The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-06-14

and Miss MARVEL seemed fouder of HIM
than of any other of her numerous adj
mlrers. But the Doctor dared not to
propose while earning only little more
than thousand dollars year and while
he was wildly wondering how he might
increase his income. another man won
Miss Marvell's hand. Ralph Frasher
although young, was a successful man.
he had keen eye for whatever was
worth having, whether for purposes of
sport or profit he drove fast horses,
sale handsome yacht, knew how to
order and eat good dinner and to buy
bits of property that were sure to in
crease in value. When he saw Alice
ldarvell he realized that she was one of
the rarest of her kind, so he went
promptly to work, in his business-like
way, to secure her. He was not entirely
to the young lady's taste, for although
his manners were all that cound be &C
quired by careful imitation of other men,
he was never at that ease in conversation
which most pleased Miss Alice, and his
tastes and habits had stamped his face
with something that the young lady
could neither understand nor admire.
Mr.. MARVEL was equally slow to admire
Ralph Frasher, for the old gentleman
knew men and their ways, but his wife.
to whom he had not the heart to tell all
he knew and believed about the ways of
the world, said, when Frasher proposed,
that their daughter could never hope to
make safer or more fortunate match so
Alice acted on her mothers advice and
became Mrs. Frasher.
The Doctors heart did not break; it
became very sore, but it's owner told
himself that if the union proved happy
one no one would rejoice more than he.
But the time for the Doctor to rejoice
never came. When the couple returned
from their bridal tour Alice's habitual
composure seemed to the Doctor to
have touch of resignation in it,
and Frasher seemed little more burly
than unsual. The Doctor heard people
say, as they have of millions of other
young wives, "How marriage does sober
a bright girl" and he ragged inwardly,
for he was sure that to nature like
Alice Marvells marriage should have
brought summer of life instead of sug-
gestion of autumn. He observed the
couple whenever he saw them, and be-
came more and more convinced that
Frasher never regarded his wife more
than property-very valuable, certainly,
and deserving of as much care al a
promising young colt, q new grapery or
a villa site on favorite street. but still
property. The Doctor was sure, too,
that life with Ralph Frasher was liv-
ing death to Alice MARVEL; that Frasher's
tastes were not to her liking; his friends
like himself entirely of the earth earthly,
and his attempts at affection repulsive.
When thelDoctor saw Frasher driving to
the station with his wife by his side he
could only think of master and slave !;
wherxNe saw Mrs. Frasher driving home
alonet Ter face told him that the absence
of the master would not release the
slave from bondage.
And vet all unm arried women at Pur-
view envieed Mrs. Frasher, for did not
that lady herself fully admit that her
every wish was gratitied if money would
do it? Did she have as many dresses and
Jewels as there were parties at Purview?
Had she not her special ponies and car.
rage 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 moth
men alive?
One evening in early winter the Doc
tor was called suddenly by a groom, to
go at once to Ralph Frasher; with the
tact peculiar to his class, the man said
he had been sent first to the elder ply
sicians, but one of them was sick and
the other in attendance on patient
whom he could not leave. Whitmarth
promised 10 go at once, but declined to
ride in Frasher's carriage. which the
groom had brought. As he harnessed
his own pony to his shabby coupe, he
half regretted that he had not made
some excuse. His honor as physician
req uired that he should answer the call,
but how pitiless was fate that he, of all
men, should be obliged to repair the
chain that retained Alice Marvel in
bondage.
He found Frasher suffering from
severe attack of pneumonia, but old DIR.
Maybe, Mrs. Frasher said, had sent word
that DIR. Whitmarth was quite fortunate
with such cases. The Doctors heart
accused him when he saw Frasher's
strained face and heavy breathing, for,
what could be say against the fellow
except that he had married q woman far
above him in all that makes humanity
admirable? He determined that he
would do all in his power to save the
mans life. and he sent at once for slim
ulants and other medicines.
"Is there any hope?' asked Mrs. Fra
sher, after the Doctors messenger had