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Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
Principles and Applications
Edited by
Adil Al-Mayah
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
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Preface................................................................................................. vii
Editor ....................................................................................................ix
Contributors .........................................................................................xi
v
Preface
vii
viii Preface
ix
Contributors
Mohammad Kohandel
Kristy K. Brock Department of Applied Mathematics
Department of Imaging Physics University of Waterloo
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Cancer Center
Houston, Texas Deirdre M. McGrath
NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research
Centre
Aaron Fenster Radiological Sciences
Robarts Research Institute Queens Medical Centre
The University of Western Ontario Nottingham, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
and
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Justin Michael
Program Robarts Research Institute
The University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario
and and
Department of Medical Biophysics Biomedical Engineering Graduate
The University of Western Ontario Program
London, Ontario, Canada The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada
xi
xii Contributors
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 General
Soft tissues are defined as the tissues that support and connect body structures. They
include skin, muscles, fat, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, cartilages, and
other tissue matrices. In some cases, they are simply defined as body tissues that
exclude hard tissues such as bones, teeth, and nails. As bones, a major component of
nonsoft tissues, represent 12%–15% of the human body mass, it can be concluded that
1
2 Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
most of the human body is composed of soft tissues. Soft tissues are known for high
flexibility and soft mechanical properties, differentiating them from mineralized stiff
tissues, such as bones (Holzapfel 2001).
θ
Stress
E = tan(θ) =
Strain
εx
ν=− ε
y y
Strain
x
(a) (b) (c)
p
Δl Shear (τ)
p p
τ K=
l G= ΔV/V
Δl/l
p
(d) (e)
FIGURE 1.1 (a) Stress–strain plot of elastic material under (b) tensile and (c) compression
loads where the tangent of the plot represents the modulus of elasticity, and the negative ratio
of lateral to longitudinal strains is the Poisson’s ratio, (d) rotational deformation caused by
shear, and (e) volumetric deformation under equal pressure loading. (With kind permission
from Taylor & Francis: Imaging in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy 2013, 85–94, Al-Mayah, A.
and Brock, K.)
represented by a strain (ε), which is the ratio of the length change to the original
length (i.e., ε = ΔL/L), as illustrated in Figure 1.1a–c.
The slope of the stress–strain curve is called the elastic modulus (E = σ/ε), often known
as Young’s modulus (Figure 1.1a). In addition, the compressibility factor represented by
Poisson’s ratio (ν) is the second parameter required to describe the material’s behavior
that can be calculated as the negative ratio of the transverse strain (εx) to the longitudi-
nal strain (εy) in the direction of the applied load (ν =− εx/εy). In some cases, mechanical
properties of tissues are reported in terms of shear modulus (G), which represents the
ratio of the shear stress (τ) to the shear strain represented by the angular deformation of
the distorted shape (≈ Δl/l), as shown in Figure 1.1d. The shear modulus can be written in
terms of the elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio, where G = 0.5E/(1 + ν). In other cases, a
material experiences volumetric changes (ΔV) because of equal pressures applied from
all directions, as shown in Figure 1.1e. The bulk modulus (K = p/(ΔV/V) is used in this
case, where (K = E/[3(1−2ν)].
animal tissue properties, efforts have been made to report human and in vivo tissue
properties. Different testing methods were used, including direct mechanical tensile and
indentation tests, in addition to image-based elastography. More details on these meth-
ods will be presented in the upcoming chapters 2 and 3. The investigated parameters
include the elastic modulus (E) or shear modulus (G), and Poisson’s ratio (ν); however,
the elastic modulus is one of the most widely reported measurements. Although, soft
tissues are mostly incompressible or nearly incompressible (ν ≤ 0.5), some investigations
have reported Poisson’s ratio values. For example, Lai-Fook and Hyatt (2000) experi-
mentally measured Poisson’s ratio for lung parenchyma, in addition to the shear modu-
lus. They found that Poisson’s ratio was age related and increased from 0.41 to 0.45 as age
increased. In addition, the effective shear modulus of human lungs (in vivo), measured
using MR elastography, was affected by the volume of inflation (G = 3.45 kPa at residual
volume, and 10.75 kPa at the total lung capacity) (Mariappan et al. 2011).
