Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-08-17

and cruel?"
'"Is it, then, a very great disap-
pointment?" asked the kind hearted
merchant, struck with the doctors
manner; and by few, but adroit,
questions he soon found out more of
his history than be intended to COM
municate; be discovered, also, that
he was the son of one of his earliest
friends.
"Would you be willing to take
the position of resident physician at
the = Hospital?'' finally asked Mr..
S.
''To one in my position" said he,
"such a place would be most desira-
BILE; but do not suppose could OBJ
tain it..
"Why?"
81 am stranger here"
"Can you bring ME testimonials of
professional ability?"
81 can-and testimonials of the
highest order"
"Bring them to me, doctor, at the
earliest possible moment. Isuppose
you are man of family?"
81 am unmarried"
"That may be an objection. A
furnished house is provided for a
physician, and man of family is
preferred"
81 have a widowed sister who
would most gladly join me-"
"That will do just as well. Bring
your testimonials as soon as possible.
+ I think your April-fool letter has
turned out something to your ad-
vantage, after all" laughed Mr.. S.
Affairs turned out to the satisfac-
ton of both the doctor and the kind
hearted merchant. In less than
month he found himself and sister
settled in comfortable quarters, with
a salary of 81, 200 per annum; more
over, for certain duties required of
her at the hospital, his sister receiv-
ed 5000 per year in addition.
Mr.. Top, in the meantime, looked
in vain for the doctors return, and
thought that the modification of be-
ing made an April-fool, and the fear
of being laughed at, kept him away.
"Where is DR.. Scroggins?" he in
quired of one and another.
But no one had seen him. Final
ly he told his friends that he had
sent him to New York on fools er-
rand, the lst day of April, and he
was, no doubt, ashamed to come
back.
"Look out for next April" said
they; "the doctor will be even with
you then"
at will take a brighter genius than
he is to fool me-" replied Top.
The 1st day of April came around
again, and Mr. Top expected GER
tainIy to hear from DIR. Scroggins,
who, he thought, could never for
give him. Sure enough, he received
letter from New York. He laugh
ed aloud as be read it:
Mr.. BENJAMIN TOP: Dear Sir-If you
will call at Messrs. W. & HIS, No. -
Wall street, New York, you may hear some
thing to your advantage.
sour friend Scroggins is wit, "
said he, "but he will tindme too wide
awake to be caught in his trap.
Catch me trudging off to New York
on FOOLS errand! Does he think [
haven't cut my eye-teeth? DR.. Scrog-
gins don't know this child, he dou't. ="
But still the idea haunted him
that he might be losing something
by not needing the letter, and that
damped in some degree the pleasure
he experienced in having been too
sharp for the doctor.
Five or six months afterw ward, Top
being in the city on business, happen
ed to meet DR.. Scroggins.
GLOW are you, doctor?" said he,
grasping the hand of the physician
and smiling one of the smiles pecu-
liar to his face when he felt that he
had played capital joke on some
body.
"I am well; and how are you, Mr..
Top!" asked the doctor.
''First-rate," replied he, with ire
pressible glee. "You wasn't sharp
enough last April, DOCTOR"
"What do you mean?" asked the
doctor.
"You didn't succeed in getting me
to the city on a fools errand."
81 don't understand you, Mr..
Top" said the doctor, gravely.
"W. 81 HIS, Wall street-sOme-
thing to my advantage"
The doctor looked puzzled.
"You needn't look so innocent,
doctor; | sent you to New York in
April, eighteen months ago, and it is
but natural you should wish to pay
me in my own coin. But | was toe
wide awake for you to catch me-"
"You are certainly too wide awake
for me now. Will you please ex
plain yourself?" said DIR. Scroggins
"Aprll before last you received ;
letter to the effect that if you would
call in Wall street you would heal
of something to your advantage"
81 did" replied the doctor.
"Well."
81 called accordingly and did hea
something to my advantage"
"What~ Top looked very muol
surprised and disappointed at tn,
same time. "And you did not writ,
me similar one last April?'
81 am above such cold hearte,
cruelty, sir" said rhe doctor, in
tone that marked his real feeling,
''The person who could do such
thing must have something ha'
about his character, and | want t
have nothing to do with him"
"Good morning, doctor" saId MI
Top. 80
The two gentlemen bowed stiff
and parted. Top felt very uncon
Portable. lie finally decided to Ca