The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-10-05
A DOCTORS STORY.

commenced the practice of medicine.
BY way of necessary introduction to my
story, | must say few words of that
time
When NJ. ID. was tackled to my name,
bowed at two shrincs, my profession
and my Angelina. Her name was not
Angelina, but my wife being a modest
little lady desires she shall not be drag
gcd before an inquisitivc public. Let
then, the abstract, Angelina, represent
the real woman. conceal my own
name for similar reasons.
OF course | had rival. Name,
Richard Somers; age, twenty-six; gen.
eral appearance, striking and handsome
character, very bad.
Neither my affection for this gentle
man nor his affection for me would
have caused conflagration on any riv-
CT of which | know. We dislike each
other heartily from the first. Being q
much handsomer man than myself, he
might have been dangerous rival.
However, he saved me all trouble. He
committed forgery which was discov-
cred sooner than he expected. lie was
arrested for the oflense, tried and con-
victed. l was one of the principal wit
ncsscs against him. When the sentence
was passed upon him, he requested a
moments conversation with me. / shall
never forget the look of hatred upon his
face as he hissed out:
"You have ruined my love and my
life. Remember that and fear me-"
am not timid inan, and attached
but little importance to his implied
threat. thought it simply the bluster
of self-defeated and disgraced rival.
Shortly after, Angelina and / were
married, and, as the story-book says,
'Iived happy ever afterward."
So much by way of introduction, now
to my story:
We had been married little over two
years. During that time had heard
nothing of Somers. His sentence had
been comparatively light one-a year
and six months. After his discharge
from prison, however, neither saw nor
heard of him.
For so young man, l had been very
successful as II physician. Perhaps my
success was principally due to my strict
attention to practice. No matter how
late, or dark and stormy, might be the
night, promptly attended to all sum-
mons to the bedside of suffering.
One night, little before the hour OF
retiring, the door-bell rang, and shortly
afterwarl a man entered the room where
we were sitting. lie was not prepos-
sessing. His hair was short and thick
and the general cast of his features vii
lainous.
lie evidently belonged to that variety
of fowl known as the jail-bird. Never
thclcss. without hesitation l put on my
coat and hat and prepared to go with
him.
ga gentleman" he said, "has broken
his leg
thought it a pity that, if he were
anything like his messenger, he hadn't
broke his neck. | did not tell my wife
where l was going, for ii was in dis.
tant part of the town, and in anything
but respectable neighborhOod. l die
not wish to make the little woman ner
vOus.
On our way, my friend the jail-bird
was very uncommunicatlve. lie an
swered my inquiries about the injured
man in surly monosyllables. He wa
apparently in 10 haste, for he walked
very slowly-morc slowly, / thought
than was consistent with the welfare o
my patient.
AT last we arrived at our destination
1t was very dark-looking house, i'll
very dark little street.
. NV guide led me NJ two flights o
very rickety stairs, that creaked objec
5 tons TO our weight upon them. In TIN
third story we stopped before doc
which, to my surprise, my companion
opened with key which he took from
&. his pocket. Was he afraid man witt
g a broken leg would escape? was still
4 more surprised when on entering tn
5 room found it empty! He motiOne,
t me chair, and, rcmarking he woul'
y return soon, left the room.
/, For the first time l was somewha
;, nervous and suspicious. The empt
;, room-the last action of my guide-hi
n carelessness, on our way, as to tn
health of the supposed injured man-th
lonely house and neighborhood-al
!, combined to make me suspect foul play
o | stepped to the door only to find
o locked from the outslde-tO the windOy
t only to find escape impossible there.
t was many feet from the ground.
/ NV suspicious were now certainties
was trapped. None of my friend.
not even my wife, knew where was.
: might be murdered in this den, and m
+ death remain mystery.
+ / supposed / waited about an hou
}, before | heard the key turn in the dool
! Then, to my dismay, half dozen me
+ entered.
+ When nature made the jail-bird, VIII
d had led me into this trap, she did III
o break the mold. These gentlemen wer
n of the same pattern. All wore tn
e same hang-dog, murderous look. On
of them raised the light in the room
c which had been burning low. Wit
hardly glance at me they took seat
o upon the floor and began to play cards
Z. Soon the door again opened, and al
re other man entered. hardly had hop
Y as looked at him, for saw the eXull
II ing face of my enemy-Dick Somers!
AT glance he saw that recognize
him. With a malicious leer, he steppe
If forward, and quoting his own words {
n two years before, said:
II "You have ruined my love and m
IS life. Remember that and fear me"
?. saw in his face at once, showing h
n revenge and desperation, that nothin
is could turn him aside from his purpos,
2, "Somers," | said-for my life
o couldn't have called him Mr.. Somers-
g 81 know that you have trapped me hel
for the purpose of revenging yourse
upon me, but remember, sir, | hay
d friends! Remember law and justice
fl al fear nothing" he answered. :
t. defy man and God! Revenge on you
dearer to me than life; ard though ft
N me the bottomless pit were yawning,
l, would have it,"
c, | saw it was useless to appeal to tn
Ie man, and l sullenly waited for wh'
seemed fate. At his order the ruffiai
IN searched me. One of them, who al
re peared TO be kind of treasurer for IL
T. gang, secured my watch and pocke
r. book. Then they tied me with stol
)r ropes to chair.
a Somers did not address me again, bl
ID sat upon the floor and gambled wit
ID the rest. Presently he rose, and sa,
No ing he would return by daybreak, lie
lc the room. lie evidently felt was
Sc his mower. and seemed in no hurry