Significant variations are observed among the reported data, even when looking at the
same organs. However, this is expected with the range of different individuals, testing
methods and procedures, and load/strain ranges applied across studies. For example,
6 Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
E = Stress/Strain
FIGURE 1.2 General nonlinear behavior of soft tissues stretched under a constant loading rate.
the modulus of elasticity is load/strain dependent, as shown in Figure 1.2; however, few
details have been provided in some papers.
1.3 Hyperelasticity
1.3.1 Model Description
Many materials perform nonlinearly under loading, as characterized by the nonlin-
ear stress–strain (or stress–stretch ratio) relationship. Typical nonlinear stress–strain
relationships of hyperelastic material combine three regions, as shown in Figure 1.2. In
the first region (Region I), the tissue experiences large deformation under relatively low
loading (low stiffness) in a linear or nearly linear pattern attributed to the removal of
waves of collagen fibers in relaxed tissues. Most of the typical physiological activities are
within this region. This is followed by a nonlinear region (Region II) with an increas-
ing stiffness due to the initial recruitment of stiff collagen fibers. As the load further
increases (Region III), the tissue exhibits a stiffer behavior that is mainly characterized
by a linear stress–strain relationship as stiff fibers are stretched and actively participate
in carrying the applied load.
Different approaches have been proposed to capture this nonlinear material perfor-
mance, reaching back to 1847, when Wertheim showed a nonlinear stress–strain relation-
ship of animal tissues that deviated from the linear elastic Hooke’s law. This was formulated
by direct nonlinear stress–strain equations or through the use of strain-energy functions.
More direct nonlinear equations have been proposed (Fung 1993), as listed in Table 1.2;
however, they were not intended to represent three-dimensional (3D) stress states (Fung
1993). Regardless of their long history, these equations are not widely used in soft-tissue
characterization.
On other hand, strain-energy or potential-energy functions (W) are widely used to
capture a wide range of elastic finite deformation. These models are applied to rubber
Mechanical Characteristics of Soft Tissues 7
and rubber-like materials, also known as hyperelastic materials or Green elastic material
(named after Green in 1839), where they are characterized as incompressible or nearly
incompressible materials (i.e., Poisson’s ratio ν ≈ 0.5). This works well for most soft tis-
sues because of their incompressibility nature associated with their high water content.
The strain-energy function (W) represents a measure of energy stored in a material due
to the applied strain. The relationship between the strain-energy function and the mate-
rial deformation is represented by the stretch ratios in principle directions (λ1, λ2, and λ3).
Three strain invariants (I1, I2, and I3) are used to represent the stretches, as shown in
Equation 1.1. These strain invariants are the same regardless of the applied coordinate
system.
I 1 = λ12 + λ 22 + λ32
I 3 = λ12 λ 22 λ32
where C10 and C01 are material constants in stress units (e.g., N/mm2).
8 Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
W = C10 ( I 1 − 3) (1.4)
4. Yeoh model uses higher order terms of I1 or I2 to account for a wider spectrum of
deformation. Adding a higher order of I1 was shown to accurately model large
deformation loading cases. In addition, the effect of I2 on the accuracy of mate-
rial characteristics was also minimal. Therefore, the Yeoh model focuses on
three orders of I1 only, as illustrated in Equation 1.5 for incompressible material
models:
5. Arruda and Boyce model considers higher order terms for incompressible
materials:
5
∑ λC ( I − 3 )
i
W =µ i
2 i −2
i
1
i
(1.6)
i =1
where C1 = 1/ 2 , C 2 =
= 1/ 20 , C 3 11
=/1050, C 4 19/7000, C 5 = 519/673750, λ is the
locking stretch ratio (unitless), and μ is known as the initial shear modulus.
6. Ogden model uses principal stretches in the strain-energy function instead of the
strain invariants used in other models (Ogden 1984). This model has been used to
model large deformation cases:
n
Wo = ∑ αµ ( λ
i =1
i
i
αi
1 + λ α2 i + λ3αi − 3 ) (1.7)
where μi (stress units) and αi (unitless) are real numbers representing material
parameters, whereas (n) is a positive integer.
