Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-10-03

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graceful, unconscious pose. She
seemed lost in thought as entered.
! but glanced up half sadly. half timid-
ly. as l seated myself opposite her. A
little woman OF perhaps thirty, with a
sad, refined face.
| Il came in to consult you regarding
| my husband. who is an invalid. and
wishes you to come to him. she began.
'It may seem strange to you that 1
come to you myself at this hour in
stead OF sending a servant. but having
scarcely left my husbands bedside all
day. I felt that must come out and
get a breath of air outside the sick
room or stif1e. and Thomas, the foot
man. waits for me outside, so I am
quite safe in coming. you see," she
said. looking up at me with sad
smile.
''Ah. yes! I saw. She was quite
light"-while I mentally added the
footman to the other evidences of her
social status. III 1850
MY husband suffered from sun
stroke in August. and since that time
has, unfortunately, been failing steadi-
ly in health. The end. we feel, can
not be far off" she faltered, while she
| pressed her handkerchief for moment
| to her eyes.
| He has wished us for weeks to call
you, but as we had already, employed
the best medical skill to be had in the
city. We could see no sufficient reason
why new physician should be called
to the case.''
! After a short pause:
| ''My poor husband has always been
a man of strong likes and dislikes,
and it seems he had observed you for
some time before his unfortunate ILL
ness began, and had been strongly at
tractod to you. The last few days his
constant wish for you mas had such a
depressing effect upon his condition
that l determined this afternoon to
talk with DR.. x. (naming one of our
most celebrated practitioners), who is
in attendance, and his advice at once
was to call you. You understand we
have no hope or expectation that you
can save my poor husband with a
sob, 'but it will please him to have
you do for him what remains to be done
now"
acquiesced. I understood perfect
| ly. Jenkins prOphecy-shall confess
| it?-still ran in my mind.
would you like me to go with you
this EVENING"" inquired.
"Oh, no. He does not expect you
this evening, and it is so late. To-
| morrow at eleven will do. You have
a consultation at ten, though Cab, she
had taken note of that). would that be
too early, do you think?"
Certainly not. And the address,"
mo. Broad street."
Did visibly start, wonder did
| not know; but the coincidence was
| most singular. What would jenkins
say to it ALP thought.
The lady arose to depart AS she
did SO she extended her daintily-
gloved hand. How small it was and
how neatly-ftting the glove.
"You will do all you can for the
comfort of my poor sufferer, doctor?
But do not need to ask"
The door closed on her only when, a
little down the block. Thomas had ap-
peared from the shadows in answer to
her reckoning hand, and joined her.
returned to my Office, which some
how seemed commonplace and dull
now that she had left it, and threw
myself into chair before the CRATE
fire. which the chill October evening
had made necessary. AS l gazed long
and absently into the Goals, now grow
ing dull and ash covered, what visions
Of the future foated hazily through
my brain. I was a young man.
know my older brethren will forgive
me.
How long I dreamed I do not know
I noticed at length that my mantel
clock had stopped.
"Ah, those wretched French clocks!
Forever out of order! 1 must speak to
Jurggessen to send a man to the office
tomorrow to put it in order for me-
Heigh no! I must to bed. 1 wonder
what time it is anyhow. Must be near
twelve"
go to the table on which had laid
my watch earlier in the evening, while
we had been busy with our microscope
ic work.
"What is this? Gone? My watch
not here? All! trick of jenkins to
teach me to be more careful Well,
the fright will, perhaps, be a lesson to
me. What an interesting face that
little woman had. anyhow. Confound
it, I wish Jenkins had left my watch
alone. But I'll be sure to get it before
going to Broad street tomorrow. A
fine figure 1 should make visiting
patient without a watch"
went to bed and slept. The nature
of my dreams will spare the reader.
At ten called at Jenkins Office to tell
him of my luck and to get my watch.
I found he was out-a sudden call.
"a plague on the luck! So must
go without the watch after all. I wish
Jenkins weren't quite so full of FRANKS
sometimes that prophecy of his
a0as queer anyway"
walked rapidly down Girard from
Sixteenth. turning into Broad. A
couple of blocks or so along Broad
street .'How long a Philadelphia