The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-05-14

gold, his Opinions being VIGOROUSLY oi
the hard-money order. A rival prac-
titioner, of IA somewhat cynical turn,
suggested that il must contain the re-
mains of the unfortunate patients who
had persisted under that fellow Bistoury's
ministrations, and one imaginative lady,
deeply read in "Jane Eyre" stoutly
maintained that the doctor, III imitation
of the hero of that famous work, had
immured his wife in that mysterious
Oubiiette. in order to enjoy unchecked
the freedom of n bachelor life. Against
this ingenious theory there was only one
thing to be said-the doctor had never
had a wife to immune. This fragrant
treason against the sex was the more I'M
pardonable inasmuch as he had had
abundant opportunities of changing his
condition, had he but chosen to avail
himself of them. To most of those who
questioned him on the subject he Re-
piled that he was welded to his profess
sion, and that any other union would be
fiat bigamy but to his friend Harry
Everett, in moment of after-dinner
confidence, he told a very different story.
"My medical cousin Alice was the
woman who ought to have been Mrs.
titioner she would have made for me.
The way in which she once cut splin-
ter out of my thumb did equal honor to
her hand and her heart and, when she
was only ID, she bought skeleton with
her uncle's birthday gift of S. Ga fact),
"aud articulated il in manner that was
really mastery But in an evil hour she
became tainted with fancy for homeo-
pathy and after that, OF course, all was
over between us. Such is life y
The doctors agreement to engage
night-watchman quoted Harry's appre-
tensions for the time being but n few
weeks later he returned to the attack
once more. 81 say, doctor, have you
got that night-watchman yet ?"
eyes some time ago."
"Well, he don't seem to do his duty,
then, for I've passed TINS way at all hours
of the night and never seen him. Are
you quite sure he's to be trusted ?"
"Wait and see y replied the doctor,
oracularly.
And Everett waited, but did not see.
The invisible Waterman remained as in
visible as ever, and Harry, out of pa
thence with his old friends seeming in
some decisive step on his own authority,
when n new complication introduced it
self into the drama. This was nothing
less than the temporary retirement OF
the doctors veteran man-seryaDt, pOpu-
larly known as cold SAM" whose
health had begun TO give way so mani
testify that his master insisted or send
ing him into the country fT three
months holiday replacing him with an
other man, who had volunteered as
promptly as if he had been keeping his
eye on the place for year past. The
newcomer was grave, smooth faced,
taciturn man, who moved as noiselessly
as shadow, and seemed a living COM
bination of the two proverbial requisites
of good servant-silence and obedi-
ence.
But, although the doctor and his
friends highly approved of this model
domestic, there was one man who did
not That one was Harry Everett, who
lost no time in announcing his opinion.
"Look here, doctor. l don't want to
be always bothering you about this rob-
berry idea, but it's fact that that new
fellow of yours is up to some mischief
when caught sight of him standing ut
the garden gate talking to couple of
men. One of them happened to turn his
face to the lamplight rs L passed, and 1
knew him at once for noted thief, who
goes by the name of Badger Bill"
Indeed! Are you sure of that? ?"
"Quite sure You know 1 never for
get face I've once seen.
"Ah In that case, it's time for me
to act!" The last word was SO curiously
emphasized that Harry, who was not
wanting III shrewdness, began to suspect
that his persistent warnings to the doc
tor had been superhuous, after al, and
that the old gentleman was quite equal
to the emergency.
The suspicion was confirmed one even
ing about week later, when the doctor
dropped In upon him unexpectedly, say
ing Give me some dinner, my boy.
You've no engagement this evening,
know so I'm going to be very benevo-
lent, and find you some amusement my
self. Have you ever read THE Count
of Monte Christo?' because you're go
ing to see chapter of it dramatized to-
night, and pretty effectively, too, 1 flat
ter myself"
"What do you mean?" asked Everett,
staring.
"Why, you see, told my servants a
few days ago that should be away from
home tonight, and my cook naturally
seized the chance for getting an even
ing out; consequently, the house will
be under the sole charge of that worthy
man-servant of mine, against whom
you're so unaccountably preiudiced. It's
quite possible that the two honest gen.
tlemen with whom you saw him talking
the other night may be kind enough to
enliven his solitude with visit and
So"
Harry sprung to his feet, and cut
caper worthy of "a dancing dervish. snap
ping his fingers by way of accompani-
ment. "Capital first-rate 1 see it
all now But come, now, doctor why
on earth couldn't you tell me before that
you were up to the whole game, instead
of letting me make a fool Of myself by
preaching to man as smart as any six
of me?'
Never mind, my boy" said the doc