Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-03-29
Jhe Sturp Teller.
Translated from the French.
A DOCTORS SECRET.
BY HESTER VERRILL.

hour. AS soon as the evening shadows De
gin to fall, doors are closed, curtains drawn
and only few belated pedestrians, regain
ing their homes in haste, are seen In tn
wide road.
One of these solitary travellers had jus
reached small cottage situated almost a
the end of the street. He opened the doc
by means of a small key, and faint ligh
could be seen, carried from room to room
on the ground floor as if. for nightly in
spection. The first room thus lighted wa
parlor, furnished with that artificial luxu
nv which reveals sacrifice made to the eXi
gencies of position after this came al
office, whose spotless carpet and desk o
shining leather proved its habitual disuse
then a narrow staircase leading to sleep
ing room. Here the careful elegance of the
lower story gave place to visible poverty
The low and curtainless bed was covered
with faded quilt; few willow chairs,
table and an old-fashioned secretary com
pleted the furniture, whose scantiness con
trasted with the luxury of the floor below
was a proof of the hard necessity OF re-
trenching upon useful things, in order to be
able to spend upon superfuities.
Such, in fact, was the position of M
Auguste Fournier, at that time tenant o.
the cottage on Reservoir street. Admitted
Doctor of Medicine after severe preparation
which had absorbed the greater part of the
small inheritance left by his father, he had
been obliged to spend the rest in establish.
ing himself handsomely enough not to repe
confidence. Condemned to an apparent
easiness of circumstances which hid cruel
privations, he was waiting for success tic
make real this semblance Of prosperity
But for the year he had lived in Versailles
his eyes fixed on the horizon, like Sister An
ne in the nursery tale, he had, like her, Seen
only the dust of the present and the frall
hopes of the future. His resources were be-
ing exhausted without bringing him the
dreamed of but still invisible practice
Meantime the need of success became more
urgent every day. The young physician
spurred on by necessity, had sought for as,
sistance around him, but had found only
personal preoccupations. While his knowl'
edge, zeal and scrupulous delcacy were
widely praised, no one went further. ALI
rendered him justice, but no one service
He had, at last, perseveringly solicited the
place of physician in neighboring hospi'
tai; unfortunately those who might have
aided him needed all their influence fol-
themselves some promises had been made
him, some hopes given, after which each
one had returned to his own affairs, and the
young doctor had just now learned that
more powerful rival had carried OFT the
prize.
This last disappointment redoabled the
sadness which for some time had been dark
ening his thoughts. Throwing discour-
aged glance over the barenness ofhis cham.
Der, he began to perform all those little do
mestic arrangements, usually spared men OF
study, and then approached window and
leaned his forehead thoughtfully against the
glass.
Before him lay a common yard into which
opened the doctors cottage, and an old tum-
ble-down hut, inhabited by an old sheriff
called Monsieur Duret. This latter, well
known in the whole neighborhood for his
avarice, owned the two houses, as well as
an abandoned garden which was separated
from. the yard by worm-eaten wooden
gate. Apoor girl, NJ. Duret's god-Gaughter,
whom he had taken when an infant, kept
his house for him. He had thus gained,
under the appearance of an act of benevo-
lence, a sort of servant without wages, who
gratefully shared his voluntary poverty.
Rose Fleuriot, however, had never grown
either hardened or stupid in his rude condi-
ton. Far from it. Her soul, driven from
the Real which wounded it, had, so to
speak, taken its flight to the higher regions
of the Ideal. Always alone, she had made
this solitude fruitful by reflection. Ignorant
and without means of learning, she had re-
signed herself to reading and re-reading the
few books that fate had thrown in the way,
and she had extracted all the juice and per-
fume from them.
However, since the arrival of NJ. Auguste
Fournier, the circle of her reading and OF
her thoughts had widened little. The
young man had lent her some stray classics
from his library, and these loans had brought
them into neighborly connection restricted
however, to short interviews.
For several weeks the private anxiety OF
the doctor had prevented him from think
ing of Rose, but he low saw her advancing
rapidly through the yard toward his house
Just as she reached the little back door she
raised her head, recognized NJ. Fournier al
his window, motioned to him and said
something which he could not understand.
The young doctor fastened to the door.
Rose, whose worn and weary face seemed
to contradict her name, was still paler thar
usual, and the poverty of her apparel be-
came more noticeable from disorder which
struck the young man.
"What is the matter ?" he asked.
She seemed embarrassed, and replied
"Pardon-I wanted-I was coming to ask ;
seivice Of you-a great service"
"Speak," said NJ. Fournier, encouraging
ly, show can assist you?"
''It is not for me, but for my godfather
For week he has been ill, and growing
weaker. This morning he was able to &c
up, but just now, in getting back to bet
again, he tainted !"
"I will go to him." interrupted the young
man, taking step forward.
Rose arrested him with gesture.
"Oh, dear! excuse me-" she said, STAN
mering, "but my godfather has always re
fused to send for DOCTOR"
II will 60 as neighbor."
"And under some preteXt, can you not
For example, Monsieur might ask the pric
of the stable, and of the little coach-house
Monsieur will need both when he gets hi
carriage"
A feeling of bitterness crossed the younl