Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-08-02

promise which sne mlgnI not ue caiieu oPo'
to fill for years? No-better that | shoult
endure anything than claim such sacrifice
at the hands of the woman l loved.
Then this Clokesham practice was Offered
me, on most advantageous terms, by one
nv fathers old friends. More to please m!
mother than from any interest l felt in tn
future, accepted it, and was now on my wa.
to commence, legitimately, my professlona
career. My predecessor at Clokesham' Dr
Black, remained week with me.
81 must introduce you to your patients ant
some of their little peculiarities, for knowi
edge of the latter is quite as essential to you
success, my boy, as any diploma in tn
world" .
The evening on which he left me is still
fresh in my memory. As / write, the scent o
wood-violets, coming through my open win
dow, takes me back to the walk to the station
when bade the kindly old man farewell
At last, then, was "the DOCTOR" and during
my walk home I experienced much the same
sensation as on the occasion Of my first vlsi
to church alone-an overwhelming sense o.
the Importance of the occasion, mingled with
a strong desire that nobody should share with
me the knowledge of the novelty of my posi-
ton.
Events crowd on my memory as 1 look back
to the first morning after DR.. Blacks leave
taking. I was sitting over my solitary break
fast, wondering what the day would bring
forth to take me out of myself, when re-
spectacle servantman came quickly up the
walk, haste visible in every movement. "NoN
for my first patient" said to myself, as be
was shown in.
"Please, sir, Mr. Talbot says will you STEP
up at once? His niece, Mrs. Freeman, is
very bad with her heart-a swoon think
they called it,"
II will be there as soon as you," | said
looking round for my hat. (Which is Mr.
Talbot's?"
The large square stone house t'other end oi
the village, sir"
"Very we'll, I will come at once"
Benjamin Talbot is member of the Soce.
ty of Friends, and, in spite of his many &C.
centricities, is as true-hearted gentleman as
ever breathed. Though he lives rigidly by
the rules of his sect himself, he always readi'
ly makes allowance for others laxity, and
his views upon things in general are invaria'
bly, distinguished by the absence of all mar.
row minded sectarian prejudices.
He came to meet me in the hall, his pleas
ant face clouded with anxiety, and at once
burst into an ejaculatory explanation of mat
ters entirely incomprehensibe to me.
"Poor young thing-broken. hearted
Dnpoh-npuor N
have gone-only six months married"
At last, despairing of gaining any salts.
factory information, I interrupted him.
"Don't you think it would be better for me
to see the lady at once ?" suggested.
"Yes, doctor, yes Come this way. But
she is better now"
We crossed the hall and entered the som.
bre and darkened dining room. At the far
end, reclining in large easy chair, was a
lady iu deep mourning, who rose languidly
and turned as we came into the room. The
machinery of my heart seemed to catch and
stop altogether as I drew nearer and recog-
nized my darling-my lost love-of whom l
had never ceased to dream. Forgetful for
the moment of everything but that we were
once more face to face, l exclaimed
"How happy I am to see you again p
Then suddeul ly thought this must be the
Mrs. Freeman for whom l had been fetched
and the bitter knowledge that she was anoth-
er mans wife rushed across rne. | stood mute
with misery, while an expression of the most
unbounded astonishment crossed her face
and then I remembered her abrupt departure
from Mrs. Mason's. Could there be any cause
for mystery, for silence in the past? stood
waiting.
Have you then met my niece before, Mr.
Preston?" said Mr.. Talbot, sharing the sur.
prised expression on her face.
"No," I stammered. "That is, l thought u
Then, seeing she was determined not to &C.
knowledge previous acquaintance, I recov'
cred my selfpossession by desperate effort
"I mistook Mrs. Freeman for some one else,
I said, bowing. "She must excuse my mis-
take-indeed the likeness itselfis sufficient to
excuse; it is marvellousT
She never finched, but with the old sweet
smile, held out her hand, saying
81 wish could claim old acquaintance-it
is always so pleasant to meet Unexpectedly
but as it is hope we shall soon be good
though not old friends"
Ibowed-words would not come just then
this perfection of acting astonished me so that
1 became absolutely silent. took her hand
glad of the few moments, while felt hel
pulse.
"She arrived only last night" said Mr.. Tai
bot-"has been travelling, almost without
stopping, all the way from the Cape, and
expect she has over exerted herself Eth
Mary ?"
"Strain on the nervous system" l muttered
through my parched lips. "Quietness, rest
and tonics will do wonders" Then, rising ir
a helpless way, bade them good morning
and groped my way out of the house.
"Oh Heaven" cried, in the anguish o
my heart, "why am I thus made the plaything
of fate?"
felt myself reeling, as the full misery O.
my position rushed across my mind, and in
stinctively caught at the ratings of the house
I was passing to save myself from falling.
"John Preston" called cheerful little
cracked voice from the other side of the hedge
"wbat is the matter? Are you going to faint
Don't stand there in that dazed way-com'
in."
So saying, the rectors sister, kind little
spinster, who had constituted herself my
mothers deputy since the first night of my
arrival, took me by the arm and led me, lik'
the child she pretended to think me, into hel
own little sanctum. She insisted on my drink
ing terrific dose of neat brandy, and begaI
to chafe my temples and hands vigorously
holding forth all the time on the dreadful in
convenience ofmy bing i'll.
"Just now of all times, when there is {
charming young widow staying in the villag'
too! Why, at the very moment you faintee
outside my gate was planning nice little