Let's--let's do
something."
"Condy, how you frightened me!" exclaimed Blix, with a great
start. "No, listen: I want to talk to you, to tell you something.
Papum and I have been having some very long and serious talks
since you were last here. What do you think, I may go away."
"The deuce you say!" exclaimed Condy, sitting suddenly upright.
"Where to, in Heaven's name?" he added--"and when? and what for?"
"To New York, to study medicine."
There was a silence; then Condy exclaimed, waving his hands at
her:
"Oh, go right on! Don't mind me. Little thing like going to New
York--to study medicine. Of course, that happens every day, a
mere detail. I presume you'll go back and forth for your meals?"
Then Blix began to explain. It appeared that she had two aunts,
both sisters of her father--one a widow, the other unmarried. The
widow, a certain Mrs. Kihm, lived in New York, and was wealthy,
and had views on "women's sphere of usefulness." The other, Miss
Bessemer, a little old maid of fifty, Condy had on rare occasions
seen at the flat, where every one called her Aunt Dodd. She lived
in that vague region of the city known as the Mission, where she
owned a little property.
From what Blix told him that evening, Condy learned that Mrs. Kihm
had visited the coast a few winters previous and had taken a great
fancy to Blix. Even then she had proposed to Mr. Bessemer to take
Blix back to New York with her, and educate her to some woman's
profession; but at that time the old man would not listen to it.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129