The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-02


hands with the beauty.
"Well, how do you feel to-day, Miss
Emilyp ?"
$50 weak, DOCTOR" murmared a soft
voice, and pair of blue eyes moistened
as they looked into his.
"The poor darling has lost her appe-
tite; she could eat nothing at dinner,
said Mrs. Daisop, tall, horid and bux-
ON lady.
ooh, mamma that was because she
sent out Jane an hour before grub. time
to buy her wosausage rolls, three rasp
berry puffs and Bath bun," exclaimed
one of the brothers at the table.
"Oh, those odious boysr" muttered
Mrs. Daisop; but DR.. Halliday pretend
ed not to hear. He felt Beauty's pulse,
and the moment his hand touched hers
the girl quivered from head to foot.
Agitated by spasms, as if the shocks OF
an electric battery were running through
her, she forced a handkerchief into her
mouth; but at last she could contain
herself no longer, and burst out into a
lamentable wall, followed by a torren ut
of tears.
"Ah! Nervous debility; outdoor ex-
ercise will cure that" remarked the
doctor as he rose from his chair with
professional composure; but he was
surprised to notice that MIR. and Mrs.
Daisop, instead of seeming alarmed at
their daughters state, we're exchanging
smiles. They beckoned to him to come
out of the room, and he accompanied
them into Mr.. Daisop's study. There
Mr.. Daisop, having closed the door,
gave Halliday a friendly pat on the
waistcoat, and grinning from ear to ear,
said:
"Now my dear fellow, we quite ap-
preciate your delicacy in not having
spoken out your sentiments till now;
but we think, for our Emily's sake, that
the time has come when you ought to
declare yourself"
"Declare what2" answered the doc
tor. 81 assure you Miss Emily is in no
danger"
"Come, come, you're making fun of
us !" laughed Mr.. Daisop, in whose
mirth his wife Joined. " Do you think
we have been blind to the purpose of
your constant visits to our daughters"
Professional visits, Mr.. Daisop,"
said Jack Halliday, with some wonder.
Well, we'll, we won't discuss that
point" continued Emily's lively father.
"Look at yourself in the glass, man.
Do you think fellow of your handsome
face and figure can make love to girl
long without setting her heart on fire ?"
eyes; look at yourself in the glass,
DR.. Halliday" chimed in Mrs. Daisop,
in a good.natured, motherly. way. 81
am sure I am only too glad for my dear
Emily that she should find husband
like you. Go in now, and make the
child happy by proposing to her. /
will be bound she does not remain long
on the sofa after that"
Jack Halliday murmured monosylla-
BILE, which, let US hope, was blessing;
but instead of returning to the parlor he
darted down the passage, opened the
street-door, and fled ignominiously from
the house. When he had run twenty
PAGES down the road he paused, breath
less, to exclaim: "Now, III be hanged
if I ever prescribe for wife, widow or
girl again. I've had enough of It'll"
He had indeed had enough of it. He
was the handsomest doctor within a
radius of twenty miles; but the gift of
beauty, which should have proved a
glory and source of wealth to him, had
turned out to be an unmitigated curse.
Certain it is that Mr.. Chickiove, MIR.
Guckin and MIR. Daisop had all some
grounds for taxing him with having shot
the darts of Cupid into their respective
family circles; and they were not the
only persons by many who were entitled
to make the same complaint. The best
of it was, however, that Jack Halliday
was absolutely innocent of any purpose
to circumvent his fair patients; for he
was the discreetest of men, very earnest
in his profession, and he would not for
great deal have got himself into any en-
tanglement.
He walked home, brooding in consid-
erable disgust, and, as usual, found in
his hall number of maids and pages
waiting with pressing notes that sum-
moned him to go out and see divers
ladies. He dismissed this cohort of
messengers pretty roughly, telling them
he should 60 out no more that night.
They protested, but he bundled them all
out into the street, saying that he want
ed his tea, aud should have it. He was
not fated, however, to enjoy this cheer
full meal just yet, for on walking into
his study he was met by dainty, fearful
little woman, who rose from chair near
the fire, and, lifting her vail, sighed
"Oh, doctor, feel SO Ill. I've been
waiting for you an hour"
"Mrs. Chickjove!'' exclaimed Halli-
day. "Why, I called at your house;
didn't your husband tell you2"
sob, yes; the brute! He would le
me die, for all he cared; but you must
prescribe for me, doctor-dear doctor
Put you hand here on my heart and feel
the palpitation. Sec how i'll am"
"Really, I don't think there's any
thing the matter with you, Mrs. Chick =
jove," said Halliday, severely. "Any-
how, as don't understand your case, 1
advise you to consult my neighbor. DR..
Podgie, whose long experience -
"Ah, doctor, I shall die if you for
sake NO." screamed Mrs. Chickjove,
and, letting herself glide off her seat,
she had fit of Mysteries on the hearth
rug.
Jack, losing his head, caught up the
first bottle off his medicine shelf and
forced the contents into the fair suffer
er's mouth. He found out later-and
so did the lady-that he had admins
tered strong dose of Epson salts by
mistake; but for the present his impulses
we're erratic, for he heard loud means
issuing from the next room, which was
his parlor, and running in saw corpu-
lent, middle-aged lady, gasping on a
sofa, with both hands pressed to her
bosom.
"Why, Mrs. Marrable, what brings
you here ?" he cried.
"Oh, DOCTOR" croaked the rich widow
in voice which would have done for a
drill-sergeant's, "I have come to apollo
gize for my brothers atrocious conduct.
It has made me quite i'll. The unmanly
fellow wants my money-six thousand a
year, doctor, in the three per cents
but he shall never have penny: my
money shall 60 to those whom I love
and who love me. Oh, doctor, dear
doctor, your prescriptions do me world
of good; I feel that I owe you my
life. Allow me to weep; oh
oh"
The cathartic in the doctors bottle
was not all gone; he was about to inn