Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-19
the master could not release the slave from

the master could not release the slave from
| bondage.
And yet, all unmarried women at Pur'
view enyied Afrs. Frasher, Tor did NOE thaI
lady herself fully admit that her every
| wish was gretified if money would DO II
Did she cot have as many different dresses
and Jewels as there were parties at FUR.
view? Had she not her special ponies and
carriage to drive? Was not her cabin, on
her husbands yacht, the most exquisite
little boudoir in the world? The Doctor
heard all this, and wondered if his mother
and sister were the only two true women
alive2
One evening in early winter the Doctor
was called suddenly, by groom, to go al
once to Ralph Frasher; with the tact Pc
culiar to his class, the man said he had
been sent first TO the two older physicians,
but one Of them was sick and the other in
attendance on patient whom he could not
leave. Whitmarth promised to go at once,
though he declined to ride in Frasher's
carriage, which the groom had brought.
As he harnessed his own pony to his rather
shabby coupe, he half regretted that he
had not made some excuse. His honor as
physician required that he should answer
the call, but how pitiless was fate that he,
of ali men, should be obliged to repair the
chain that kept Alice MARVEL in bondage.
He found Frasher suffering severe at.
tack of pneumonia, but old DR.. Maybe,
Mrs. Frasher said, had sent word that Dr..
Whitmsrth was quite fortunate with such
cases. The Doctors heart accused him,
when he saw Frasher's strained face and
heard his labored breathing, for, really,
what could he say against the fellow ex-
cept that ne had married woman tar
above him in all that makes humanity ad.
mirable? He determined that he would
do all in his power to save the sick mans
life, and he sent at once for stimulants and
other medicines.
sis there any hope?" asked Mrs. Fra
sher, after the Doctors messenger had de.
parted,
The Doctor looked toward the door Of
the sick room and answered, quite cheerily,
ooh, yes.
The look Mrs. Frasher gave him in re-
turn WAS not what he expected, he trans
lated it to mean that hope Of her husbands
recovery implied no hope for her. The
lady left the room and the Doctor
paced TO and fro in extreme agitation by
the time the messenger returned one quail
ity of Dr. Whitmarth's nature seemed
gone forever. He busted himself about the
sick bed he nursed his patient apparently
with great care, but he gave smaller doses
of medicine than any homeopathic would
have dared to do, and the outward appi-
cations were powerless for either good or
harm. Early in the morning he told
servant to call Mrs. flasher and then, al
though he had all night long been confess
ing to heaven that he was villain, he
prayed that abe might not come IN time.
His prayer was answered, for as the lady
entered the room he said, almost in
whisper:
% You are too late, Madam"
The widow betrayed no emotion of any
kind. She walked slowly to the bedside,
leaned over the pillow for several moments,
looking into the face of her dead husband.
Several times she seemed about to kiss the
face before her, and at last she touched
her lips lightly to Ralph Frasher's fore.
head. Then she sank quietly on her knees
by the bedside when she arose there were
no te2rs on her cheeks, but neither was
there anything unwomanly; DR.. Whit
msrth saw only a peaceful, composed ex.
face ever since she had married.
Every body said it was too bad that
Whitmarth had lost the case, for there was
nothing mean about Frasher, and if he had
recovered the young Doctor would have
gained great deal of money and reputa.
ton. The older physicians were generous
enough to say that Whitmarth had proba-
bly, done all that they themselves could
nave done; pneumonia sometimes baffied
III medical skill, and the healthisst men
we're generally surest to succumb. But
DR.. Whitmarth never sent in bill for his
services; he resolutely refused, when
asked to render one. His conscience tor
lnented him necessarily until he saw Mrs.
Frasher, who had returned to her parents
home, gradually regain the expression and
manner that had been hers before her mar.
rage. Then, instead of making love to
her, as her mother rather encouraged him
10 do, he abruptly left the town in fear that
his feelings might prompt him to take so
great reward for what he still was sure
had been terrible crime.-[Greusome
Bright, in The Hour.