The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-23
THE DOCTORS STORY.
BY MARK TANNER, NJ. D.

y
all so gladly welcomed. that l accompanied
friend a few days on visit TO the old
town of Dover.
We were all on the lockout for yacht;
my travelling companion contemplating a
trip to the sunny Mediterranean, to fulfill
the double object of spending his money
and recruiting his health; there being
plenty of the first, and of the latter maladies
more engendered by idleness than any real
disorder.
The crisp, iuvigorating breeze blowing
from the sea soon produced vigorous APP
petite somewhat unusual to my metropoli-
tan and rather languid digestive apparatus.
and induced us TO resort to one of the small
hotels near the jetty which we were passing,
for lunch.
Whist discussing our bread and cheese in
the cOflee-rOOm, my attention was drawn to
couple-Inaie and female-Seated at a table
near US, and engaged in an animated con-
verSatiOn. The girl, who was seemingly
about One-and-tWenty years of Rge-was a
pretty, far-haired, blue-eyed little creature,
with gentle, pensive east of countenance,
and was apparently listening with intense
anxiety to the conversation OF her male COM
panion. On our entering the room he glanced
at us, and continued speaking 10 her IL q
subdued tone.
What particularly attracted my attention,
however, was sudden change noticeable in
with which she had hitherto regarded him
altering to an expression of intense anguish
and horror.
oh Alfred. how terriblev' l heard the
little blonde eXcam, and the tears welled
up and burst forth IN hidden from her large
blue eyes. why, darling, l might never
have known What had become of you! How
thankful / ami! And the little hand that
reached across the table, clasping his in the
outburst OF her emotion, displayed hand
u cd inc ~
"Ah," said the gentleman, with quiet
smile, sit is all well that ends well, DEAR
and rising from their places they left the
room.
He was a young man of middle height,
with cheering, smiling countenance, and,
from the blue serge suit he wore, gave one
the idea Of his being connected with sea-
farinG life.
"a pretty little thing, that" said my
friend, as he slipped his sherry.
Yes, | replied, as l recalled the ex-
preston of horror l had seen on her coun-
tenance. 81 wonder who they are and the
cause Of her agitation. Her joy is unmis-
taxable, although in tears. l infer her male
ordeal"
The two interested me strangely, as
some things will, producing vague sense
OF curiosity without any apparent sufficient
reason.
Who does not know the old-fashioned
town Of Dover, with its white precipitous
ellis, against which the roaring pillows
clash In vain, hurting their foaming horrors
to the skies? Who has not heard of, or
seen, the frowning batteries, whence gigan-
TIC monsters Of the iron world breathe
forth defiance, as, with threatening mouths,
they overlook the bay where ships of every
klnd-irom the single yacht to the leviathan
OF the ocean wave-fnd refuge? Who has
heard OF that well-known hotel ycleped
The Lord Warden" haunted at night, |
ween, by ghosts OF brides and bridegrooms
long departed? Who has not landed on
that welcome pier after journey over the
silver streak, and on terra frma, felt indeed
the poets words CONS back with a tenfold
meaning:
Whose heart has ne'er within him burned
As home his footsteps he has turned,
From wandering on some foreign strande
A delightful drive to the quaint old town
OF Deal, cigar on board a friends cutter,
the ordinary dinner at our hotel, and my
companion and self took stroll on the pier
to see some friends he was expecting to
arrive IN the steam boat from Calais
We had not long to wait. There was the
usual noise, confusion and excitement; the
same greetings among old friends: tine
same gesticulatiOns of the excitable French
gentleman who could not find his portmau-
teau; the inevitable spnster carrying a pug
dog ana lnnumerable bandbOxes; amidst
which my friend and his newly arrived
Warden" leaving me to finish my cigar on
the pier.
1t was a magnificent night, the moon
shining brightly in the heavens, obscured
from lllhe 70 time as swiftly scudding
clouds passed over 1t. The countless stars
were reflected IN the gently moving waters
which sluGgiishly rolled against the beach.
L stroliec homeNard, and somehow those
pretty blue eyes which l had seen fill with
tears in the morning kept Obtrudinp Them
selves on my mental vision. My way law mast
the door OF the small hotel where we had
lunched, ana could not resist looking in as
l passed. The cuffee-room was empty but
the sound OF a song and applause in the
adjoining room told its story. On entering |
found some six or eight smokers of IN
doubted nautical proclivtieS, from whose
long churchwardens a sufficient quantity of
fumes from the fragrant weed was exhaling
TO render it difficult at first to distinguish its
objects clearly.
1t was long, low room, with its walls
covered with pictures depicting ships in
every form of disaster. ana holding the mir
ror up to nature In everything but an attract
i've form as TO the probable results to "thUse
who go down to sea in Ships" and there,
seated in the corner near the chimney. was
tue very gentleman who had been in company
with the blue-eyed fair one that had SO un-
accoGntably aroused my interest and haunt
ed my reflections. AS l entered rruff
voice exclaimed:
We'll, as | was saying, we lost our pro-
peller, got into the trough of the sea, had
our steering gear carried away, and"
Hold hard, mate; vast heaving We've
heard that yarn before. We all well know
how your fires were put out and you was
tugged into port by the Lively Polly. Now,
perhaps the gentleman in the corner what
stood the grog, wouldn't mind spinning
yarn and letting us hear something new"
The hrst of the two speakers was rough
old salt who had certainly seen his best DAYS
and looked as though "the bullets and the
govt had so knocked his hull about that
he'd never more be fit for sea-
ne INTERRUPTION was from fine, bluff,
hearty looking fellow, who appeared as
though all the storms Of this wide world
could not take away the contented look and
rudy glow of health which exhibited itself
in his cOuntenance.
Thus called upon, the gentleman to whom
i have alluded As having produced spch an
outburst of emotion in his blue-eyed COM
panion turned to his interlocutor ana re-
piled:
" fear have no such tales of storm and
shlpwreek to narrats as would interest Won
veterans of the ocean; but have only lust
reached home, and somewhat strange
circumstance occurred TO me during thar
voyage which may interest you if you like
to hear it,"
A Gathering of glasses; general murmurs
Of appreciation.
Cant you be quiet. BllP The gentle
mans going to speak," from the rosy-
cneeKeu Tar 10 the laxative sailor; and
silence being obtained, my quondam ac-
quaintGnce Of the morning thus commenced
his story:
Is am medical man. Six months ago I
married. intending TO settle down In the
town of Wilmerding in practice, where
had taken and furnished small house. On
my return from my wedding trip / found
that my trustee had disappeared, and with
him the little private means which had
been left ME in his care by my father.
Under the circumstances my settling down,
as intended, became impossible. at any rate
Tor time; so sold my belongings. placed
my wife in lodgings, and accepted the an
pertinent OF surgeon to the steamship Khe-
ave, carrying cargo and passengers be-
tween Trieste, London and New York.
i mention this TO you that you may the
more readily enter into my feelings in what