The National tribune., 1883-01-04
would tell this blushing, shy, bewitching girl
bgfnro ma no trttb

MaktS up Jne nulDtfGi tne COZ us Jile next luoIu-
ing. He does it just the same every morn
ing"
/ was getting rather puzzled myself now, and
could think of nothing more original TO say
than:
Indeed?"
=" Yes. it's quite true or you see I shouldn't
have known about it," Here the fair vision
blushed still more. Baker puts in a soyer-
eign, half sovereign, a crown Piece-he finds
these rather difficult to get s0metimes-haif a
crown, a shilling, 4 siEpence, four-penny
piece, thrco-pcnny piece, penny, half
penny, and a Iarthiug."
very complicated way of keeping ones
money isn't it? or perhaps complicated for
Baker" l said feeling it perfectly impossible
to repress a smile, though MISS Dlllon's sweet,
earnest mouth kept so grave.
No, il is quite simple when one understands,
because Baker knows exactly what sovereign,
4 half sovereign aud all the rest comes to-I
forget what il is-but Oh Dr.. Merriheld!
Baker knew we had been yesterday 10 consult
a new physician, and in the evening there Was
only three-penu bit and farthing missing,
and so-aud so l knew mean Baker know
and he told me that papa must have given you
something by mistake. 1t wasn't the iarthiHg,
! can account for that, and-bu5 was IL the
three penny piece, or-?'
Pray, dear Miss Dillon, don't distress your
self about such little matter" ! said hastily.
ANY time will"
Oh, no; bst papa thinks he paid you, be-
cause he said to me D. never gave q fee with 50
much pleasure, so now / begin to Shink no
must have-givcn you" Miss Dillon quite
gasped, so that / hastcned TO fill III her pause,
this time feeling quite distressed at her trouble.
Your father gave me Il very good ginger
Iozenge Miss Dillon one of those little mis-
takes which will occur now and then. Pray
don't make yourself the least uneasy about it,"
How very kind you are" she said, again
holding out her hand, which l took, and forgot
to let go until she had done speaking" g. felt
sure it must be that, and then / thought per-
haps you would think us impostors, aud /
knew you would be too much of gentleman
to mention it, and so--do you think | was
wrong?-I canre otlwith Mrs. Brown this morn
ing and made up my mind | would explain
the mistake, only it was so dreadful But l
don't mind now, that you look SO kind about
it. And then would you do me q great favor,
DR.. MeTrifeld? Would you mind not appear
ing to know anything about it, or that | came,
or anything, because papa doesn't know | am
out; he isn't down yet; and he would be so
distressed, he might never come again, and /
should be so sorry, as you suit him exactly"
Pray don't call this favor" l said, as
gTavely as | could. " / think you will believe
me when | say that, without even knowing
your wishes on the subject, should never have
mentioned the--the lozenge"
~ don't know how to thank you! Now l
must CO." And then Miss Dillon put that
small gioved hand in her mutf and drew it out
again, holding it out toward me once more, and
this time ! felt little square bit of paper in
my hand. Somehow our eyes met, and in spite
of the gravity of the occasion we both laughed,
feeling, | am sure, we should never again be
afraid of each other, as she said:
"Please, DR.. Mortified, don't laugh at me.
Is this the right way to give a fee, because |
must tell you this is the first time in my life l
have ever had to give one. / suppose some
day l shall be i'll and want doctor, but never,
never have wanted to go to one before. And it
wasn't for myself this time, was it? you will
bear witness-I mean, hope you won't ever
mention it; good bye. Now, Brown, l am
ready"
And just as a ray of sunshine comes into
ones room, glimmeTs, dances and illuminates
the place for time and then suddenly disap-
pears, so Lucia Dillon had come and gone, and
that noisy four-wheeler took Off my vision Of
fair hair, leaving me with a golden sovereign
aud new shilling wrapped IN small half
sheet Of paper, on the top of which was STAMPED
the address of their London house. l t0dGd
that piece of paper and put it away IN pocket
book among my treasures, such as my dear
mothers first letter TO me at school, and Il
flower that a little girl of : years old had
dropped when /, a 9-year-Old urchin, had fallen
desperately in love with her. There was moth
ing there unworthy to lie next to the paper
that Lucia Dillon's fingers had touched.
Later in the day ! received a note from Mr.
Dillon begging me, If ! were not too much en-
gagged, to come and see him, as he felt very un-
well. And if | would do him the great favor
Of dining and spending the evening with them
he would be very grateful for he saw so fkw
people on account of his wretched constitute T..
Wei, l went, and spent very happy ev1l-
ing 1t was only the first Of many moreSlt
least during this first season. But Mr.. Diltn
was rs good as his word from the day of his
first visit my practice slowly but surely in
creased, though there were years of uphill
work l had at last got a chance, and ! seized
it. / worked with double energy, because at
the bottom of my soul | had another object be-
sides the one of making the five girls at home
proud of me; / wanted small, fair, blue-eyed
Lucia to be proud of me- aud | wanted to be
able to lay at her feet all that is best and grand
est in this life. But she was a rich mans
daughter, and | was a struggling physician.
1t was not till ] had freed myself of all debt
and, though still d poor man / was compara-
lively rich for ! had a good and increasing
practice-that at last 1 made up my mind to
ask Lucia to be my wife. | should not have
had the face to do it even then, only a young
good-for-nothing aristocrat was perpetuaily
so young, simple, and innocent became the
wife Of that man her life would be miserable
The fear of this and some amount of jealousy,
perhaps made me speak out one day. | shall
never forget Lucia's face when | had said some
strong, earnest, passionate words. She put her
little hand once more into mine, and looked
up with her beautiful, truthful eyes, as she half
sobbcd:
"Oh, do you really mean it2 Because, some
how, / think / have-loved you ever since
Ever since you gave me my first fee, my
darling" ] said, as | drew her beautiful head
on my shoulder, and-well, never mind the
rest. "Well, Lucia" | added " / loved You the
first moment saw you So you see | loved you
long before you cared for me" But Lucia, who
is just little matter Of fact, shook her head
decidedly and said that that was all nonsense.
There was still the question as to what Mr..
Dillon would say about it; but our true love,
which had had to wait so long this time ran
smoothly. Mr. Dillon, who still suffered from
his wretched constitution, was delighted al
Lucia's choice, and said all kinds Of compii-
mentary things about my rising fame and my
other qualities. And SO we were married, and
the five girls from home were bridesmaids,
though they soon afterward married from our
house under Lucas care. And though | often
tell Lucia that the last person she should have
married was popular physician, considering
she is never ill., yet she always shakes her
pretty golden head and says gravcly:
But, perhaps, Arthur, some of the children
may inherit papas wTetChed constitution"
As to the story of the ginger lozenge Lucia
and kept that a secret until Mr. Dillon died.
He left Lucia all his money-and so ends this
true story of my first fee.-Arg0sy
January aud June.