Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-02-24
ACTING WISELY.

Miss Clairmont was only one-anu-
twenty, a tall, imperial beauty, with
dewy black eyes, a skin as fresh as
damask roses, and dark brown HAIR,
coiled in shining bands at the back
of her head.
She had just graduated from Med
field Medical University and had
taken out her diploma as an Nj. ID.
sand only think of it." said Aunt
10, bursting into tears OF vexation
and disappointment, that she must
needs 90 and ruin all her prospects
by getting engaged to Harry Mar
low"
ut does not seem strange, Aunt 10,
when I think of it," said DIR. Mary,
laughing and blushing. Six months
ago my profession was all the world
to me. l neither cared nor wished for
anything outside its limits
:Humphw growled Aunt 10; ''any
brainless idiot can get married and
keep a mans house and mend his
shirts for him, but you are made for
something higher and more dignified,
Mary"
Mary's dew. bright eyes sparkled.
Higher, Aunt 10" said she.
"More dignifed? There you're mis-
taken. There's no higher or more
dignifed lot in life than that of the
true wife of q noble husband"
"Fiddlesticks!" said Aunt 10. CAS-
if every poor fool who was dazzled by
the glitter of a wedding-ring didn't
say the same thing. You've disap-
pointed me, Mary Clairmont, and I'm
ashamed of you; that is the long and
short of it."
Mary smiled. =.
Dear Aunt Jo," said she, Il shall
not let my sword and shield rust, be-
lieve me. Harry has only his own
talents to advance him in the world
and it will be at least year before
we shall be ready to marry. In the
meantime 1 shall accept the post oil
visiting physician to the Aldenbury
almshouse, and practice my profes
sion just the same as if there were nc
engagement"
II wish to goodness there wasn't
said Aunt 10. II tell you what
Mary, 1 don't fancy that smiling
smooth tongued young man of yours
and never shall"
Still Mary Clairmont kept her tenn
"I'm sorry, Aunt Jo." she sait
pleasantly, "but l hope you viii
eventually change your mind"
~ used to keep thread and needle
store when 1 was young woman,
remarked Aunt 10, dryly, "and l al
ways could tell the ring of counter
felt coin when customer laid it Oh
the counter. / could then, and Cal
now; and 1 tell you what, Mary
there's bad metal about Harry Mar
low"
DIR. Mary bit her lip.
perhaps. We will not discuss the
subject further, Aunt Jo," she said
with quiet dignity.
And the old lady said no more.
aunt 10 is wrong" persisted the
pretty young M. d. to herself.
'Mary is making fool of herself,
thought Aunt 10.
Aldenbury was pretty manufac
turing village with a main street
shaded by outrageous naples; ano
a little way out of the village the
almshouse, built and endowed by {
certain smuggling sea captain, whose
conscience had pricked him during
his latter days, raised its gray stone
gables to the sky and made pictur
esque background to the landscape
DR.. Mary Clairmont made some
thing of sensation at Adenbury.
Up to this time all the resident NJ
DIS had been snuffy old gentlemen
with wigs, or pert young ones will
eye glasses.
A beautiful young lady, who wrote
prescriptions and compounded pills
and potions, was a novelty in thu
town, and by no means disagree
BILE one.
People rather liked the idea, once
they had convinced themselves thai
the lady doctor understood hersel
and her patient.
And the poor people at the aims
house grew to love DIR Mary, anC
listened with eager ears for the SOUND
Of her carriage-wheels over the grave
drive which led to the portico.
It was brilliant December day
when the young physician stood il
the neatly carpeted reception-room
drawing on her fur gloves, previou.
to entering her neat ph@ton one,
again, while she reiterated to tn,
white capped maid some directions
respecting old Ann NUGGETS rheum
atism, when the matren hurried in.
"Oh I beg your pardon, DIR. Clair
mont" said she. ''but clean forgo
the new old woman"
''The new old woman" repeated
DR.. Mary, with smile.
"That is," explained Mrs. Cunning
ham, 'she only came last night,
quiet old soul, half blind and quit
bad with the asthma. Perhaps YOU'D
better just see her before you go.
She looked timidly up as DIR. Mary
came IN, from under the borders O
her cap.
I'm poor body, MISS" said sh,
land I'm sensible I'm making dea
of trouble in the world But thu
Lord don't always take us. miss, wher
we'd. like to CO."
This is the DOCTOR" said Mrs. Gun
ninghanl-
The little woman would have riser