7. Veronda–Westmann model has been used to model incompressible materials:
(
WVW = C1 e α(I1 −3) − 1 − C 2( I 2 − 3) ) (1.8)
Mechanical Characteristics of Soft Tissues 9
where:
C1 and C2 are material constants with stress units
α is a unitless parameter
W = C10 ( I 1 − 3 ) + C 30 ( I 1 − 3 )
3 Aspiration test Schiavone
(in vivo) et al. 2009
C10 = 0.24 kPa, C30 = 3.42 kPa
ψ Ogden = 2µ/α 2 ( λ1α + λ 2α + λ 3α − 3 ) Tension, compression, Budday et al.
Parameter range represents different regions of brain: and shear (ex vivo) 2017
μ = 0.33 to 1.06 kPa, α = −22.0 to −24.6 (shear test)
μ = 0.33 to 1.16 kPa, α = −25.6 to −38.9 (tension test)
μ = 0.47 to 1.63 kPa, α = −11.4 to −16.5 (compression test)
Breast
W = ∑ i + J =1Cij ( I 1 − 3 ) ( I 2 − 3 )
N i j Indentation + Inverse Samani and
FEM Plewes 2004
(C10 = 0.31, C01 = 0.30, C11 = 2.25, C20 = 3.80, C02 = 4.72) kPa
(adipose)
(C10 = 0.33, C01 = 0.28, C11 = 4.49, C20 = 7.72, C02 = 9.45) ×
10−4 kPa (fibroglandular)
Lungs
C (a1ε2x +a2 ε2y +2 a4 εx ε y ) (a1ε2x +a2 εz2 +2 a4 εx εz ) (a1εz2 +a2 ε2y +2 a4 εz ε y ) Biaxial tensile Zeng et al.
ρ0W = e +e +e
2
(ex vivo) 1987
−2 −2 K
2 Aspiration test + Nava et al.
W = C10 I 3 3 I 1 − 3 + C 20 I 3 3 I 1 − 3 + 0 ( I 3 − 1)
2
Inverse FEM 2008
2
(in vivo)
C10 = 9.85 kPa, C20 = 26.29 kPa, K0 = 104 kPa
Liver capsule Inflation test Brunon et al.
W = C 20 ( I 1 − 3 ) one-term polynomial model 2011
2
1.4 Viscoelasticity
1.4.1 Model Description
In previous linear elastic and hyperelastic modeling sections, the time element was not
considered as a contributing factor to the mechanical behavior of soft tissues. However,
duration and rate of loading (force/unit time) affect the mechanical behavior of soft
tissues given their high-fluid (viscous) content. Depending on the application of the
mechanical properties of soft tissues, there is a debate on the importance of this factor.
However, most of this debate focuses on the significance of including the time factor and
not on the intrinsic characteristic of tissues.
Figure 1.3 illustrates the time-dependent response of pure elastic, pure viscous, and
viscoelastic materials, which combines pure elastic and pure viscous responses. The
differences in response can be recognized in the loading and unloading stages. The load-
ing and unloading response of elastic material is independent of time. This is clearly
demonstrated by the immediate response of these materials to both loading and unloading
conditions. During loading, the load is instantaneously transferred to the material.
Similarly, the material responds to unloading immediately after the load is removed.
However, viscous material responses at the loading stage are a function of time. In this
case, time is needed to transfer the full load to the material, often referred to as a velocity
of deformation. In addition, the material is deformed permanently, even after the load
is removed during unloading stage. On the other hand, viscoelastic material responses
are a mixture of pure elastic and viscous responses, where deformation is a function of
time during both the loading and unloading conditions. However, unlike pure viscous
materials, the strain drops suddenly after the load removal in the unloading stage, but
requires time to fully recover and return to its original configuration. Given their pat-
tern of loading response, viscoelastic materials are modeled using spring and dashpot to
model the elastic and viscoelastic response, respectively.
The time-dependent response of viscoelastic materials can be divided into different
types: creep, relaxation, strain-rate, and hysteresis, as shown in Figure 1.4. In creep,
under a constant load, the material continues to experience deformation (strain) over
time. On the other hand, the material relaxes when it is subjected to a constant deforma-
tion as stress drops. In addition, the response of the material to loading is dependent
Strain (ε)
Strain (ε)
FIGURE 1.3 Time-dependent response of (a) elastic, (b) viscous, and (c) viscoelastic materials.
