The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-06-13
Doctor and Patient.
A STORY IN TWO CHAPTERS.

"Wcll. Doctor. what's the verdict2
Am condemned to DEATH or are you
going to rpricyC me-
~ think | can rcpricvc you. But |
can promise 90 do more
81 never cNp'ctcd IL. know my state
quite rs well as yuu haven't q years
life In mt. NOW. don't begin IN talk
the usual rubbish. you ought To know
me well enough 10y this time. Can you
give six monthsy'
Not In England
"Whcicg'
somewhere In the south say, Nice
or Cannes. Nice hy Preference
AN right: Nice by all means. When
can traycly'
Early next week, IL you rest the re-
maindCI of this
Mr.. Fletcher gave dissatisfied gruut
~ lac turned himself In his bed.
Look here. Maitland, ' he said, when
he had settled himself into new posi-
tiou; III yuu think that at my time of
life l'm going Ia CAD about foreign
countries 10y myself, you're mistaken.
You'll have to come with me-
The doctor smiled. he was pleasantly
surprised to hear his patient. make the
suggestion, but he did not wish him to
see how grttiiicd he was.
"What is 10 become Of my practice
uphllNNlltt ne asked.
oh Your practice must take care ot
itself; look upon this journey rs u holt
day taken rather more early than usual.
See me safely to Nice. put me into the
hands ~ good physician there. and
then you can leave me- ~ end my days
In peace. think YOU will do that for
600 and cXpeuscsy'
II would do II for less, was Matt
lands reply.
IL don't want youto. I'm rich enough
"a yOu well know, 10 pay well for what
people do for me. What do you sup
pose want to keep my money fory |
cant take it with me, can chy'
Not beyond NiceY replied the young
doctor. using the freedom which his cc-
centric patron liked.
Good. and | slant want much there.
| can't make much ~ a hole in my prop
Crty In six months, however hard try;
though believe that young scamp OF u
nephew Of mine will grudgc me my
daily drive
Maitland was silent: it was not his
place to foster the breach between uncle
and nephew, whatever lis private upiu-
ion Of Fred DcXtcr's character might be-.
you have "a father, haven't yuuy'
asked the old gentleman after u pause.
Yes; he is still living
"Thcn treat him better than my son
treated me; it will make him happier,
if it doesn't make YOU"
Il wish you would let me speak 10
you about your son, said Maitland.
Thank you; Id sooner hear you on
amy other subject
Il don't often trouble you with this
one"
NO, or should change my doctor
~ on have done him injustice, at all
events, sad Maitland, rather warmly,
land think that you will live to re-
pcnt it.
In that case you must make me live
longer than you profess To he able to
do, y retortcd the invalid, 'Don't re-
new the subject, please, till ask you.
Come in tomorrow, and we will make
final arrangements about the journey"
Maitland knew Mr.. Fletcher intimate
~ enough to know that the interview
was over. lie left the room and pro-
Ceeded on his round of afternoon visits,
reaching his small house an hour before
dinner
A letter was waiting for him; 1t was
directed in Il lady's hgnd. and bore the
postmurk of Nice. lie read it through
twice, apparently enjoying the pcrusM;
| then hclay back inhis chair and thought.
1t ) Il stroke of good fortune, most
decidedly lac soliloQuized. Amy is
| ut Nice, and now shall he able to 20
| surprise for her. hope. I'm afraid she
doesn't get too many Of them. Luckily,
| Mr.. Fletcher will never guess the rca-
| son Of my recommending Nice; after all,
| 1t is just as good for him as any other
| place. and ! may be doing him greater
service than he dreams of in taking
him there, if things fall out rs they
| shuuld.n
In the midst of his rcverie the servant
entered, bringing him another letter.
Please, sir, this came this morning,
| but you don't seem to have seen it.n
Maitland opened 1t, not with the alac-
! rlty lac had shown with the lirSt. IL ran
| thus:
DEAR MAITLAND: How Is the old boy?
! This question viii slypr Of ncpotlc alice
| tiOu Or Interested self ,hnest; you may take
| your own meaning. ] ask because ! am
| among the sharks again, aud until can
| paclfy them with u feed on my unclG's ac-
| FOUNDATIONS they are inSatible. want To
! know, as matter Of business, how long he
Is likely to linger on this earth, if he has
made Will In my favor, as he knows very
| well shall not be sorry to get II proved.
Why should hesitate 10 own ~ truth that
which he taunts me with every time we
meet? Could you lend me nifty till the time
| comes? Charge % per cent, II you like.
| Tell me the truth about my uncle; ! can
| bear II even II you give him five years long
| er shall bear 1t still better II you conine
him to five months. Yours f. DEXTER"
"lleartless brute" thought Maitland
on finishing, though certainly he never
makes pretense Mt being anythinge lse.
It's fortunate for him that his uncle
knows 50 little about him, or his
chances of succession would be consider
ably smaller
lie scrubbed note inrcplyto the let
ter, simply informing Dexter of his UNI
cle's intended journey and of his state
of health. lie omitted to give any Opin-
ion as To the probable length of his ten
ure OF life.
DIR. Maitland was still young man
in his profession. though he was 81 years
of age. lie had entered il late; his pros
poets were fairly good. but hitherto his
practice had been restricted-in a cOun-
try town it takes time for Il new man to
make position, as every family of
standing already possesses medical
man and is unwilling to change. How
ever, he did not despair of getting on.
lie had every reason for wishing 10 DO
So for he was DESTROYS of getting mar
ried. lie was not yet even engaged; hC
had secret reasons for not proposing at
present to the girl he loved. Whether
he would ever be in Il position to do 81
was more than Inc could as yet fOrescc.
Mr.. Fletcher had been his patient dur.
ing the last five years-in fact, ever
since he began practice. This was
partly because he had quarreled with
all the other medical men of the town
but chiefly for reason that he would
never own. This was that Maitland
had been great friend many years be.
fore of his only son Charlie.
- 4. AZ