Page:West of Dodge (1926).pdf/315

 pretty well satisfied with himself just then, as he had not counted on the pleasure of making a revelation to Elizabeth. Kraus would have told them on the way out, he had thought, putting some tag of disparagement to the news in his cross-grained, intolerant way.

But it was news to Elizabeth; pure, first-hand news. He swelled in his satisfaction of that fact, rather than his accomplishment that made it possible, bending his flexible, silent soles, wrinkling his nicely polished shoes as he hoisted himself like one of those monstrous freaks who go up in jerks and lower their stature in jolts, sometimes seen in a circus side-show.

"And you're just moving up-town, you're not going away, you're not the railroad doctor any more?"

"Yes, I'm still the railroad doctor, but that's only incidental to being the Damascus doctor. That hole you saw them scraping out in the square is for the foundation of my hospital. It's going to have thirty beds."

"Fine business!" said Elizabeth, glowing like a sunflower.

"I'm to take care of all the railroad business on the division west of Dodge. I'm going to make a little green park around the building, and plant some cottonwood trees.

"I couldn't see you leaving," she said gently.

"And I tried to make myself believe, perversely, you'd never come back. You'll be building when you sell your house?"

"We've been planning quite a while on a site near Judge Waters' place."

"I remembered your earnestness when you said this was home, but there seemed so little, at times, for any-