12 Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
Strain
Stress
Stress
FIGURE 1.4 (a) Stress–time behavior of a viscoelastic material under two constant strain levels,
(b) strain–time behavior of a viscoelastic material subjected to two constant stress levels, and
(c) Hysteresis of stress–strain plot of a viscoelastic material under cyclic loading. (With kind per-
mission from Taylor & Francis: Imaging in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy 2013, 85–94, Al-Mayah,
A. and Brock, K.)
on the duration of the applied load as it is capable of carrying higher loads under faster
strain application (i.e., higher strain rate). Therefore, the strain/loading rate is often
reported with viscoelastic material properties. In hysteresis, the viscoelastic material
dissipates energy when it is subjected to loading–unloading cycles where the loading
path is different from that of unloading.
There are three types of viscoelasticity: (1) linear, (2) quasi-linear, and (3) nonlinear.
Linear viscoelasticity is used in a wide range of applications due to its simplicity; hence,
it is the focus of this section. Linear viscoelastic models generally include a solid-related
characteristic (e.g., spring), in addition to the fluid component (e.g., damper or dashpot).
Different arrangements and numbers of these components have been proposed to create a
number of viscoelastic models. Some of these common models are presented here, includ-
ing Maxwell, Kelvin–Voigt, and standard linear solid (Zener model), as listed in Table 1.4.
The Maxwell model is the simplest model, where it consists of a spring and a dashpot
arranged alongside each other. Therefore, both spring and dashpot are subjected to the
same load. It accurately predicts the relaxation response, but not the creep response, as
described by
1 dσ σ
ε = ε s + ε d = + (1.10)
E dt η
where:
dεs dε dε
ε s = , ε d = d , and ε =
dt dt dt
εs and εd are spring and dashpot strains, respectively, produced by the applied
stress (σ)
E and η are the spring and dashpot constants, respectively
In the Kelvin–Voigt model, both spring and dashpot are subjected to the same displace-
ment due to their parallel arrangement. It is worth mentioning that the Kelvin–Voigt
model shows a unique relaxation response to a rigid body in sudden loading because the
dashpot does not move under sudden loading. It is well suited to the prediction of creep.
The stress is calculated by
Mechanical Characteristics of Soft Tissues 13
Deformation
Force
t0 Time
t0 Time t1
Kelvin–Voigt
Deformation
Force
t0 Time t1 t0 Time
Force
E1
t0 Time t1 t0 Time
Source: Al-Mayah, A. and Brock, K. 2013. Imaging in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy, CRC Press,
Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 85–94.
d εd
σ = σs + σd = E εs + η (1.11)
dt
where:
εs and εd are spring and dashpot strains, respectively
E and η are the spring and dashpot constants, respectively
As for the standard linear solid model using the Maxwell form, the following relation-
ship is applied:
dε E2 η dσ
= + σ − E1 ε (1.12)
dt η ( E1 + E 2 ) E 2 dt
where E1 and E2 are the spring constants aligned and parallel to the dashpot, respectively,
as shown in Table 1.4.
A wide range of human tissues have been investigated to find viscoelastic properties.
Among the most widely studied are brain tissues. This is mainly related to the fact that
brain tissues experience a number of time-dependent large deformations, mostly associ-
ated with the fluid movement. Some of these deformations are slow, such as those associ-
ated with hydrocephalus, and convolutional development (Franceschini et al. 2006), in
addition to surgery induced deformation. Other deformations are large and fast, such
as traumatic injuries. Therefore, viscoelastic properties are required for time-dependent
reactions. These properties are addressed in a simple linear viscoelastic form (Klatt et al.
2007; Green et al. 2008; Zhang et al. 2011) and poroviscoelastic form (Franceschini
et al. 2006; Mehrabian and Abousleiman 2011). Similar investigations have been con-
ducted on other human soft tissues, including the breast (Krouskop et al. 1998; Sinkus
et al. 2005), liver (Klatt et al. 2007; Asbach et al. 2008), lung (Zhang et al. 2008), and
prostate (Krouskop et al. 1998).
A sample of linear viscoelastic parameters of human tissues is listed in Table 1.5.
1.5 Poroelasticity
1.5.1 Model Description
The structure of soft tissues is generally considered biphasic, consisting of a porous solid
phase and a fluid phase. Therefore, a poroelastic model has been used to model tissues.
