The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-07-19
OUR STORY TELLER.
A DOCTORS STORY.

menced 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 shrines, my profession |
and-my Angelina. Her name was not |
Angelina, but my wife being a modest
little lady, desires she shall not be drag |
ged before an inquisitive public. Let, |
then, the abstract, Angelina, represent
the real woman. l conceal my own
name for similar reasons.
OF course had rival. Name, Rich
ard Somers; age, twenty-six; general
appearance, striking and handsome;
character, very bad.
Neither my affection for this gentle
man nor his affection for me would have
caused confagration on any river of
which | know. We disliked each other
heartily from the first. Being a much
handsomer man than myself, he might
have been a dangerous rival. However,
he saved me all trouble. He committed
a forgery which was discovered sooner
than he expected He was arrested for
the offense, tried and convicted. / was
one of the principal witnesses against
him. When the sentence was passed
upon him, he requested a moments con-
versation with me. | shall never forget
the look of hatred upon his face, and he
Missed out:
You have ruined my love and my
life. Remember that, and fear mew
| am not a timid man, and attached
but little Importance to this implied
threat. l thought it simply the bluster
of a self-defeated and disgraced rival.
Shortly after, Angelina and l were
married, and, as the story-book says,
"lived 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 a comparatively light one-a year
and six months. After his discharge
from prison, however, neither saw nor
heard of him.
For 40 young man, had been very
successful as a 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-
monses to the bedside of suffering.
One night, a little while before the
hour of retiring, the door-bell rang, and
shortly afterward man entered the
room where we were sitting. He was
not prepossessing. His hair was short
and thick, and the general cast of his
features villainous.
He evidently belonged to that variety
of fowl known as the jail-bird. Never
theless without hesitation, put on my
coat and hat, and prepared to go will
him.
"a gentleman" he said, "has broker
his leg"
1 thought it a pity that, if he wer'
anything like his messenger, he hadn'
broken his neck. l did not tell my wifi,
where | was going, for it was distan
part of the town, and in anything but
respectable neighborhood. l did no
wish to make the little woman nervous
On our way, my friend, the jail-bird
was very uncommunicative. He an
swered my inquiries about the iniure,
man in surly monosyllables. He wa
apparently in no haste, for he wake,
very slowly-more slowly, 1 thought
than was consistent with the welfare @
my patient.
At last we arrived at our destination
1t was a very dark-looking house, in
very dark little street.
My guide led me up two flights G
very dirty and rickety stairs, tina
creaked objections to our weight upo
them. In the third story we stoppe
before door, which, to my SURPRISE m
companion opened with key which h
took from his pocket. Was he afrai
that a man with broken leg would G
cape? / was still more surprised whel
on entering the room, found it empty
He motioned me to chair, and, remarl
ing he would return soon, left the room
For the first time was somewhat ne
vous and suspicious. The empty roo
the last action of my guide-his car
lessness, on our way, as to the health
the supposed injured man-the lone
house and neighborhood-all combine
to make me suspect foul play.
i stepped to the door, only to find
locked from the outside-to the windo
only to find escape impossible ther
1t was many feet from the ground.
My suspicious were now certaintie
/ was trapped. None of my friend
not even my wife, knew where was
might be murdered in this den, and n
death remain a mystery.
i suppose l waited about an hour /
fore 1 heard the key turn in the doc
Then, to my dismay, half a dozen nj
entered.
When nature made the .jail-bird w
had led me into this trap, she did n
break the mold. These gentlem
were of the same pattern. All wore t
same hang-dog, murderous look. One
them raised the light in the room, viii
had been burning low. With hardly
glance at me, they took seats upon t
floor, and began to play cards.
Soon the door again opened, and ;
other man enterted. / hardly had
hope as L looked at him, for l saw (
exulting face of my enemy d
Somersl
At glance he saw that recogni,
him. With malicious leer, he stepJ
forward, and quoting his own words
two years before, said:,
"You have ruined my love and
life. Remember that, and fear me J"
j saw in his face, at once showing
revenge and desperation, that moth
could turn him aside from his purpc
Somers," | said for my life
couldn't have called him Mr.. Somer
4" know that you have trapped me h
for the purpose of revenging yours
upon me but remember, sir, that HI
friends Remember law and iustic
/ fear nothing" he answered
defy man and Godi Revenge on yor
dearcr TO me than life; and though
me the bottomless pit were yawnin
would have it,"
/ saw it was useless to appeal to I
man, and | sullenly waited for W
seemed fate.
At his command the ruffians searcl
me. One of them, who appeared to |
kind Of treasurer for the gang, secu