Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-01-04
ho face of shocked and outraged WIFE,

eff you want something of that
sort" said the doctor, laying aside his
paper, ait is not worth while TO advcr-
tse. have n patient on hand that
will exactly fill the BILL"
"Tell mo about him." sho said, with
n sudden enthusiasm.
"He is not u consumptivo," contin-
ucd the doctor. "Ilc is even more
helpless case than that. Hc may die
at any moment; he can possibly live
longer than few months, and Is as
sorely in need of competent nursing as
any poor devil | ever saw. He has no
friends here, though he was born and
raised in this place. | tired TO get
him into the hospital, but it is crowded,
and there has been so much sickness
this season that could not get nurse
for him, though I've been looking for
one ever since he came. He was u
classmate of mine at college, but he
went away, and had not seen him
since he graduated until ! was called to
attend him several days ago. He was u
splendid fellow then, but he is II total
wreck now. The worst of it is that the
fellow doesn't want to get well. |
don't know what has happened to him
since he left here, but whatever IL is it
has crushed him utterly. He seems to
have money enough for everything he
wants; the only trouble is, he can't get
a nurse for love or money"
The doctor had forgotten what started
his recital; he was thinking only OF tn $
friend, wondering what could have sub
ducd u iovial and naturally buoyant fell
low so completely, when he was sud-
denly called to order by Miss Win
throp.
"You are positively certain that he
can not recovcrPn she asked.
"In the natural course of events he
can not. He might be restored by u
miracle.
And can only live few months Mt
bestP"
II should say five or six months at
most"
This" said Miss Winthrop, with
perfect gravity, 'is the one opportun
ity of life-,imc. 1t would be like fly
ing in the face of Providence not to ac-
cept it.
1T looks rather pointed" replied the
doctor. at does not often happ n that
Il woman while indulging whim can
at the same time do an act that may
be counted unto her for righteousness.
III were to talk like that | should
expect something to happen to me,
said Mrs. Ainslec, shocked at her sister
and surprised by this unusually flip
pant behavior ON tLe part of her hus-
band.
Perhaps out of regard for Mrs. Aims
lees abnormally sensitive sympathy the
discussion rested here, but the subject
was not forgotten. Miss Winthrop
pondered it in secret and ultimately
evolved purpose.
John Hemingway had been crushed
uniformly urlucky. A series of un-
profitable speculations, each inconsd-
cradle in itself, had melted his once
ample fortune to Il meager income
barely sufficient for his needs. The
strenuous effort to retrieve it in eli.
mate unsuited to him had sapped
his vitality and sent him back broken
in health and spirit, to die within sight
of his ancestral roof but not beneath
its shelter. His parents were dead; the
other members of his family had gone
away; the only familiar face he had
seen since his return was that of Tom
Ainslee, his college friend. He was
quartered in hired lodgings, and they
were rs bleak and dismal rs such places
! generally are. In the room where he
lay there was faded Brussels carpet
an arm chair out NJ elbows, II hair-clotl
sofa, bed and some other essential ar
ticles, in keeping with those alread,
mentioned. The room was hot and tn,
street below was noisy. He lay lher,
lstlessly, looking at the stunted naples
with leaves all covered with dust, who's,
his bed, yearning for one breath o
pure, fresh air, one hour of perfec
quiet. But there never would bt
anything else but this until it was al
over; he would never leave this room
unit he left the world He turned
YEARLY away from the window ant
covered his eyes with his hand.
There was a knock at the door, ant
he responded feebly, "Come in" l
was too early for the doctor; it nigh
be his landlady, who sometimes cam
in to see if he needed anything, and tt
give him his medicine. He heard tn,
rustic of drapery, and smelled faint
sweet odor He lifted his hand from
his eyes and beheld vision. A fair
slender woman, clad in soft white mul
that seemed to make the room sevcra
degrees cooler, was standing by th
bed. She wore n bunch of heliotrop
in her belt, whose fragrance SCENE,
like blessed breath from that far-awa,
nook he had been longing for only
moment before; from under the fluffy
feathery poke bonnet fell a slightl
curling fringe of bright brown hair
and pair OF large violet eyes beanie
OH him with a sweet compassion.
He was an uncompromising subjeC
truly; his face was sharp and sallow
and beard about week old adde
much to his haggardness. He must b
very tall, for he seemed to stretch ava
from her indefinitely, rs she stood ther
at the beds head, and he was thin I
emaciation.
"This is Mr.. Hemingway" she said
at last.
ut was once" he answered, wcs
rily.
II am Miss Margaret Winthrop" sh
continued. 81 am DR.. Ainsecs $ sister
in-law. ] believe you are his patient?
eyes; Tom and | are old friends, an
| remember your father very wei
Won't you be seatedp" he asked, sue
denly remembering his position q
host.
She drew up the shabby arm-cha
and sat down by the bed. II was nc
so easy to begin as she had imagined.
"He will take me for lunatic or a
assassin with designs upon imaginar
|, wealth. she thought as she sat ther
. revolving her cold-blooded scheme an
J wishing she had deliberated upon
more fully before taking this stel
But it was too late to 90 back nov
What plausible excuse could she Civ
: for having come there unattendedP II
/ would tell Tom. of course, that she ha
J been there. Tom would tell Ami,
} who would look unutterable things an
lecture her for week. He had ev
IDENTITY suffered much; he was lyin
| thee so miserable and helpless;