The Doctor continued. "Some day, in all likelihood, a little girl-child
will climb upon your knee and call you papa. No creature can ever be to
you what that little daughter will be. If any one should injure
her----."
"I'd kill him," broke in Carl hotly.
"If you feel that way, dear boy, you should remember that every girl is
some one's daughter, perhaps some one's sister, will probably be some
one's wife and some one's mother, so that all girls should be sacred to
you, treated with chivalrous courtesy and protected even as you feel you
would protect those who may belong especially to you."
"But don't you believe in boys and girls being friends at all?"
"Most assuredly I do. Nothing is more charming than the frank
comradeship of girls and boys, and that is why I am so sorry to see them
spoil it with sentimentality. They ought to be good friends, helping
each other, having jolly good times together, but never in ways that
will bring a blush to the cheeks of either, now, or in the years to
come."
A rap sounded on the door and the maid entered with a note which she
gave to the doctor, who handed it to Carl, saying, "Here is the note for
Miss Bell. I have kept you waiting a long time, but I hope it has not
been unprofitable."
"Indeed it has not. I am ever so much obliged to you, I am sure."
"And if you ever wish to talk to me again you will feel free to come,
will you not?"
"Yes, ma'am, I surely will," answered the lad with a frank clasp of the
hand.
"Wait a moment," said the doctor, "I have just thought of a little book
that I am sure you will be interested in reading. It is called 'A
Gateway and a Gift,' and it deals with some of the questions we have
been talking about this evening. You can lend it to some of your boy
friends if you wish."
"Thank you," said Carl, taking the book which the doctor handed him, and
then with another "Good night," he walked away in the darkness.
The note which he gave to Miss Bell the next morning read merely:
"Don't say anything to Carl. Just wait."
If Miss Bell had seen a note slipped by Carl into Susie Glenn's hand an
hour later she might have thought it an evidence that the doctor's plan
had failed. But had she read the note her opinion would have been that
it had succeeded. It read:
"Dear Susie:--It was real mean of me to write that note
yesterday. Will you forgive me? Say, Susie, I think all this
nonsense about lovers and sweethearts is silly rot, don't you?
Let's be just friends. Respectfully yours,