The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-30

sor oi some of his worst attacks o( head ache. and the like of which he had mol experienced since he had sex od on hts peiegsinations. He pulled himself b Hether with an effort strove 10 cal he Artily, to enter heartily into coaverse- ton with the doctor, who seemed inclined to lead of the talk brilliantly by renew ing his disquisitions upon the lack ol originality in the whole hu nan race as compared xith the endless diversity and vaIie'y of the plant world.
 Present the same Idea to twenty oI thirty people" he went ca to say, they'll every one of them, on the spur of the moment. do the same thing. speak from large professional expeg- ience I've tried the experiment scores of times. You tell a man that nothing in tue word ails him, and that he caa do more for himself than any number oi doctors Suaigh,way heu say to you, I'm afraid you don't understand my pecu- liar constitution doctor.'-they all think they have peculiar constitutions, when they are as like each other as two peas aud next day you Il hear that he has sent for your deAr friend, Dr. Someone or other, who's physicing him away as hard as ever he can. The want of idio. Syncrasy in the human race is something appalliug"
 Patience was very silent throughout the meal. Her thoughts were full of the old legend to which she had been an unwill- ing listener. Opposite to her as she sat at table, hung the big picture ot " The Assumption of the Virgin" in which, so the doctor had said, the ill-starred painter had put the likeness of the lady of his heart. PAuence looked at 1t with new, strangely awakened interest-in fact, found it diff ,ult to withdraw Der eyes from it 10 continue the commonplace business of eating and drinking The face portrayed was pallid, spiritual, ec- static. The light from the candles on the sideboaId beneath seemed to throw a nimbus round it, leaving the details of the picture ID darkness
 |" Poor girll" Patience kept thinking to herself; '' could have loved her if she had stack to her lover. It was weak and contempuble to give him up. would have gone out of the house and starved with him But there, dare say she sui. tered enough for it afterward The odd part of it all seems that she isn't allowed to be at res, now that her sufferings are over It doesn't seem the right thing that she should be wandering about do. ing penance, ss it were-how ridiculous of me! Here am taking it for granted that the story is true, when l know 1t is all a make-up-the ghost part, at any rate. I've always said don't believe in such nonsense, and Pm certain don { ,
 So the meal went on, the doctor and Frank doing the major part of the con. versanon, and Patience being so ab. sorbed in her own thoughts that she did not notice to what an unaccusiomed length the dinner had protr4cted itself
 The doctor suddenly brought her back with a jerk from her ideal world.
 Patience, my dear,' he said am going to talk science with Mir. Charteris Would you like to go to bed r"
 To bed al this hour cried Frank, aghast, and wondering more than ever al the manner of living which prevailed in this eccentric mansion.
 Patience jumped up, it seemed almost with an air of relief
 :" I always go to bed carly" she said "it's relic of my old school habits And besides" this added cen6dentially as she sad her good night, one is then in ones deepest sleep in the uncanny hours, and that counts for something here which remark rom the lips of a young lady who '' didn't and wouidl believe in ghosts, was, of course. irrele- want and inexplicable.
 Frank and the doctor drew their chairs to the fire. and lighted their cigars.
 Now, thought Frank, for the feast of reason and the flow of soul! wish to goodness th at pain in my head wouldn' I make itself felt just when | want it to be at its clearest and best. Depend upon it, if an argument crops up, the doctor will be tough antagonist "
 But how silen, the doctor had suddenly grown. Was it his habit thus to smoke m silence Or was he lost in though, over some newly discovered plants whose affinities refused to disclose them selves, and was he longing to be quit oi his guest and safely locked in his den to commence his nights work
 Frank started the first topic.
 "It lived iu house like this," he said, the first thing I'd do would be to unbrick that mysterious room, and let the light of day into it"
 "Ah," sad the doctor, "you would would you?'
 "Of all things in the world hate and abhor mysteries
 "You do, do youT'
 "l once heard mystery defined very aptly as The mist with which the slough of ignorance covers itself'"
 "D,d you"
 Do away with the one and the other inevitably disappears"
 Docs it P
 This was uphill work, certainly. Frank began to feel himself in the way
 I'm sure he's wishing me at Jericho, and himself in his den," he thought.
 Aloud he said
 live had long tramp to-day, and"
 The doctor jumped up cheerfuily.
 "I'm sure you're horribly sleepy, can see if in your face. There's nothing like early hours for Young people. l could