Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-03-08
FATE rs. THE DOCTOR,

suiaiI mouse under the hill, both in.
hablted by members of the honorable
family of Brown; and to each apper
talns an only daughter of the name O
Mary With the exception of this one
accidental point of resemblance, there
is nothing Ill common between the
wealthy, plentiful home above and the
bare little cottage below; and even this
Is fast vanishing, for in the rarihed and
arlstocratic atmosphere of 'SThe Hill
the sweet homlness of the Mary has
long since given place to diminutive
and Judge Browns only daughter is
generally known under the name ot
"Mayn
Pretty May is at this moment brush
ing out her crimps, and otherwise pre-
pairing for an evening entertainment
while little Mary, whose wavy yellow
hair needs no crimps, and is. in fact,
her sole beauty, is lying in bed, with 8
meek patience on her pale face, which
As pitiful to see. There she has lain
for two years, poor child! and it is
hard to comprehend how Widow Brown
has managed-what between nursing
by night and washing other peoples
clothes all day long. She "niver
could, she says, elf it hadn't been fo1
the saints and DR.. Hetley-and glory
be to 'em both for the same.n
The DR.. Hetley mentioned in such
honorable companionship is in the
kitchen at this instant, busily mixing 8
sleeping powder for his little patient
The materials therefor came out of his
pocket-they "happened to be there, ,
he said. Such happenings were moi
unfrequent when the doctor visited a
bare home like this
He is an immensely tall, angular
young man, with long legs and arms, a
kind face, and a pair of sweet short
sighted gray eyes. [ suppose I may as
well own at once that he is the hero OF
this little tale, and in love with May.
You people who read the weekies get
to be SO sharp and experienced III love
affairs that there is no use in trying to
deceive, or attempting to spring an I'M
foreseen catastrophe upon you The
moment Dr. Hetley was mentioned half
of you, / know, said to yourselves,
"There he comes.n And you were
right-only, you must understand, my
doctor was very modest young fellow,
and hadn't the faintest notion of the
luck In store for him; and though May,
perhaps But let me not anticipate.
Mary was talking to her mother
about something which seemed to ex-
cite her.
"All pink, you know, mother, with
green edges to it. Oh! do you think
I'll iver git one2n
ca 11-
after sending it"
"But, mother"-in a disappointed
tone -" Judy says they always come,
and it's ST. Valentine sends 'em He's
saint you know"
"What's that2n called out the doc
tor.
ooh it's only Mary as is a thrub-
bling her head about Judy McCarthy's s
valentine, which she showed her TO-DAY
and asking, will she ever have one q
l tell her there's no likelihood Who'd
be sending her one, you know2"
"Do you want one very much, pus-
sy?" asked DR. Hetley, appearing at
the door with smile.
"Judy said almost all little girls as
old as eight did get 'em, y replied Mary,
shyly.
$50 they do Judy was right; and
| think you'll have one Mary, provided
and the kind face grew quizzically
solemn-''you take your dose without
making any faces, and sleep all tonight
without waking up once. Valentines
Day isn't till tomorrow, you know
Such a tender, grateful, pleased look
1t followed the doctor down the street.
"Poor little SOUL" he thought; "I'D
write her one myself
This was easier said than done. ALI
sorts of people seemed needing medi-
cal aid that day. They pounced on him
from door-steps, waylaid him round
corners, hailed loudly from upper win.
dows. A man had been smashed on
the railroad-a boy had scalded his
loot. Altogether it was eight in thu
evening before the hunted doctor
reached home and swallowed his tea
and there was that party at the Browns
to dress fort Dr.. Hetley dreaded par
ties. They always made him miserable
conscious of his elbows, of his def
ciences in small-talk; but May had civ
en- the invitation herself, and was
irresistible. Halfway through his toilet,
he remembered the valentine.
"There!n he said, half aloud "that
poor child It is always the way! The
little ones get crowded out;n and going
across the room, ne began to rummage
III drawer True enough, there was
the very thing-a box of dainty paper
with tinted monogram-glft of stylish
slster-1n-law. but never used or remem
bered till now. No danger that small
Mary would evolve the initials from
their complicated interlacement. Hur
ry winged his wits In ten minutes the
following was written and copied:
90 Mary had little lamb,
As the nursery legends tell;
am not little, nor a lamb
But love Mary well
"My fleece is not as white as snow,
l can't SO much as 'baa p
But wheresoever May may go
/ follow from afar.
"And If lambs dumb, earnest love
Could such answer gain,
May my silence, unreproved,
Be not all in vain.
Bleet and happy, all and each,
Who their love can tell.
for loving find no speech,
Butt love you well.
" VALENTINE
Perhaps some other and larger Mary
had strayed into the doctors mind
while writing. He smiled family as he
read it over. "Sad stuff" he thought;
but it will amuse the child" Then
he opened the door and called, .'Bobr
Bob, the ofice-boy, responded.
."Take this note round to Mrs
Browns. Ring the bell hard, leave i
on the step, and run away. Don't le
any one see you It's valentine, yor
know"
"Cracky!'' said Bob, half aloud. a,
he departed on this congenial errand
"We1ll Tn blowed if I ever did
What's the doctor up to now?"
The party was well under way whe1
DIR. Hetley made his appearance. III
entered, shrinking and nervous. tryine
to make out with his near-sighted Vi
sion where the lady of the house miob+
be, and where the dancers were not
for he had mortal and well-groundeG
terror of those pitfalls spread for tn,
unwary by muslin trains. Nav espieG
him. and advanced to the rescue
: Oh, doctor! how do you dol W.
began to be afraid you were going tf