The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-03-13
A DOCTORS PERIL.

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When M D. was attached 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 a rival. Name, Richard Somers
aged 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 conhagration on any river
which know. We disliked each other
heartily. Being a much handsomer
man than myself, he might have been a
dangerous rival. However, he saved
me all the trouble. He committed a
forgery that was discovered sooner than
he expected. He was arrested for the
ofense, tried and convicted. I was one
of the principal witnesses against him.
When the sentence was passed upon
him, he requested moments converse
tion with me- Ishall never forget the
look of hatred upon his face as he his1ed
out:
You have ruined my love and my
life. Remember that and fear me!'
We had been married little over two
years. During that time had heard
nothing of Somers. His sentence had
been a comparatively light one-one
year and six months. Alter his dis
charge from prison, however, neither
saw nor heard of him. For SO young
man, had been very successful as a
physician. Perhaps my success was
principally due to my strict attention to
business. No matter how late or dark
and stormy might be the night, /
promptly attended summonses to the
bedside of suffering. One night, little
before the hour for retiring, the door
bell rang, and shortly afterward man
entered the room where we were sitting.
BE was not prepossessing. His hair was
short and thick, and the general cash of
his features villainous. A gentleman,
he said, had broken his leg. | thought
it pity that, if he was anything like
his messenger, he had not broken his
neck. l did not tell my wife where 1
was going; it was in distant part of
the town, and in anything but re-
spectacle neighborhood. did not
wish to make the woman nervous.
My guide led me uptwo fights of very
dirty and rickety stairs, that creaked
objections to our weight upon them. In
the third story we stopped before the
door, which, to my surprise, my COM
panion opened with key which he
took from his pocket. Was he afraid
that the man would escape? / was
still more surprised when, on entering
the room, found it empty. He mo.
toned me to chair, and remarking that
he would soon return, left the room.
For the first time ! was somewhat
nervous and suspicious, The empty
room-the last action Of my guide-his
carelessness on our way as to the health
of the supposed injured man-the lonely
house and neighborhood-all combined
to make me suspect foul play. step
ped 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 sus-
picions were only certainties. / was
trapped. None of my friends, not even
my wife, knew where was might be
murdered in this den, and my death re,
main mystery.
suppose waited about an hour be-
fore ] heard the key turn in the door.
And then, to my dismay, half-dozen
men came in. When nature made the
Jail bird that led me into this trap, she
did not break the mold. These gen.
tlemen were of the same pattern. All
of them wore the same hang-dog look
One of them raised the light in the
room, which had been burning low.
With hardly a glance at me, they took
seats upon the floor and began to play
cards.
Soon the door opened, and another
man entered. l had no hope as l looked
at him, for | saw the exulting faceof my
enemy, Dick Somers.
At glance he saw that knew him:
With a malicious leer he stepped for.
ward, and, quoting his own words Of
two years before, said
You have ruined my love and my
life. Remember that, and fear me-"
saw i'll his face at once (showing hi
revenge and desperation) that moth
ing could turn him aside from his pur
pose.
"Somersp said I-for my life coulc
not have called him Mr.. Somers-"
know that you have trapped me herr
for the purpose of revenging yourself
upon me; but remember, sir, that
have friends! Remember law and Jus
ticel"
Z" fear nothing" he answered. &c.
defy man and Godl Revenge on you il
dearer to me than life; and, though fo
me the bottomless pit were yawning,
would have it."
/ saw it was useless to appeal to thi
man, and l sullenly waited for wha
seemed fate. At his command the ruff
fans searched me. One of them, VIII,
appeared to be kind of treasurer fo
the gang, secured my watch and pocket
book. Then they tied me with ropes t,
a chair. Somers did not address nj
again, but sat upon the floor and gam
bled with the rest. Presently he arose
and, saying he would return by day
break, left the room. He evidently fel
that was in his power, and seemed il
no hurry to complete his revenge.
After Somers had gone, the card-play
ing was kept up couple of hours. The
they all stretched themselves upon tn
floor and slept. The door opened in
ward, and across it was the burly forr
of the treasurer. In spite of the az
parent hopelessness of the trial, I SC
about deyising some plan of escape. Th