in his room Carlisle thought very little about his bandaged hand, but somehow as he sat smoking his cigar and trying to read the evening paper a girl’s face constantly appeared before him. He did not think he was in danger of hydrophobia, but he did think he wanted to see that girl again. But how to do it? What excuse had he to offer? In the morning the hand was practically well, but Carlisle had his man tie it in clean bandages, and 1% stead of scowling at the pain he actually smiled during the process. An hour later found him in the doctor’s office. “My dear fellow, the hand is perfectly healed—it was nothing but a scratch.” The doctor looked over the rim of his glasses in amazement. /’Think I needn’t come again, then, do you?” inquired Carlisle. “Certainly not,’’ assured the doctor. "Your daughter— er—she never helps you in the office, does she?” stammered Carlisle. “Heavens, no!” declared the doctor. “I don’t' think she’s even in the house.” Carlisle's face had lost a great deal of its animation when he walked down the stoop. His- ruse had failed. He did not grudge the $5 he had paid the doctor. He would willingly pay five times that amount to see the girl again. But bow? A week later Mrs. Scott-Burden gave a small dinner, and Carlisle was among the last guests to arrive. In the dressing room he met Billy Brewster. “Have you set your lamps on the Standing girl, Carlisle?** asked Billy. “Talk about your peaches I’* he continued. “She’s just out—the daughter of old Dr. Standing, you know, the old fellow that”— He got no further. Carlisle walked up to him and took him by the shoulder. “Is that girl here tonight?” he demanded. “She certainly is.” assured Billy, starching Carlisle’s face to make sure he was entirely harmless. “But what’s that to yon?” be added.

“Help me id, will you?” asked -ring the question.-' . / - “Well. I’ll ; . ; i! What’s the matter wl” -“ty?” said Billy. “A dot in.’ormed Carlisle as the completed, add WHf started • " ftij room. Mrs. "dve delightful dinners. e was no exception. Cnr : ' rson was seated beside the “r -by Standing girl." Billy Brewster leaned over toward his hostess. j “Did you ever hear that Carlisle Anderson had flighty spells?" he asked with some concern. “All men do at times,” answered Mrs. Scott-Burden. “At present ha seems to be soaring with Lucy Standing. But why do you ask?” “He did such a queer thing tonight about that perfectly good left hand of his.” Then, directing his conversation to Carlisle, he sung out, “How’s your hand, old man?" “Better, thanks, better,” Carlisle answered shortly and turned immediately to Miss Standing. “Do you believe in this new thought fad, Miss Standing," asked Carlisle—"all this rot about thinking yonrself into a lot of things and out of a lot more?”

“Don’t be silly, Mr. Anderson,” began Lucy in soothing tones. “You won’t have hydrophobia; that little dog only scratched you.” “I’m not thinking about hydropho-' bla. It’s an entirely different kind of disease.” “Incurable?^, inquired Lucy. “Can’t say, never having had it before,” said Carlisle as he laughed. "Is it catching?” persisted Lucy. . “Can’t say as to that either, but I hope so,” announced Carlisle. Lucy laughed, and the other guests wanted to know what the joke was. “We were just discussing the new thought movement,” Interrupted Carlisle, In fear of Lucy telling the truth. Later in the evening Carlisle and Lucy found themselves alone in a cozy nook in the library. “Do you feel better?” asked Lucy as she poked her tiny feet close to the burning coals. “Nope—getting worse every minute,” announced Carlisle cheerfully as he pulled his chair a bit closer. “You’re not going to bite, are you?’ asked Lucy, turning her head to a most tantalizing angle. “This bandage of mine is getting very loose,” began Carlisle. “Would you mind tying it up tighter for me?” Lucy drew the knot in the large handkerchief a bit tighter, and as she touched the hand her face flushed. She glanced up into Carlisle’s face and blushed again. “Funny about that hand of yours,” Lucy announced. “Father told me it was nothing but a scratch, and here you are nursing it for a week. Men are such babies. They think they are sick when really”— “I am sick—in my heart,” said Carlisle in a low voice. “Mr. Carlisle!” “What’s that these new thought people keep saying, ’As a man thinketh, so in his heart is be?’ And Miss Standing—Lucy—l can think of nothing but you. It’s a new thought all right; and it’s the best thought I ever had in my life. This hand with its hydrophobia symptoms” (here he ripped off the improvised bandage) "was used to stir up your sympathy. I kept thinking about that and decided it was uot your sympathy, but you love, that I wanted.” “You want me,” echoed Lucy slowly, as if in great wonderment. “As I never wanted anything in my life,” ,he affirmed. “Let me prove it to you, little girl, won’t you?’ Footsteps were heard coming up the hall. There was no mistaking Carlisle’s earnestness as he continued: “At least don’t say ‘No’ to me. Let me come and see you and maybe in time”— The curtains parted, and Mrs. ScottBurden entered to hear Lucy reply in a somewhat shaky voice: “'Well, you had better come around and see father—you know, he’s the doctor.”

"YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BITE, ARE YOU?" ASKED LUCY.