The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-15
INHERITANCE.

T@.WO gentlemen, beth past middle age,
EsS were seated beside a glowing CRATE
,NsYA fire, chatting as old friends will who
have met after long separation. The hour
was late, nearly midnight, but no sign of
WEAKNESS was on either face. The room
was library. with well-flled bookcases on
all sides, large, busineSs-like table in the
center and deeply cushioned chairs scattered
about One bookcase contained only medi-
cal works in substantial bindings and with
marks Of service plainly visible.
Dr. Thornton, host and owner of the hand
some house in which the room was situated,
was a man past 10, with iron-gray hair
strongly marked features, a tall, erect figure
and an expression at once kindly and reso-
lutte. You read prompt decision in his dark
blue ewes and a sympathy in the pleasant
smile that often crossed his lips.
His companion, heavily bearded and
brouZed Sy travel, was far handsomer man,
| but with weaker face.
| AT last" he said, stretching himself
| lazily in his deep armchair. Il find you alone
| and disengaged. Give me permission to
stuff a towel into that obstructive Office
! bell OF yours so that no whining woman or
| squalling brat can summon you away and
| make me unhappy"
Cant do ii, Tom. Make the most Of me
| now, for the claims of the whining women
and the squaling brats cannot be denied"
You know what | want 10 hear. | left
yOu twelve years ago poor man, with
struggling, almost wholly gratultGuS pTac-
tice, Il sworn bachelor, and almost hermit
outside of your professional duties. l ind
you wealthy, with q charming wife and q
popular member of society, and yet your
practice Is, as before, almost entirely among
those who could not fee you il they would.
From what relative unknown to me, your
own cousin, did you Inherit your fortHne@
"Di1 1t ever occur 10 yen, Tom, that there
are romances In real lite all about US. quite
as impossible as those found upon the
shelves Of the circulating library? My ex-
perience will convince You that l speak
with authority. Twelve years agO-we are
getting old, Toni was rs you say, poor
man, studying hard, living in stutfy house
in a poor neigh borhood hoping for better
times, more profitable practice and fuller
purse. | was bachelor because / could
offer only poverty TO wife; hermit be-
cause my studies were engrOSSing. In my
small house l kept one old woman servant,
who cooked for NE and kept things tidy
Having no carriage l needed 10 boy, for
Martha could write, and had a much larger
Office practice than that outside.
1T was late one bitter night in January
when | was reused by the office bell and
the sound Of excited voices under my win
dow. fastening down found several men
carrying upon shutter the unconscious pa
tient | was to aid. if possible.
An old man, sir knocked down by run
away horses aud run over said one of the
party, as they gently deposited their burden
upon sofa Badly hurted. I'm thinking.
doctor, but not dead
Badly hurt, indeed, l found him. and
my examination convinced Inc that any
further motion would result fatally. Keep
him l must, or risk his life by removal to a
hospital. With the assistance of two OF the
men l undresSed him and put him into my
own bed, noticing then that he wore no
coat
- Somebody took it off," they told me,
ard apparently somebody kept it, as it
never appeared again. In the trousers
! bunch OF keys and a handkerchief, but
| nothing to give any clew to the identity of
! my patient and unlimited guest
| VIII not enter into the details of the
| injuries that excited my interest as a physi-
| clan and surgeon as much as they called
Tor my sympathy as a man. There were
complications Ia the case that called upon
all my skill and knowledge, and the patient
endurance OF great suffering made me re-
spect my unfortunate guest from the first
- 1t was nearly fortnight before he re-
covered from the brain injury sufficiently to
speak distinctly. When the sufferer could
speak lie told me that his name was Fan
shave, but said nothing more of himself,
and supposed him unwilling to confess to
overly and the inability to pay me for my
services.
~ do not take much credit to myself for
my hospitality or devotion, because l was
SO deeply Interested in the case, profession
ally considered that | would have lived on
bread and water rather than have it taken
out OF my hands.
LAS he became stronger my patient be-
came my friend, and Interested ME deeply
by the variety and depth of his information,
his experience OF travel and charm OF con-
yersation.
Not until he was cOnvalescent and had
been an Inmate Of my house for four months
did know that lie was man Of wealth,
living in the house | now occupy.
- 10 cure him was beyond human skill
but through two years l attended him, ale
waiting great suffering and often accepting
his invitation to Spend an hour or two with
lonely old man.
when he died he left me his entire for
| tune, because he had no direct heirs or near
| relatives. He had never spoken but once of
his family, and then said briefly that he
was wldOwer and had lost his only child.
had enjoyed my Inheritance for more
than nine years when fell in love. /, who
| had never cared for female society before
became deeply attached to the mother of
one of my patients a lady nearly my own
| age, the widow OF an artist, who died in
| Rome some four or five years before | met
| her She had sent for me to see her boy, an
only child, slowly dying with an incurable
| disease OF the spine.
Mrs. Eastwell knew before she saw me
that there was no hope of saving the child's
life, but she thought | could ease the pain
and restlessness from which he suffered
She was herself an artist, working in water
colOrs Tor the large stores that dealt in
fancy goods, and embroidery most exquis-
Itely. But her Child claimed much of her
time and attention, and | knew she worked
IN hours when she should have shared the
boys SAUNDERS.
Patient, self-sacrifcing, gentle and re-
lined, she filed my ideal Of pure woman
MOOD, anu loved her with ali the strength
Oh the hrst love of years. gave her a mans
Gegotio?n, not boys infatuation. But l
the child lived. She won have thought if
| sacrllege to give my love consideration
| while the mother love in her heart was the
ruling spirit. Love making while her child
was dying! could see how she would
| shrink from the mere suggestion.
80 ! tried to be content with winning
the place Of trusted friend delicately try
ing to make my presence a comfort and a
help to her, and doing all that L could to
make smoother the hard path the childish
feet were pressing.
"One afternoon she came to nv office to
ask some questions about the little boy,
ana, as the WatiDg-Toom was full, L took
her through the parlor TO the front door. As
we passed by the mantelpiece of the front
room room sne suddenly gave a cry of pain and
surprise, stopping short before lifesize
| portrait OF Mr.. Fanshawe. Her face was
white her whole form trembling, and be-
i iRrs leo could catch her she gave on cry of
father. and dropped in a dead faint
1t was the old story, Tom. She had
loved her husband better than her father
a ana eioped With him, never winning for
| broken up and Mr.. Fanshawe removed to
another city. so that for years she had NOT
known where to find him and had never
heard OF his death. Her husband had taken
her abroad soon after their marriage and
she did not know whether her father had
ever tried to trace or follow them
Gu may imagine how like thief felt
when | could calmly consider this story and
think of my Notwithstanding in luxury
and she toiling for bread And the money
was h6rs by every claim Of humanity.
AT once | commenced to arrange for re-
storing the property to her, and, knowing
her pressing needs, instructed my lawyer to
supply her with ready money and inform
her that as soon as it could be legally done
her fathers fortune would be restored to
her.