Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-04-24
THE DOlTOR'S BOY.

,
Years few over both of our heads be
fore l called him by any other nam,
than the Doctors Boy. The village
knew that be was a founding. be ause
he had been lett at the door of old Or
Harris house one cold Christmas-eve
but it was divided in opinion as t.
whether he was bad boy or good
one. Some thought he was the latter,
some the former. ! was perfectly sat
s.ed that he was a wretchedly mi nit
Gus youth, and | told him So He burst
into tears, and said | would change nv
opinion of him some day.
But at first he certainly gave me no
reason to DO so. He compound ID foI
me dose once to cure headache (for
DIR. Hart was not above keeping rugs
ard making up his own prescriptions,
that brought me to deaths door, and
the old doctor was put to his wits end to
cure me. But the 10y went to my
mother and told her that it was his
fl ed intention to become a great doe
tor and chemist, and | had gwen linn
his FIRST opportunity to test his knOwl-
edge of medicine. He had given me the
wrong drug, he acknowledged buv he
said it W S all in TIE interests of sc enre.
and lie prom sed never TO do SO anv
more. so my mother iorgave him, and
persuaded DIR. hart to re. ain him in his
service.
1t certainly was not on account Of the
Boys good LOOKS that his trst misad-
venture resulted harmlessly TO him.
de was an angular boy. He was a red
haired boy. He was freckled boy.
But he was frank doy(a: least my
mother sid SOY and for two years more
he was allowed to 90 about the villa .e
distributing the doctors nostrums,
and making himself. as thought, very
OBJ ectiOnable.
DIR. Hart had no particular liking for
the boy. He SAID the boy was Christ
mas gift, and, like all such presents.
called for somc thing in return. Thus
he had been Obliged to board and c!othe
the lad Tor seventeen years, and he al
ways protested that he was not worth
the outlay Still, those who knew the
doctor best were well assured OF the fact
that If the boy had not carmel his
board, clothing and lodging. he would
not have received them. He was called,
In later years, Ebenezer Dorking, though
what right he hal to that name nobody
in the village knew
AT last the Doctors boy disappeared
lie stole quietly away in the nigat-
time, leaving not a line of writing be-
hind him TO say where he had gone: so
Mrs. Hart sugge ted that he had robbed
the till in the drugstore A search
was ut once made, and the fact was de-
velop2d that not only had no money
been taken from the drawer, but new
crisp ive-dollar bill had been added to
It's contents, There seemed to be no
doubt that the Doctors boy had placed
it there, and the matter was a nine
days wonder for the village Then the
Doctor hired another boy, who inter- |
eSted nobody, and was soon discharged. |
l suppose it was due to the subject
matter OF conversation furn shed by the |
boys departure that | found myself
more frequently than before in the
doctors sitting-room. Agnes Hart was
beautiful girl, about sixteen years of
age, and she laughed so merriiv at my
tales of the eccentrcities of the hoy
that | am afraid | gradually grew to eS-
aggerate them Lit e: but by degrees
the recollection of the fugitive seemed
to pass out of our lives. and when. four
years later. torrent of war swept over
the country. i was net thinking of the
Doctor IS boy when | took Agnes Harris
hand to say goodbye. before going TO
the front; but was thinking very ten
DERBY OF Agnes herself. and | believed
she was thinking in much the same
strain of me. A hundred times during
the past two years had been on the
verge of asking her the momentous
quest on, but had decided to wa until
my position in the world was better as
sured And now that the country in
her extremity was calling for the best
service of her sons, would it have been
falr to ask simple girl to bind herself,
even by an en- agement. to one who
might never return to claim her pledge?
thought not; but as | watched her
lace when we were parting, and l im-
az ned l saw what longed for written
there, determined to ask her to be nv ,,
wife when the war was over.
On, the wretched years of strife that
ol,owed Thought they would never ,
md. But at last the closing scenes had !
,ome. and the good fortune that had !
ollowed me through score of engage /,
nents, bearing me unframed while 9th !
rs went down by thousands, iorsook :
ne in measure at last. | was hit by :
spent ball on the knee, and moment :
'fterward ridden over by the charging )
avalry.
Your case is not very serious h
he" said the doctor, AS he bent over $
ne while | lay that night on blanket
N the field where the hosp tai tents had
ot yet been erected. There are 9TH r
rs here more in need of my services f
his boy beside you, for Instance: L q
aust attend to him. He seems TO be !
ably hurt. Let me examine YOU, NV n
3D." :,
''Oh. there is not much the matter +,
nth me, SIR said the lad. 81 was hit n
! the side at the last fire; but it is only v
tritiing wound. You see. l was a q
octor boy before Joined the army.
nd | know something about such
,ings." Il
''Indeed!" said the doctor, smiling. ..
Well. We ought to be good friends. il
as doctors boy myself before be 81
lme doctor Rut LET me- look at n