Page:Conflict (1927).pdf/85

 'It isn't a nervous breakdown, and I don't know what is troubling her. She may not know herself. She told me about a queer dream that keeps recurring, but it is beyond me to interpret it. I'm not a neurologist, Dora. I can send you to one, though, and possibly he can put his finger on the cause of Sheilah's unhappiness immediately. But whatever the cause, it's results we're after, isn't it? And if we remove Sheilah immediately from her present surroundings, nine chances out of ten we'll be lucky and eliminate the cause. It may be a boy, you know. She'

'Oh, no. It isn't a boy,' said Dora with finality. 'I'm a mother who keeps very close track of her daughter. She assures me it isn't a boy.'

'Well, naturally, if it is one'

'You're mistaken there, John. Sheilah has always told me everything. Anyway, she hasn't been seeing anything of any special boy lately. It's queer, but Sheilah doesn't seem to care about boys very much. Just at the age when most girls' interest in them increases, hers seems to have flattened out. For the last year, she won't make any effort at all—for a boy. It troubles me. I've spoken to her about it.'

'I wouldn't speak too often to her about too many things, Dora. Kittens grow best if not handled too much.'