As the solid plays a major role in load-carrying capacity of the porous materials, differ-
ent important functions are attributed to the fluid constituent in tissues. These functions
include transport of nutrients from the vascular system to cells, removal of waste from
cells, preventing friction in cartilage, and drug delivery and distribution, in addition
to its role in load transfer. In general, poroelastic material behavior is similar to that of
viscoelastic materials where it experiences creep under a constant stress and relaxation
under constant strain steps.
Poroelastic theory was developed to model soil consolidation in 1923 and 1925 by
Terzaghi (Terzaghi 1925), who assumed a one-dimensional (1D) consolidation case and
incompressible solid and fluid constituents. The 1D assumption was adopted by assum-
ing the soil as a laterally confined material, thus experiencing only uniaxial deforma-
tions. On the basis of the incompressibility assumption, deformation of soil under
compression is mainly caused by the rearrangement of particles and not by the com-
pression of solid particles and pore fluid. In other words, in saturated soil, the volume
change of a material can occur only by the net flow of fluid out of pores. This assumption
provides a good approximation for the behavior of highly incompressible soft soils such
as clay and sands, where compressibility of stiff solid particles is negligible as compared
to that of the whole porous material.
Biot (1941) further developed the poroelastic theory, presenting a 3D theory of lin-
ear elastic deformation of porous media, taking into account the compressibility of the
constituents. In the year between 1955 and 1973, Biot proposed further developments
by including an anisotropic case, dynamic response, and nonlinear elasticity. Verruijt
(1969) extended the formulation of this theory to soil mechanics problems. In addi-
tion, Rice and Cleary (1976) reformulated the theory in terms of drained and undrained
behavior, and fluid-filled porous materials.
Another approach was proposed to model poroelastic material using the theory of
mixtures. This approach is based on diffusion models developed using fluid and ther-
modynamics principles (Truesdell and Toupin 1960; Bowen 1980), where each constit-
uent has a number of specified characteristics, including a spatial frame, a density, a
body force, and internal energy. According to this theory, chemical reactions between
16 Biomechanics of Soft Tissues
material constituents are possible, unlike Biot’s theory. Although each of the theories
has its own application in soft tissue modeling, Cowin and Cardoso (2012) used some
of Biot’s poroelastic concepts in the mixture theory to model interstitial tissue growth.
A good review of poroelastic theory development and fundamentals can be found in
Detournay and Cheng (1993).
As Terzaghi and Biot’s theories created a scientific revolution in the geotechni-
cal field (de Boer, 1999), they have a great potential to generate a revolution in the
field of biomechanics and related medical applications. This can be attributed to
the nature of tissues that have a number of common soil characteristics, in that the
mechanical behavior of tissues is controlled not only by the solid-phase response,
but also by fluids and their movement in and out of the pores. At the instant of
loading, the poroelastic material behaves as an elastic solid controlled by shear or
elastic modulus of the matrix. This is followed by the fluid flow that continues until
equilibrium is reached between the internal fluid pressure and external environ-
ment. The pore fluid contributes to the tissue’s mechanical behavior by increasing
stiffness through pore pressure, and to deformation by its movement within and out
of the tissues.
Two scenarios of fluid movement inside the porous media are considered: (1) drained
and (2) undrained conditions. In the drained conditions, the pores are assumed to be
connected with each other allowing the fluid to move out under loading, and there-
fore the pore pressure is zero. On the other hand, under the undrained condition, the
pores are not connected, and the fluid stays within the pore and contributes to carrying
the pressure exerted by external loading. It is worth noting that the fluid contribution
to tissue deformation is more pronounced when it flows out of the tissue in drained
conditions.
In addition, the response of porous materials can be considered at both macrome-
chanical (continuum) and micromechanical levels. The macromechanical approach
describes the overall behavior of a material without describing the contributions of
individual constituents by using bulk material properties of K, Ku, and α, represent-
ing the bulk modulus of drained elastic solid, the undrained bulk modulus, and the
Biot’s coefficient, respectively. The Biot’s coefficient is the ratio of the gained (or lost)
fluid volume of an element to the total volume change of that element when pore
pressure is allowed to return to its original state. On the other hand, the microme-
chanical approach takes the behavior of individual components of a material into
consideration
Two strain components are considered to model porous materials behavior: (1) solid
and (2) fluid phase-related strains. The well-known solid-related strain (εij) is often
small and it is positive for extension. The fluid strain component (ζ) represents the fluid
content variation (positive for gain of fluid), which is the variation of fluid volume per
unit volume of porous material. In the continuum model, Biot’s theory assumes a lin-
ear relationship between the applied stress (σij, p) and strains (εij, ζ), in addition to the
elastic assumption (i.e., full reversibility of deformation) (Detournay and Cheng 1993).
