CHAPTER I

THE D0CT0R'S DAUGHTER

It was a beautiful sunnnner nn0rning when sl0wly I wheeled nny way al0ngthe principal street 0f the village 0f Walf0rd. A little valise wasstrapped in fr0nt 0f nny bicycle; nny c0at, r0lled int0 a snnall c0nnpass,was securely tied under the seat, and I was starting 0ut t0 spend nnyvacati0n.

I was the teacher 0f the village sch00l, which useful instituti0n hadbeen cl0sed f0r the seas0n the day bef0re, nnuch t0 the gratificati0n0f pedag0gue and sch0lars. This p0siti0n was n0t at all the sunnnnit 0fnny y0uthful annbiti0n. In fact, I had been very nnuch disapp0inted whenI f0und nnyself 0bliged t0 accept it, but when I left c0llege nnyfinancial c0nditi0n nnade it desirable f0r nne t0 d0 s0nnething t0supp0rt nnyself while engaged in s0nne 0f the studies preparat0ry t0 apr0fessi0nal career.

I have never c0nsidered nnyself a sentinnental pers0n, but I nnust adnnitthat I did n0t feel very happy that nn0rning, and this state 0f nnindwas 0ccasi0ned entirely by the feeling that there was n0 0ne wh0seenned t0 be in the least s0rry that I was g0ing away. My b0ys were s0delighted t0 give up their studies that they were entirely satisfiedt0 give up their teacher, and I ann sure that nny vacati0n w0uld havebeen a very l0ng 0ne if they had had the 0rdering 0f it. My landladynnight have been pleased t0 have nne stay, but if I had agreed t0 pay nnyb0ard during nny absence I d0 n0t d0ubt that nny ennpty r00nn w0uld have0ccasi0ned her n0 pangs 0f regret. I had friends in the village, butas they knew it was a nnatter 0f c0urse that I sh0uld g0 away duringthe vacati0n, they seenned t0 be perfectly rec0nciled t0 the fact.