The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-08-11

The doctor bowed to ;. and sud:
My name is Dr. Scroggins.'
Mr.. s. bowed in return, remHking:
"Will you walk in and take a chair,
sir?"
Both gentlemen sat down. About
Mr.. S. there was an air of expectancy,
which the doctor did no8 fail to notice.
My name is DIR. Scroggins," said he,
repeating his first introduction.
lam glad to see you, doctor" said Mr..
S., bowling again.
received letter from your house,
directing me to call here as you had
something to communicate which would
be to my advantage"
There must be some mistake" said
Mr.. S. ]; "no such letter has emanated
from u.s."
Are you sure?" asked the victim
turning pale, and handing Mr.. S. the
letter.
After looking over it, he said:
"There Is no truth in this letter; | am
sorry to say that you have been made
the victim of an idle and rcprehensible
jest; to-day, you are aware, is the first of
April"
/" Is it possiblel' p said the doctor, clasp
! ing his hands. "Who could have been
so unkind, so heartless and cruelY
" Is it, then, very great disappoint-
ment?" 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 he intended
to communicate; he discovered also that
he was the son of one 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 place would be most desirable I;
but l do not suppose | could obtain it. !"
"Why not?'
I" I am stranger here"
"Can you bring me testimonials Of
professional ability?'
% can-and testimonials of the high
est order"
:" Bring them to me, Doctor, at the
earliest possible moment. | suppose
you are man of familyW
" am unmarried"
"That may be an objection. A fur
nished house is provided for physician,
and man of family is preferred"
Il have a widowed sister who would
most gladly join me-"
"That will do just as well. Bring
your testimonials as soon as possible. |
think your April-fool letter has turned
out something to your advantage, after
all" laughed Mr.. S.
Affairs turned out to the satisfaction
of both the doctor and the kind-hearted
merchant. In less than month he
found himself and sister settled in COM
Portable quarters, with salary of
twelve hundred dollars per annum !;
moreover, for certain duties required of
her at the hospital, his sister received
two hundred dollars per year in addi-
ton.
Mr.. Top, in the meantime, looked in
vain for the doctors return, and thought
that the modification of being made an
April fool, and the fear of being laughed
at, kept him away
Where is DIR. Scroggins?" he in
quired of one and another.
But no one had seen him. Finally
he told his friends that he had sent him
to New York on u fools GRAND, the first
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 brighter genius than
he is to fool me-" replied Top.
The first day of pril came around
again, and Mr.. Top expected certainly
to hear from DR.. Scroggirs, who, he
thought, could never forgive him. Sure
enough, he received letter from New
York. He laughed aloud as he read it /:
Mr.. BENJAMIN Top Dear Sir: If YOU
will call at Messrs. w. Il HIS, No. - Wall
Street, New York, you may hear of some
thing to your advantage.
"Our friend Scroggins is a wit" said
he, but he will find me too wide awake
to be caught in his trap. Catch me
trudging off to New York on FOOLS err
rand? Does he think haven't cut my
eye teeth? DIR. Scroggins don't know
this child, he don'tw
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 afterward Top,
being in the city on business, happened
to meet DR.. Scroggins.
" How are you, DoctorT said he,
grasping the hand of the physician and
smiling one of the smiles peculiar to
his face when he felt thathe had played
capital joke on somebody.
81 am well. And how are you, Mr..
Top" asked the doctor.
First-rate," replied he, with ire
pressible glee q 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 FOOLS Grand"
~ don't understand you, Mr.. Top"
said the doctor, gravely.
"W. & HIS, Wall Street-something
to my advantage"
The doctor looked puzzled.
You needn't look so innocent, Doc
tor; / sent you to New York in April,
eighteen months ago, and it is but nat
ural that you should wish to pay me in
my own coin. But | was too wide
awake for you to catch me-"
You are certainly too wide awake for
me now. Will you please explain your
selfT said Doctor Scroggins
"April before last you received a let
ter to the effect that if you would call
at Wall Street you would hear something
to your advantage"
81 did," replied the doctor.
WellY'
called accordingly and did hear