Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-17

81 uocSof DoN myself before L OHcame
doctor. But let me look at your
wound. Phew this Is no trifle. The
sooner we get you under cover the
better. You are in for siege of
a couple of months at least my lad.
The boy was very much disheart-
ened at this intelligence; and the next
morning when we were nearly all I'M
der canvass, the doctor. having finish
ed his immediate duties, sat by his
bedside, and heard HIM tell his pa
tent how when he was a doctors boy
he had not learned much of medicine;
aad how in making an experiment he
had nearly dosed to death boy a
little older than himself. When he
was about to leave the tent ] said
Doctor, am the boy whom you
nearly dosed to death. What have
you been doing through all these
years.
/ had recognized him on the proceed
ing night, but ne had not known me,
and he was astounded when | accoSt-
ed him He had certainly improved
both in appearance and manner, and
| found afterward that he was a great
favorite with the command to which
he was attached. We soon became
very good friends-far better, indeed,
than we had ever been in the old days
when / so candidly expressed my
opinion of him. HIS success was due
simply to common-sense and industry.
On leaving Dir. Harris service he had
hired himself to another doctor, who
gave him fairer play than his former
principal, and he was enabled to
study medicine. attend the necessary
lectures, and finally to obtain his
diploma.
"a last asked him why he had
left the fivA-oollar bill in the drawer
when he was leaving. He laughed
1T was the only money he said,
''that Dr. Hart ever gave me. He
handed it to me, grudgingly enough,
about year before left and ] never
changed it, You will think it, per-
haps, strange sentiment for doc
tors boy; but when | was running
away without giving him any notice,
thought / had forfeited all claim to
compensation for my services; so
FeluFutN HIS ulS1CJ' by -tllC way ,
how is the old doctor now2'
| had heard of DR.. Hart since | left
the village, and l was able to give
DR.. Dorking 0or so he was calleSD a
good deal Of information about him,
and, with the rest, told him that
he was anxious to sell his practice.
ooh, indeed, said DorKing, quick
ly. Then l think / will go buy it. "
And then, in answer to my look of
surprise, he added, "y have saved
some money, and l don't see how l
can employ it better than in settling
down in the old village, "
a IS the weeks went past, my wound
did not improve, and Dorking was
often with me. The linal scenes Of the
war closed without our presence. In
the conversation we had, | suppose
told him enough to give him some
mixing of my old affection for Agnes
Hart, for | noticed that as | spoke
he grew very thoughtful, and looked
furtively at me. My love, perhaps,
was not very deep, but it was my first
love and did not easily die. AS | lay
on my couch, tossing at tunes from
side to side, and mutterlng in "a low
fever, ] saw always that sweet young
face before me, and in the days OF my
convalescence [ resolved, as soon as
could travel, to start for the old vii
lage and ask her to be my wife.
AT last DR.. Dorking left me, going
back, he said, to try to secure DR..
Harris practice, and l passed three
very dreary weeks alone. All sorts
Of misgivings troubled me. Oh, why
had | nat cast sentiment to the wind,
and asked Agnes for the promise OF
her hand before joined the army2
1t did not take me long to reach the
village after | Lad once started, and
my heart was beating very fast as
stood before the old doctors house.
The honeysuckles still twmea around
the posts at each side of the door, and
the -Four years that had passed since
was there last did not seem to have
made much change IN the quiet old
! homestead. The plate on the door,
| bearing the words Doctor Hart, was
perhaps little rustier than formerly,
/ but that was all.
The servant who admitted me usher
ed me into the front parior with a,
"Heml Captain Douglass !" and | saw
there were two persons in the room.
Now | am not particularly quick OF ap
prehension, but | knew precisely the
situation between those two the mo-
ment / entered Agnes rose while
her companion, VINO was seated very
close to her, remained in his chair,
and the bushes that flew to the face
of nv old sweetheart were clearly not
| for me.
you see, Douglass, y said DOrking
half an hour later, agnes had pro
missed to be my wife long before left
the doctors house. | could never
have offered her home had remain
ed here, and that was the reason ] ran
away. She has known Of all my
movements, for we have correspond
ed regularly ever since.
Soft was just as well that | had not
proposed to Agnes before the fighting
| began. Even then the Doctors Boy
had won the doctors daughter.