Connecticut western news., 1884-04-09
VOL. XIII.

| me Ill measure aG laSE. l WAS ulG ny spent ball on the knee, and a moment afterward ridden over by the charging cavalry.
 "Your case is not very serious one, " said the doctor, as he bent over me while lay that night on blanket on the field, where the hospital tents had not yet been erected ''There are others here more in need of my services-this boy beside you, for instance; must at- tend to him. He seems to be badly hurt. Let me examine you, my lad"
 "Oh, there is not much the matter. with me. sir" said the lad. "I was hit in the side at the last fire; but it is only a trifing wound. You see, I was doc tors boy before joined the army, and know something about such things"
 'Indeed !" said the doctor, smiling. ''Wel, we ought to be good friends. I was doctors boy myself before be- came a doctor. But let me look at your wound. Phew this is no trife. The sooner we get you under cover the bet ter. You are in for siege of couple of months of it at least, my lad"
 The boy was very much disheartened at this intelligence; and the next morn- ing, when we were all under canvas, the doctor. having finished his immediate duties, sat by his bedside, and heard him tell his patient how when he was A doctors boy he had not learned much of medicine; and how in making an experi- ment he had nearly dosed to death boy little older than himself. When he was about to leave the tent said 'Doctor, am the boy whom you near: Iy dosed to death. What have you been doing through all these years ?"
 I had recognized him on the preceding night, but he had not known me, and he was astounded when accosted him. He had certainly improved both in appear ance and manners, and I found after ward that he was a great favorite with the command to which he was attached. We soon became very good friends--far 1 better, indeed, than we had ever been ill the old days when I so candidly ex- pressed my opinion of him. His success was due simply to common-sense and in- dustry. On leaving Dr. Hart's 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 di- ploma.
 At last asked him why he had left the ive-dollar bill in the drawer when he was leaving. He laughed.
 "It was the only money" he said, "that Dr. Hart ever gave me. He handed it to me, grudgingly enough, about year before left, and I never changed it. You will think it, perhaps, 8 strange sentiment for doctors boy; but when I was running away without giving him any notice, thought I had forfeited all claim to compensation for my services; so I returned his money. By-the-way, how is the old doctor now?
 had heard of Dr. Hart since I left the village, and was able to give Dr. Dorking (for so he was called) good deal of information about him, and, with the rest, told him that he was anxious to sell his practice.
 "Oh, indeed" said Dorking, quietly. "Then I think will go and buy it. !" And then, in answer to my look of sur. prise, he added: II have saved some money, and don't see how I can em. ploy it better than in settling down in the old village"
 As the weeks went past, my wound did not improve, and Dorking was often with me. The final scenes of the war closed without our presence. In the conversations we had I suppose I told him enough to give him some inkling of my old affection for Agnes Hart, for I noticed that as I spoke of her 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 I lay on my couch, toss- ing at times from side to side, mutter- ing in low fever, I saw always that sweeet young face before me, and in the days of my convalescence kresolved, as soon as I could travel, to start for the old village and as her to be my wife. At last Dr. Dorking left me, going back, he said, to try to secure Dr. Hart's
 practice, and passed three very dreary weeks alone. All sorts of misgiving:
 troubled me. Oh, why had I not cas-
 sentiment to the winds, and asked Az nes for the promise of her hand before z joined the army?
 It did not take me long to reach tn village after had once started, and m, heart was beating very fast as I stooC
 before the old doctors house. Tn z honeysuckles still twined around tn : posts at each side of the door, and tn
 four years that had passed since wa , there last did not seem to have mad
 much change in the quiet old home stead. The plate on the door bearin
 the words of Doctor Hart" was pel haps little rustier than formerly, bu that was all.
 The servant who admitted me ushere 1, me into the front parlor with "Hem : Captain Douglas !" and saw that ther |, were two persons in the room. Now . am not particularly quick of appreher il sion, but I knew precisely the situatio l. between those two the moment entered 1T Agnes rose, while her companion, wh E. was seated very close to her, remaine n in his chair, and the bushes that flew f, the fair face of my old sweetheart wei 10 clearly not for me.
 2 "Yon see Dnnrlas D said Dorkint