The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-07
THE PAYING TELLER.

CHAPTER I.
Most stories end with n marriage, mine be-
gins with one. The marriage was my own;
II was also Annie Burdens. think we both
liked our wedding day the better, for know
ing that all our friends and relations on both
sides thought us a couple of lunatics. As
far as We could discover, our Iunacy lay In
my having no money and no prospects, and
In her having no prospects and no money.
l had come down TO D. 10 see IL the
place was unhealthy enough TO contain an
other physician. found IL nothing Of the
kind, but admirably suited 10 find wife in.
The long and the short of 1t is, we left
D. for London, as rich as two young peo
pie can be who have not means to live to-
gether for moro than the space of the honey
moon. ought to say that had been too
hard a medical student TO make many
friends. But my first and foremost duty now
was to justify Annie's belief in me, by get
ting OH instead Of merely drifting along.
set to work and conquered my naturally re-
firing disposition by trying very hard in
deed. II had not been married l should
not have tried. But, on the other hand, the
fact that made me try TO win seemed tp make
me fail in winning. We took lodgings in a
poor neighborhood where many patients
might mean few fees, we economical more
and more, and occasionally earned a guinea
VI tWO uOHi tIlC uieuiCdI JOuibotos DWS Wo
could not afford to wait, and meanwhile
things kept getting worse instead of better.
But love did not even look toward the win
| dow, though poverty was knocking furiously
| at the door.
At last, whun things had reached their
| worst, was offered the place of a surgeon
| on ship bound for Jamaica. So made ar
rangements with my employers to pay my
wages to my wife during my sailings, sent
her down TO her fathers, and went on my
| first voyage.
The Dariep, which was my ship, had
many passengers, but none of them gave me
much trouble, save one. But then he
made up for everybody. His name was jules
Londas, singular name for an Englishman,
but was told he represented an old West
Indian commercial house, founded during
the Spanish times. Mr.. Londas was small,
dried-up man, between fifty and sixty, with
a long hooked nose and a pair of sharp
black eyes. His whole face was punched and
keen, his expression harassed and eager, and
yet not without dignity. People whoknew
something Of him ut home said he was a
miser. had not been twenty-four hours at
sea before found out his ruling passion, or
rather his ruling terror. II was morbid
dread of death, which almost amounted to
monomania. From the moment he discov-
cred was the surgeon ! had no peace with
him. had to treat Mr.. Londas for heart,
stomach, brain-every organ he had about
him.
The day before we weredu at Kingston he
said: MIR. Wilson, must make bargain
with you. l have the greatest objection to
every medical man in Jamaica. If had not.
there is no one who could give me his whole
time. The fact is-it is nothing to me
whether you believe it or not-I am in the
most imminent peril of dying by some bodily
disease before the end of my ffty-seventh
year. shall he fifty-seven on the 10th OF
September, and if pass that date l may
safely look forward to nearly forty years OF
increasing health and happiness. Of course
you think am talking nonsense, but that
is not the question. You are stranger ia
Jamaica, you are young, you are free from
other engagements, you have your whole
time, you want money, and l must trust
your skill and honor. Stay with me at my
place till midnight OH the 10th of Septem-
Der. II will be worth your WHILE"
1t was only too true that wanted money.
did not like my patient, but it was good
chance, and became private and cOniiden
, tial physician TO Mr.. Jules Londas.
His business was carried OH in Kingston
but he took me with him to his sugar planta
ton near Trelawney in the western part Of
the island. Mr.. Londas had few neighbors
| anu SAW none Oh tneIn.
His household consisted of only some black
servants ruled by an old mulattO woman
who acted as cook, nurse, and hOusekeeper
and had to draw up dishes as If they were
prescriptions.
1t was In vain that tried the effect o
regular living and all kinds of exercise il
, the open air.
, He followed my directions with careful
punctuality, and though the man grew TO b,
as we'll as one who keeps liver can eve
expect to be, nothing would disabuse him o
his ruling idea. sf
"Why should he dread death so much p
often thought, "he has no one else to liv,
for"
He certainly held a position OIL the islant
8 and 1t was hard TO say whether the highe
i families held aloOf from him or lie fror
4 them. At the end Of the first month II
y paid me fifty guineas-the amount agree
upon-whicll Il Immediately sent of I
n Annie.
At last, thank Heaven, the 10th of Septenl
= Der came. Never shall forget the state q
N Jules Londas OH that fatal day. lie sper
=, the whole time until six in the evening i
. an arm chair, with bis finger OH his pulse
7. then compelled him 10 take some food, bl
he trembled at every morsel. At seven h
grew feverish, at nine I was seriously alarmed
and gave him an Opiate, hoping he migl
!, sleep till past the fatal hour. But II did M
act on his excited brain. And SO the remain
ing three hours dragged by, and ut last "
heard the first stroke Of twelve.
lie rose from his chair and leaned on mi
counting them as they fell slowly, stem
eleven--twelve - l should not have bee
surprised had he dropped dead at the la
stroke. On the contrary, he drew a Diet
sigh of relief and turned to me triumph
antly.
"Thank you, Wilson," said he, taking II
hand, "you have given me forty year
lease Of life, and thank you. l am no
fifty-seven years old. l have the best pa
of my life before me. don't want you
think me inhospitable or ungrateful but
should DO obliged by your leaving me
morrow morning without seeing me agai
Thanks to you, | have done with docto
now. Here is your second check for If
guineas. by noon tomorrow shall expe
to hear you are gone.'
| certainly thought my dismissal und
the circumstances was odd and abrupt, but
was used TO the eccentricities Of Mr.. LOnd
aud was so tired of them that was glad
be allowed to run away. We shook han
and parted, and that was the last ever ST
of Mr.. jules Londas. Matters had been
arranged-I fancy by the special interve
ton of Mr.. Londas-that was to return
the Darieh III week OF TWO. MeahWhii'
sent the bulk of the second check to Ann
yn keeping only a few pounds to last me till /
day of sailing. But before the day came I
mr. low-lying sugar lands in which had be
VI living had done their work, and was pei
trated with yellow fever.
CHAPTER II.
rs. I looked like a ghost when one day 10
No. afterward | reached D.. Had l beer
~ real ghost nobody could less have expected
ITO Almost the first ono | met was my broth
-. in-law, Tom Burden, who told me his fail
ts' was dead and the family scattered, but Il
Annie was with him. In few minutes "
with her.