To express these parameters in terms of material constants such as K, Ku, and α, the fol-
lowing relationships have been used:
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my expressions of gratitude.” Mr. Goupil spoke rather deliberately
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received no response is a matter of extreme regret. Yet, when I
inform you that it never reached me, you will, of a certainty,
exonerate me from discourtesy, Mr. Laurie.”
“Why, surely,” agreed Laurie eagerly. “We had already found out
that the telegram was delivered to the wrong person, sir.”
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“Indeed,” said Ned sympathetically, yet puzzled.
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“In my absence,” he went on, brightening, “my lawyer, in whose
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wife the property in this so quaint town occupied by my dear sister-
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‘What,’ asks this lawyer, ‘will you do with this property in Orstead,
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“‘What property do you speak of?’ I ask him. He tells me then. I am
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come at once by the fastest of trains. I am here!”
“That—that was very nice of you,” faltered Laurie, keeping his
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“Nice! But what else to be done? For nothing at all would I have
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was wrong. I—but wait!” Mr. Goupil drew forth a handsome card-
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card and read:
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Members of the
Chicago Stock Exchange
“You see?” pursued Mr. Goupil. “My dear sister-in-law made the
mistake regrettable. She addressed the letter to the ‘Goupil
Machinery Company.’ There is none.”
“I see,” said Laurie, enlightened, as he passed the engraved card
to Ned. “This MacHenry is your partner, sir?”
“Of a certainty. Adam MacHenry he is, a gentleman of Scottish
birth, but now, like me, William Goupil, a citizen of the United States,
sir.”
“Oh! Well, but look here, Mr. Goupil. Miss Comfort must have had
your initials wrong, too, then, for—”
“Ah, another misfortune! Attend, please. My name is Alphonse
Guillaume Goupil. Yes. Very well. When I am in this country but a
very short time I find that Alphonse is the name of all waiters in all
hotels everywhere I go. I put aside Alphonse then. I am Guillaume
Goupil. Then I become prosperous. I enter into business. Many do
not know how to pronounce my first name, and that is not well. So I
then spell it the American way. To-day I am William Goupil, American
citizen!”
“That explains why the telegram didn’t get to you,” said Laurie.
“Well, the whole thing’s been a sort of—of—”
“Sort of a comedy of errors,” suggested Ned.
Mr. Goupil seized on the phrase with enthusiasm. “Yes, yes, a
comedy of errors! You’ll say so! A comedy of errors of a certainty,
beyond a matter of a doubt! But now, at last, it is finis. All is
satisfactorily arranged. You shall hear. First, then, I offered my dear
sister-in-law a nice home in Sioux City, but no, she must stay here
where it has been her home and her people’s home for so long a
time. Also”—Mr. Goupil laughed enjoyably—“also, Mr. Laurie, she
fears the Indians! But at last it is arranged. In the fall she will return
to her house. By then it will be a place worthy of the sister of my dear
and greatly lamented wife. To-morrow I shall give orders, oh, many
orders! You shall see. It will be—” Mr. Goupil raised his eyes
ecstatically—“magnificent!”
“Well, that certainly is great,” said Laurie. “I can’t tell you how
pleased I—we both are, Mr. Goupil.”
Mr. Goupil bowed again, but without arising, and smiled his own
pleasure. “I shall ask you to believe, Mr. Laurie, that never did I
suspect that my dear sister-in-law was in any need of assistance.
But now I understand. It shall be arranged. From now on—” He
waved a hand grandly. Words would have said far less.
He arose. Laurie arose. Ned arose. Mr. Goupil bowed. Laurie and
Ned bowed.
“Once more, Mr. Laurie, I thank you for your kindness to my dear
sister-in-law. I thank also your so noble brother. I shall be in Orstead
for several days and it will give me great pleasure to see you again.
We shall meet, yes?”
“Of a certainty,” answered Laurie, with no thought of impertinence.
“To-morrow, perhaps, at Miss Comfort’s, sir. We are going there in
the morning to say good-by to her.”
