The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1890-07-25

IL u y - iAC
Howard, stop.
ping for a day to await the arrival Of
some friends, was SO unfortunate as
to sprain his ankle. 1t was nothing
serious, but it compelled him to re-
main quiet for a few days. His
friends, arriving, proceeded on their
way, leaving him in my care.
Frank was a cherry, happy young
fellow of 20, and took his mishap
with ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Tread
to him from my small store of books
and papers, and we had long and in
teresting talks. Frank was full OF
the enthusiasm ofyouth, and l, eight
or ten years his senior, was, my
steady going colleagues would have
said, a visionary, romantic boy.
Those few days made us better ac-
quainted than we would have become
in months of intercourse in the city.
When Frank was able to rejoin his
friends my time was up and | return
ed to town, regretting the. necessity
that compelled me to part with the
pleasant young fellow.
He did not forget his promise to
look me up when he returned to the
city, and from that time on we were
the best of friends. | had. | am sure,
more of his confidence than did any
one else, and 1 talked to him in a
way that my medical brethren would
have pronounced wild and unpro-
f%essional, but he took it in sober
earnest, no matter how wild, believ-
ing in my theories because 1 aird
them.
My friend was a good looking
young fellow, tall, we'll made as to
figure, easy and graceful. He had
blue gray eyes, a well shaped brow
and rounded chin. dark hair which,
however, vas quite thin, giving
promise to early badness, a nose
perhaps a trife too long and an up
per lip a trifie too short. His front
teeth, though white. were not we'll
shaped. Greatly to his sorrow he
could not raise q mustache, try as
hard as he might, and he has tried
very hard, indeed, investing many a
dollar in nostrums warranted to pro-
duce the desired result.
Frank well knew whatan improve
ment a mustache would be-he did
not banker after whiskers, a mus
-tache was all he wanted-for he had
worn false one upon several occa-
.sions when taking part in private
theatricals. He was quite clever,
and played very we'll for an amateur
but often accepted a part, 1 verify
believe, more for the opportunity it
gave him to wear a mustache than
for any other reason.
He was we'll situated financially.
His parents were dead. His father
had left him a good business, which,
however, had SO far demanded little
of his attention, as his father had
also left him a partner, a shrewd,
steady bachelor, without near kin,
who was devoted to the young man.
Considerable property outside of the
business added a good deal to his
income. Like myself he had few
relatives, but then he had hosts OF
friends, and was a great favorite in
society. There were plenty of nice
girls who would have become Mrs.
Howard-one at a time, of course
had he asked them, mustache or no
mustache. No n thought of his
lack of one as he did, and none but l
knew how he felt about it.
We had been discussing various
experiments one evening when he
had dropped in. as he often did, on
this way to a reception. After a
silence of some moments, evidently
spent in deep thought, for he had
not seemed to hear one or two OF
my remarks, Frank broke out:
"See here, doctor, can you trans
plant a bit of some ones scalp to
nv lip and make a mustache that
will grow? You read or told me
something one evening about such
an experiment or else / dreamed it.
4 have been wanting to speak to you
about it. I'd gladly spare some of
nv own scalp if the hair on it wasn't
so awfully thin. I'll give you a
thousand dollars # you can manage
it and pay all expenses. Think it
over and see if there isn't some way
ITO do it, and now | must be off.
Good night. old boyl'
Ilaughed at the idea, but after he
had GONE | could not help thinking
abort II. A thousand dollars was
certainly tempting. My practice did