Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-03-08

uoL Ell1ALE4ag Jul @a41a = LAA y ~
lived next door, came in to stay
with my patient while / ran through
midnight darkness down the ave
nue. and the long Village street for
doctor. DIR. Gilmore was the name
on the first door that had clight be-
hindit. At the first pail Of the bell
the handle came on IN my hand, but
Iopened the door and found myself
in the Office. The doctor lsy on
lounge, sleeping heavily, a. IL he
had just thrown himself down af-
ter = hard days work, | calletl TO
him in vain, and fiRslly laid violent
hands on him, lie must have been
dreaming some fearful thing, FOR he
seized my Writs as in = visa aud
roared, snow / have yOHl' before
he opened his eyes.
HYou are mistaken, doctor, il is
who have you,1 l said lanEhing.-
He released my wrists and sat up
with eyes very wide open.
"And what are you going TO do
con, YOU must come to my aunt
az DoEecotes this very moment, {"
and 1 began to cry more heartily
than had laughed.
He took ne mp as easily as II l had
been 4 baby, and laid me on the
lounge. sNoW lie there perfectly
still until nay carriage is ready" he
said, as one having authority. In .
few minutes he brought me some
innoCent-loOking stuff in q glass,
which drank without . word, and
nv nerves grew steady again. l
climed into the little old-fashed sui
XIV. in which there was but spare
room for its owner, q carriage that
must have been invented by some
misanthropic doctor who did net
mean to drive his own patients. !
contracted myself into about the
substance OF 3 paper of pins, and
held my breath, but that sulky was
a Very tight fit indeedi e.I
wore = thin summer dress, with
only 9 straw hat on nay head, and a
NV excitement lessened the cool,
sharp air OF the September night
pierced me like q knife. ill 80
sYou are shivering," T" said the doc
tor, wrapping one side of his round
cloak about me and holding me clsse
20 MS breast with one arm, while
he drove his horse at furious speed
with the other.
'sI give you a great deal of trOu-
ble," / whispered into his beard.
''Not at all. IL is al my days
work" he said grufiiy. This was
net very gallant, but il made me
more comfortable IN mind, asit pos
sibly was meant to do.
a -.
my aunt, which was little enough.
Time and patience was all the pre-
seriptiOns that he gave to her or TO
me, but he came every day, some
times twice, as he perceived that
time was growing short, aud pa
tience would soon have its perfect
work.
The old story-old a. when Cain
went courting into the land Of Nod
lis coming, as my reader can sec
with half an eve.
/ did not fall in love with DIR. 6Sil-
more, nor he with me, all At once;
but there grew TO be an inexpressi-
BILE comfort in his rough sincerity,
and the warm hand clasp with
which az every visit he met and
stilled my shrinking nerves.
In the first week of our acquain-
tance, / confided 20 him my unwil-
ling listening in the avenue TO the
loVe-guarrel of strangers. With his
advice and assistance, i sent q care
fully Werded advertisement 10 the
village paper. To judge by the
pile of answers which l received
describing every kind of ring that
ever was worn, one would think
the earth should have been aown as
thick with them as was the field OF
Canne after the great slaughter OF
CarthagiRian knights. But not one
Of the answers so much as limited at
= violet OF sapphires with 4 dia-
mond center.
In these lonely days, Isaw 3 great
deal of my neighbOr, Miss Purdy;
she was one Of those rare and bles-
sed souls who interpret literally the
command to love ones neighbor 81
ones self. She and her niece, Kate
Purdy, lived together as lived with
Aunt Esther, and 4 sort Of fellow
feeling, from oursimilar conditions,
made us wondreus kind from the
first. -..- .-..r .t...,i
Kate was a sparkling brunette
who made love to everybody; s.mals
or female, jew or Gentle, bond OF
free, IL was all one TO her. i am !
very meek-looking person myself
light-hearted, blue eyed, faded out
You almost need q dark back
ground to see me st all.
I told her all about the ring, and
Showed her the answers TO my adj
veFtisemsnts; and when our talk
reached low water on other matters,
we always fell back on speculation
about those two lovers and the sap
phire ring. Kate was disposed 20
treat il more lightly than could
find il in my heart to do. She
thought it far too pretty TO hide ita
light in a bureau drawer, and after
q time l wore it, thinking that in
that way il might be possibly seen
and claimed by its owner.
We had become very intimate in
girls fashion before l introduced
Kate to "my DOCTOR" as called him
in nay heart. They "tOok kindly
to each other, but she did not at
once begin to vile the heart out Of
him, as had seen her do with all
other men. ~
! t'Why don't you make love TO DIR.
Gilmore? Iasked her atlast. "You
are naturally q fisher OF men, and
the prey l. very scarce At Dove
cotes."
Firstly" said Kate, because you
already have him in your own net,
and unless all signs fail you will
soon land him Secondly, he l. TOO
fearfuily old and grave. / don't
mean that he has lived any great
number of years, but he is one OF
those who are born forty years old,
and that would make him at this
present about threescOre and ten."
Ny world was well-nigh empty OF
kith and kin when Aunt Esther died,
but / was not nearly so doleful as /
ought TO have been. ! had very lit
tie money, but had youth and hope,
and there was-the doctor. Kate
Purdy had been helping me 10 set
the house in order after the dread
ful hustle that follows the vanishing
OF a familiar face.