The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-02-17

never content unless he could be suuirtin,
all manner of things into his ears and hi
eyes to make him feel better. and improv
his sight. He had his dinner pills regu
larly, whether he had any dinner or nc
He denied himself wine and spirits, bu
drank steel, quinine, and bark, and al
manner of tonic medicines to excess. III
was certain income to any doctor VIII,
would put up with his whims and fall int
his ways, but as fond of changing hi
physician as the habitual topper is of chang
ing his publican. What is more, though
"near" in most things, he never objected
TO doctors bill,
AS soon as Doctor Gryant was installed
next door, my father paid off his las
medical man, DR.. Ross, who lived a
Spedminton "a neighboring village), anC
gave himself up to the advice of his new
tenant. 1t was always q great day, ant
one to be remembered by my father, whel
he commenced with new doctor. Their,
were all his ailments to be gone over
his eye-symptoms, his ear symptoms, hi
indigestion, his nervous debility, his liver
&c.,-sO that, as he said, "his constitu
tion might be properly understood |" by hi
adviser.
Doctor Gryant ticked off every item il
the long catalogue very solemnly with {
nod of his fat white chin in his shirt col
lar, and though he knew these to be pure
ly imaginary complaints, he said, "Ah =
and "dear mew and "Very truep anC
promised to send corrective medicines fol
each. One symptom, however, was that
of a real disorder, and demanded more
careful attention. My father complained
in addition, of certain nervous twitching:
in his limbs. Doctor Ross, who had be
come accustomed to the fancies of his pa
tient, had taken little notice of this, but
Doctor Gryant laid more stress on the
symptom, and mentally determined to ex
hibit minute doses of strychnine.
Il get very nervous about these twitch
ings," said my father, "and my health be
ing altogether in precarious state, | am
glad to gave doctor living handy. Ii
should happen to want you, either by day
or night, | have only to pull your bell.
Don't be surprised if should not wait for
you to answer the door the weather is sc
chilly, and am so susceptible of cold that
| can't stand draughts l shall ring your
bell if want you, and come indoors again
where you will find me. You can never
mistake my ring; know the bell better
than you do. Oblige me by going to your
surgery now, and listening"
DR.. Gryant did so, and in few minutes
he heard this identical bell ring, not as it
usually does, in peal, but in slow, meas.
ured beats -"One, two, three, four" and
SO on. 1t rang in this manner for nearly a
minute, then stopped.
The unusual sound of the bell struck
painfully on DR.. Gryant's ear. For an
Ho ~f
sensation, a warning of evil, as though
some one were walking over his grave
but, shaking it off, he laughed at himself
and saying, Its only a whimsical old fool
ringing the bell his own way" went to
the door. Old Isaac Morley had not wait
ed in the cold, but had left the front door
of his house open for the doctor to enter,
who found his patient quietly seated at the
dining room fire awaiting his return.
You see" said my father, "my dining
room being on the ground floor, | may
just as well wait here for you by the fire
as on your doorstep"
"Quite so," assented the doctor.
"And you are not likely to mistake my
ring for stranger's?'
Certainly not. But that is a very
queer bell, Mr.. Morley. Do you know it
has not pleasant sound when rung as
you rang it ,"
1T has distinctive sound, Dr. Gryant
that is all ! want. Whenever you heal
the bell rung in that way, remember it is
land want you. Whether night or day
will you kindly remember this? And if !
should not be at the door you will find me
in the diningroOm."
The doctor said he would, and on re-
turning to his house made several expert.
ments with the bell handle to repeat the
effect produced by my father, but with
very poor success.
"Well," he thought to himself, "there
is no doubt l shall know the old fellows
ring"
My father was, certainly, great plague
for any doctor to live next door to. Doc
tors were his weakness; and to get doc
tor living so near-a tenant too, with
forty pounds a year rent to credit against
a score for physic-wasa sore temptation
Nearly always once day Doctor Cry
ant would be certain to hear that harsh
grating summons on the most trivial err
rand, until he got so accustomed to the
bell that it ceased to- affect him in any
other way than business-viZ.: morley
visit, three and sixpence," except when he
happened to think about the sound, and
then it did certainly fit across his mind
that he wished old Isaac would ring like
other patients.
DIR. Gryant's practice was not large. In
small country town especially, most peO
pie are chary of exchanging an old doctor
whom they know for new one they Dc
not, and with some disagreeable rumOrs
att 10 |,
titiOners fought rather shy OF him, whis
members of a kindred profession were un
pleasantly familiar He was continually
getting lawyers letters about outstanding
debts contracted in another part of tn,
country. lie STAYED these off as best h,
could, paying installments where he wa
most worried, but living a precariOus anC
unsettled life in Crankford, continually
treatened with process, whilst it was said
with what truth / do not know, that h,
did not dare face the Court If Bankruptc,
for fear of revelations which might prov
still more injurious to what little reputa
tiOn he had
Fix, if you please, in your mind thes
two bits of Crankford gossip-that Doc
tor Gryant was in want of money, presse
| for it on all sides, and that he was cor
slant, and the only constant, visitor q
Isaac MOrley's-a man supposed by man
people with far worse opportunities {
judging) to be very wealthy and misery
and you will be prepared for part of wins
| follows.
Late one evening in the following Marcl
Dr. Gryant was sitting alone in his stud,
With mis- head on his hands, he was gain
into the fire as earnestly as if the shap,
in the burning Goals could show him i'm
picture some way of escape from his diff
culties. Letters lay on the table contain
ing peremptOry demands for none
While he was thinking and worrying no
TO meet these demands he heard III
fathers summons 1t was Just after
o'clock at night, and the measured beat
the iron bell, like a ghostly clock slow
striking the hour, Jared on hint WI
so harsh. 1t was some minutes before
answered it-he had papers to put ava
and his desk and drawers to lock. TIL,
he took his hat and went to the door !
ono Uae there. but he saw as usual th