“Excellent! Until the morning, then.” Mr. Goupil bowed. Laurie
bowed. Ned bowed. Mr. Goupil placed his derby in place, gave it an
admonishing tap, smiled pleasantly once more, and was gone.
Laurie closed the door after him and leaned weakly against it.
“If anything else happens to-night,” he sighed, “I’ll go batty!”
CHAPTER XXV
THE MARVELOUS CATCH
The Graduation Ball was over, and as the twins walked homeward
with Polly and Mae twelve o’clock struck from the tower of the
Congregational Church across the park. There was a big round
moon riding high in the heavens, and the June night was warm and
scented. Mae was to spend the night with Polly, and so the four kept
together across Walnut Street and past the Starling house where, on
the second floor, one lighted window proclaimed the presence of
Bob. Even as Ned proposed a discreet hail, the light behind the
shade went out.
“It was a lovely dance, wasn’t it?” asked Polly. Laurie, beside her,
assented. “It’s been a perfectly gorgeous day,” added Polly. “All of it.
It was such fun this morning at Miss Comfort’s. And that Mr. Goupil is
a darling duck, isn’t he? And, oh, won’t it be perfectly corking next
fall, Laurie, when we have the boat for our own? Think of the good
times we can have! It was wonderful of Miss Comfort to think of it.”
“Bet you anything,” chuckled Laurie, “she’ll wish herself back
there. Dare say she won’t be able to sleep on shore again after a
summer on the rolling deep!”
Polly laughed. “She’s a dear, isn’t she? And, Laurie, didn’t
everything turn out beautifully this spring? Think how we ‘reclaimed’
Kewpie and—”
“Heard Kewpie’s latest? He told Ned and me before supper that he
might not be able to play football next fall because he didn’t want to
risk hurting his pitching arm! He’s a rare bird, that Kewpie!”
“Oh, he must play football! But he will, of course. Wasn’t he
splendid this afternoon? And—and weren’t you splendid, too? I just
shrieked and shrieked when you made that perfectly wonderful catch
and saved the game!”
“I didn’t save the game,” answered Laurie. “I dare say that fellow
would have struck out in another minute. Anyhow, Kewpie says he
would have!”
“But Kewpie doesn’t know, and if he had made a hit it would have
tied the score at least. Anyhow, your catch was absolutely
marvelous. Every one says so.”
A short silence followed. Then Laurie said resolutely: “Look here, I
guess you might as well know the truth about that, Polly. I didn’t
really make that catch.”
“Why, what do you mean? I saw you make it!”
“Yes, I know, but—well you see, I didn’t intend to do it. I saw that
ball coming down straight for the end of my nose, and I just put my
hands up to ward it off. Of course every one thinks I’m a regular
wonder, but I’m not. It was just an accident. I—I haven’t told any one
but Ned—and you.”
“That doesn’t spoil it a bit,” declared Polly. “You did catch the ball,
didn’t you? And if you’d just been trying to keep it from hitting you
you wouldn’t have really caught it, would you?”
“That’s what Ned said,” mused Laurie. “Hanged if I know!”
“Ned’s perfectly right,” responded Polly emphatically.
“Of course I am,” said Ned as he and Mae joined them before the
door of the little shop. “But what is it this time?”
“Never mind,” said Polly. “You can ask Laurie.”
“He probably won’t tell me,” said Ned gloomily. “He hates to say
I’m right about anything. Gee, Polly, it seems funny to think that I
won’t see this place again for three months.”
“It’s horrid,” answered Polly, and Mae murmured agreement. “Still,
I suppose three months won’t seem awfully long. And you will write,
won’t you?”
“Certainly will,” asserted Ned. “And don’t you forget to. But we’ll
see you both in the morning. We don’t get away until eleven twenty-
two. Thanks for coming to the dance.”
“Thanks for asking us,” said Polly, her hand on the door. “Good
night. Good night, Laurie. We’ve had a lovely time.”
“Same here,” said Laurie as he tugged at Ned’s sleeve.
Ned joined him at the edge of the sidewalk, and they took their
caps off and bowed in the manner of Mr. Goupil.
Transcriber’s Notes:
Except for the frontispiece, illustrations have been moved to
follow the text that they illustrate, so the page number of the
illustration may not match the page number in the List of
Illustrations.
Printer’s, punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently
corrected.
Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been
preserved.
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