The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-26
A PHYSICIANS WIFE'S STORY

Il have hear6 Of persons whose hair
was whjtonei through excessive icar. hut
as never saw, myself, any one 50 ai-
focted, I am disposed 70 be iuore,iulous
on the subject.
The above remark was made 10 DR.
Maynard, as We sat ON the piarza of ms
pretty ylll0 discussing the different et-
fSS.s Of terror on d,SS.mllar tempea-
ments. Without replying 90 me the
doctor turned 60 his wife and said:
Helen, VIII You please relate q my
old friend che incident within vour own
experience. lt Is the most convincing
argument I can advance
Z looked 40 Mrs, Maynard in surprise
had observed that her hair, which WAS
luNuriant and dressed very hecommSly.
was purely coiorleSs but, Is she wsss a
Young woman, and also a very pretty
one. 1 surmisei that it WAS powdered t.
heighteu the brilliancy of her fine dark
ewes.
The doctor and had been fellow stu
dents, bus, after leaving college. We had
uyli,ci-l % commence practice IN an
eastern city, he topursue his profession
IN n growing town in the west. | WAS
now ON visit To him for the first time
SINCE Lss MARRIAGE
Mrs Maynard, no doubt, reading my
suppositl1n 10y my looG ot !ncreiUljty.
smiled is she shook her snowy trssses
over her shoulders. and, seating herself
10y her husbands side, related the fol-
lowing interesting episode:
d" lt is nearly two years ago since my
husband vsS called GA one evening 70
visit q laa5ut several miles away. Our
Gomestics haj ali gone 10 a wake in the
vicinity. tAe dead man being relative
Of one of uGg serving women. Thus l
was left alone, Bat l felt NO fear, for
we never lad heani Of burglars or any
sort ut desperadoes in our quiet village
then consisting of few scattering
houses. The windows leading out on
the piazza were open rs now. bat | se-
cured the blinds before nv husbands
departure. and locked the outside doors.
al except the front one. which [ left for
the doctor 70 lock after going out. 50
that, il l should fall asleep before his
return, he could enter without aruusing
me. I heard the doctors rapid foot
steps on the gravel. quickened by the
urZtnt tones Of the messenger who
awaited hmm and. after the sharp rattle
ot the carria.-e wheels had become an
echo / seated myself by the parl0r as
trsl, and very soon became absorbed IN
the book / had been reading before
being disturbed by the summons.
But after a time my interest succumb-
el 20 dr3wsiness, and | thought of re-
tiring, when the clock in the doctors
adv adjoining the par.or struck twelve,
So I determined "a wait few moments
more. feeling that he would be home
now very soon. I closed my book.
douDei a robe dg chgm5rc. let down my
hair. and then returned 10 nv seat 70
patiently await and listen. Not the
tantest sound disturbed the Stiffness of
the night. Not a breath OF air stirred
the leaf. The silence was 50 profound
that 81 became oppressive. / l0nged for
the sharp click Of the gate latch and the
well known step on the gravel walk. l
did not dare to break the hush myself 10y
mCyInE or singing. | was So oppressed
with the deep stiffness. The human
mind Is a strange t0rturer of itself. ]
began 20 conjure up vivid fancies about
ClUstiy vislt&nts. In the midst Of which
occurred 10 me the stories I had heard
from superstitious people about the
troubled spirits OF those who hal died
Suddenly. like the man whom my ser
wants had gone % wake, who had
been killed bv an accident at the saw
LlL in the midst Of these ter-is- -ng
reflections. I Was startled by n slealthv
football on the piazza. 1 listened be
tween fear and hope. 1t might be the
doctor. But no, he would not tread ike
that; the step was too soft and
cautious for anything less wilv than
cat. As I listened again. my ewes
we're fixed on the window blind.
saw the stats move slowly and cautious
", and then the rays Of the moon dis
closed q thin, cadaverous face. and
bright, ClI-terlug eyes. peerIng at me.
Oh, horror who was 1t or what was 1t 2
] felt the cold perspiration start at every
pore. | seemed to be frozen IN my chair.
/ could not move ; / could not cry out
my tongue seemed glued 10 the roof Of
my mouth, while the deathly white face
pressed closer, and the great sunken
eyes wandered IN their gaze about the
r5om. In a few moments the blind
closed noiselessly as it had been opened.
and the cautious footsteps came toward
the door. 'Merciful heaven = / cried,
IN a horror stricken whisper, as / heard
the key turn IN the lock, the doctor.
in his haste, must have forgotten b.
Withdraw the key"
God forgive me g calculated DR..
Maynard, interrupting his wife. and look
ing far more excited than she. Il can
never forgive myself for such a thought
a. DT,.-g. i
"Iheard the front door open, the step
in the hall, and helpless rs a statue,
sat riveted to my chair. The parlor
door was open, and in it stood a tall,
thin man, whom I never beheld before.
He was dressed in a long, loose robe.
sort Of gaberiine, and a black velvet
skull cap partially concealed a broad
forehead, under which cleaned black
eyes, bright as living Goals, and placed 50
near together that their gaze was prefer
natural in its directness; heavy grizzled
eyebrows hung over them like the tangled
name Of a lion; the nose was sharp and
prominent, and the chin was oyerproWn
with white hair, which hung down in
locks as weird as the Ancient Mariners.
he politely doffed his cap, bowed. re-
placed it, and then said, in a slightly
foreign accent
Madam, it is not necessary for me
to stand on any further ceremony, as
your husband, Dr. Maynard (hereupon
he again bowed profoundly, has already
acquainted you with the nature Of my
business here tonight / perceive, he
added glancing at my neglige robe, that
yOu We're expecting me.
"'No,' / found voice to stammer.
The doctor has said nothing to me
about a visitor at this hour Of the night.
"' All he wished TO spare you, no
doubt, disagreeable apprehension, he
returned, advancing and taking seat on
the sofa opposite me, where for a few
moments he sat and eyed me from head
TO foot with a strange glittering light IL
his eyes that mysteriously impressed me.
You haye a remarkably fine physique,
madam, he observed, quietly; one that
might deceive the eye of the most skilled
and practical physician. Do you suffer
much pain 2 &.
unable to speak, | shook my head.
A terrible suspicion was creeping over
me. l was alone, miles away from aid
or rescue, with a mailman.
ALL 7 he continued, rehectively.
your husband may have mistake an
tumor for a cancer. Allow me to feel
your pulse, he said, rising and bending
over me.
ct tbougJ.t n hast ~ b,,p,o- hin, 20