The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-12-11
DOCTORS INHERITANCE.

Two gentlemen both past middle age,
were seated beside glowing CRATE 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 u library, with well filed book
cases on all sides, n large, business like
table in the center md deeply cushioned
chairs scattered about, One bookcase
contained only medical works in sub.
gtantia bindings ind with marks of
service plainly visible.
I)r Thornton, host and owner Of the
handsome house in which the room was
situated. WINS II man past ~, with iron
gray hair, strongly marked features, a
tall erect figure and an expression at
once kindly and resolute. You read
prompt decision In his dark blue eyes
and sympathy in the pleasant smile
that often crossed his lips,
His companion heavily bearded and
bronzed By travel, was a fur handsomer
man. hut with weaker face.
AT last" he said, stretching himself
la2ily in his deep arm chair, 81 find you
alone and disengaged Give me per-
mission TO stuff II towel into that OBJ
trusive Office bell Of yours, 80 that no
whining woman or squalling brat can
summon you away and make me I'M
happy
Cant he done, Tom. Make the most
Of me now, for the claims OF the whin-
ing women and the sqnulling brats can
not be denied
"You know what want to hear !
left you twelve Years ago a poor man
with struggling almost wholly gra-
tuitous practice, II sworn bachelor, aud
almost II hermit outside of your profes
sional duties, find you wealthy, with
a charming wife ind n popular member
OF society, aud yet your practice is, as
before, almost entirely among those who
could not fee you II they would, From
what relative unknown to me, your own
cousin. did you inherit your fortune
''Did II ever occur to you, Tom, that
there areromances in real life all about
us, quite as improbable as those found
upon the shelves of the circulating Ii
brary? Ny experience will convince
you that speak with authority. Twelve
years ago--we are getting old, Toni
was, as you say, poor man, studying
hard, living in stuffy house in poor
neighborhood, hoping for better times,
more profitable practice and n fuller
purse. was bachelor because ] could
offer only poverty to wife; hermit
because my studies were engrossing. In
my small house kept one old woman
servant, who cooked fer me and kept
things tidy Having no carriage !
needed no boy, for Martha could write,
aud had n much larger Office practice
than that outside.
1T was lute one bitter night III Janu-
ary, when was reused by the office bell
and the sound of excited voices under
my window, fastening down | found
several men carrying upon shutter the
unconscious patient was to aid, il pos
sble
"'An old man, sir, knocked down by
r,,owav horaes and rnn over sid ono
os tbe nortv ns they gently deposited
the;r burden mon n sofa Badly hurted
In think;ng Doctor Inf mt dendp
aPaalv hnrt indeed / fnund him and
$40 ammunition convinced ne thnt anv
further mntin wnnII result Mtally
Kean him must or risk his life by re-.
,noval ~ = hnanitol WIFI ths assistance
nf two Of tln mem / nndressed him and
MI I'm into Nv AM led noticing then
that Ia wnre NJ coa
.somahoav tonk i off tbey told me
and nnnarently somebody kent it as it
never annenred arnin In the trousers
~ ''..,,.,, ,,;a;,, n,t;aios