The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-08-18
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. | 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 much
handsemer man than myself, he might
have been a dangerous rival. However,
lie 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
Kissed out:
You have ruined my love and my
life. Remember that, and fear me ~
| am not timid man, and attached
but little Importance to this implied
| he, IL
of a self-defeated and disgraced rival.
Shortly after, Angelina and | 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 comparatively light one-a year
and six months. After his discharge
from prison, however, | neither saw nor
heard of him.
For SO young a 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 progressing. 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
soat and hat and prepared to go with
him.
"a gentleman" he said, has broken
his leg"
| thought it pity that, if he were
anything like his messenger, he hadn't
broken his neck. | did not tell my wife
where was going, for it was a distant
part of the town, and in anything but
respectable neighborhood. | did not
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 injured
man in surly monosyllables. He was
apparently in no haste, for he walked
very slowly-more slowly, | thought.
than was consistent with the welfare of
my patient.
At last we arrived at our destination.
1t was very dark-looking house, in a
very dark little street.
Ny guide led me up two flights of
very dirty and rickety stairs, that
creaked objections to our weight upon
them. In the third story we stopped
before door, which, to my surprise, my
companion opened with key which he
took from his pocket Was he afraid
that man with broken leg would es
cape? | was still more surprised when,
on entering the room, / found it empty
He motioned me to chair, and, remark
ing he would return soon, left the room.
|. hFor the first time / was somewhat ner-
vous and suspicious The empty room
the last action of my guide-his care,
lessness, on our way, as to the health of
the supposed injured man-the lonely
house and neighborhood- combined
to make me suspect foul play.
lstepped to the door, only to find it
locked from the outside-to the window
only to find escape impossible there.
1t was many feet from the ground.
My suspicious were now certainties.
| was trapped. None of my friends.
not even my wife, knew where was. /
might be murdered in this den, and nv
death remain mystery.
suppose | waited about an hour be-
fore | heard the key turn in the door.
Then, to my dismay, half dozen men
entered
When nature made the jail-bird who
had led me into this trap, she did not
break the mold These gentlemen
were of the same pattern. All wore the
same hang-dog, murderous look. One of
them raised the light in the room. which
had been burning low. With hardly
glance at me, they took seats upon the
floor, and began to play cards.
Soon the door again opened, and an
other man enterted. l hardly had a
hope as / looked at him, for ] saw the
exulting face of my enemy i Dick
Somersl
AT a glance he saw that / recognized
him. With malicious leer, he stepped
forward, and quoting his own words of
two years before, said:
" You have ruined my love and nv
life. Remember that, and fear me
/ saw in his face, at once showing his
revenge and desperation, that nothing
could turn him aside from his purpose