The Republican., 1889-12-14
THE DOCTORS OUTING.
It Results in an Embarrassing But
Most Fortunate Blunder.

Ned Mostyn and myself were chums
and cronieS at the grammar school in
the fine old city of -. Our friendship
was very fervent. 1t seemed to us as if
it could never fail; but, on leaving the
city, the many crowding thoughts that
press upon young man on his entrance
into the world, if they failed to obliter-
ate our boyish affection, left it, as it
were, faint memories of the past.
BY a strange coincidence we met as
follow students at Guys, and our friend
ship was renewed. AS it happened, be-
ing masters of our own destiny, we re-
solved to start together under the title
of Percival & Mostyn, and we were for
tunate enough to secure the practice of
the late DR.. Woolley in the thriving
town of N.
Our practice was success, and we
were fast securing an excellent position
We had been much occupied and hard
worked, but, by one of those changes
which sometimes occur, we were sud
denly left with little or nothing to do.
was employing this unwonted leisure
in looking over some of those formidable
items of which our ledgers presented a
numerous and gloomy record. l had
been especially footing up one account
which had been almost our earliest-a
certain Mr.. Graves, which had been
marked doubtful" in the second wear,
very. doubtful" in the third, and bad"
in the fourth-when who should present
himself in our little consulting room but
the veritable Graves himself.
Doctor said he, Ct have come to
pay you that ERE bill O. mine. The
figures are vastly big 'uns' but if they
were ever SO much bigger l amt the
kind O. man to grudge the amount, for l
have never forgot the many bitter
journeys you have had to see me and
mine all across that common; and now
I've got the money together and you
shall have it, doctor. There it is, 957
15s I'd, every half-penny of which you
thoroughly deserve, and ought to have
had long ago" And emptying his can
vas bag on the table, he displayed the
full amount in shining metal to the ut
termost farthing.
''Now, dare say, doctor, you had
given this up as a bad job before now,
but we had to save it, and here it is at
last. Whenever we've made a sale, my
wife claimed something for the doctor:
and when once she got hold of it there
was.no getting it back. Now, didn't you
give us up, doctor?"
well, | must confess, Graves, our
faith had somewhat begun to waver, but
we won't say any thing more about
that, and after trying the merits of our
old ale-"wetting both eyes," as he
called the second tankard-he started
off triumphantly.
Icouldn'thelp thinking of the laborious
honesty with which these people must
have amassed this money, and with
what one-sided view one is apt to look
upon the items of a ledger. The money
still lay on the table, when Ned came in
accompanied by our friend, Captain
Willoughby, our nearest and best neigh
Dor.
spirit of Flutus, and shade of
Cresus!" exclaimed he; "the treasure
cave of Ali Baba and the forty thieves
exhibited! Sesame is the word, l be-
lieve, and l hope / shan't forget it and
be hanged, drawn and quartered! But
how is this, old boy?"
"Four-year-old Graves, said 1; ''what
do you think of that, old fellow. And
was thinking, Ned, as things are dull,
the case-book very light, and yourself
full OF business energy, would take
turn myself this very night and hear Ap
Thomas, the harpist, of whom l have
heard good account"
Capital idea, old boy; so you shall;
But what night you have chosen! 1t
SHOWS and it sleets, it rains and it blows,
and does all Imaginable bad things in
the way of weather."
"Yes," said Willoughby, ''it mustn't
be tonight, doctor, for the ride in your
trap to N is worth much more than
you can expect to get for it,
30, as for that, don't mind wealth
er."
81 dare say not, but-happy thought
you shall have my brougham and the
grays, and Reeve shall drive you. He'll
run you over in style. Don't say no,
for insist upon it. They have done
nothing lately, and know it will en-
hance your. comfort at any rate"
Il second the kind proposal" said
Ned; and the thing seemed so pleasant
that could not refuse.
''Well, my dear fellow, it is settled,
then, that am to be swell tonight.
But can not you be my companion, Will
oughby? The grays will travel none
the worse for having their own kind
master behind them"