Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-07-31
THE DOCTORS YARN.


THE DOCTORS YARN.
don't suppose that there is in the wide
world a happier wife and mother than Lady
Dartmoor. don't suppose that between
the four seas there exists a woman who is
prouder and fonder of her husband and her
children, and she has very sufficient excuse
for her pride and her fondness. Dartmoor
is distinctly handsome mamie is also
distinctly clever inan-and when the Duke
of Westcountry said that Dartmoor, who
was his son and heir, should marry and
settle he was of course the great prize, the
"catch," of the season, and he fell to for
tunate Linda Werner.
The most striking popularity about Lord
Dartmoor is his Ghoroughness. When he
goes in for a thing he does go in for it; he
is the sort of man who feels, as the vulgar
old song said, that che is bound to go the
whole hog or none" OF course he is
genius, because lie has the capacity for tax
ing an infinite amount of trouble. He dis
tinguished himself at the university not
merely in the schools, but also on the river
and in the cricket fields. Then he Travelled
through Central Asia with that very &C.
centric parsonage, Captain Brittles, gen
orally known as Hadji Brittles. the great
orientalist. And then he became private
secretary to Lord Grindstone. Lord Grind
stone was reported to have killed several
private secretaries; but no amount of work
was too severe for young Dartmoor. He
knew perfectly well that his career as the
future head of the great house Of West.
country was necessarily politics.
Lord Dartmoor was fluent speaker and
a hard worker and he quite understood
that as Lord Grindstone's private secretary
he would be initiated into the business of
practical politician, and learn all the tricks
of the trade. He had two years with Lord
Grindstone. Then he entered the house as
member for Clodworthy. He had attended
far too often, both in the house of COM
mons and in another place, as Lord Grind
stones private secretary, not to under
stand all about the forms of the house; and
he was glutton for work, and members
were continually proposing to "add the
name" of the member for Clodworthy to
this committee and that committee.
Linda Werner was one of the bellies of
the London season when she became en-
gagged to Lord Dartmoor. That was moth
ing more than her right, because Miss
Werner was really very beautiful. She
was only eighteen, but she was straight as
a dart, her figure well developed, and her
complexion clear; her hair, which was the
color of the ripened wheat, was genuine
and plentiful; and as for those tender blue
eyes of hers, as we say in my profession,
i'they accelerated the cardiac action" !
am not going to describe her in detail; it is
perfectly unnecessary, because you always
see Lady Dartmoor's photographs in the
shop windows, and her portrait by Paris,
R. A., was the picture at the academy
seven years ago. I Twas her family doctor.
When she married Lord Dartmoor /
think that the poor child was a little dis
appointed, because, though it was an abso-
Int love marriage on both sides, yet Dart
moor had so many irons in the political fire
that he could not give a proper amount of
attention to his beautiful wife. You see
he was member for Clodworthy; he had
Just been made an under secretary of state;
and what with the affairs of his constitu-
ents, and the affairs of the nation, and his
determination to be a great political sue
cess, the man, though he loved and hon
ored his young and beautiful wife, really
had not time to cherish her or make fuss,
his business engagements were so very nu-
merous. Of course, the beautiful Lady
Dartmoor went a great deal into society,
and she was even more admired as Lady
Dartmoor than she had been as Linda Yer
ner.
Captain the Honorable Reginald Black
adder, generally known as Adonis Black
adder, was a professional ladykiIler.
Young Blackadder had lots of money, and
when say that lie was a sort of Lovelace,
with dash of Casanova, you can under
stand the sort of man he was. He was re-
ceived everywhere because he was eX-
ceedingly well connected, but he was a
distinctly dangerous man and ibertine
by choice. His complexion was OF an ivory
like pallor. Women always admire that;
they forget that It IS usually produced, rs
in Captain RlacAadder's case, by dissipa-
ton and late hours. Women said that she
waltzed like an angel,' men looked upon
him as conceited numskHll. He did
waltz like an angel. and he was a conceitea
numskull, and thorough good kicking
would have done Captain the Honorable
Reginald Blackadder a world of good.
But it is difficult for an injured father, or
even an injured husband, to administer
thorough good kicking to an officer in the
For year before her marriage Captain
Blackadder had paid Linda Werner marked
attention, but Miss Werner gave him no
encouragement; after her marriage the
captains attentions became still more
strongly. marked He danced with her as
often as possible, and women liked to dance
with Reggie Blackadder. He would talk
to her in whispers about nothing, and
most women felt profound satisfaction
in monopolizing the attentions of SO hand
some a man as Captain Blackadder. He
played the very strongest card that can be
played in the game of fascination. and
posed as Lady Dartmoor's friend.
Lord Dartmoor did not trouble himself
one jot about the destinations of Captain
Blackadder; he merely looked upon him as
an assam ass wno talked we'll, who danced
well. If he could only have pretended to
have been little bit jealous all might have
been we'll; but Dartmoor had not time for
jealousy, much less for shamming it.
When he could escape from the house, if
he had time, which he very seldom had, he
would drop in at the ball or carpet dance,
at which his wife might be engaged, and
dutifully drive home with her, as hus-
| band should; but he was generally SO tired,
poor fellow, that he dropped off to sleep
before they get to the house.
twas at this time that I was called in
professionally to see Lady Dartmoor !
had known her all her life, you see, and l
was supposed to understand her constitu-
ton. She complained of loss of appetite;
there was considerable mental depression.
| prescribed tonics and change of air. She
took the tonics, but Lady Dartmoor de-
clined to leave London till the season was
over. At his lordship's desire I saw Lady
Dartmoor every day. At first she was not
inclined to be confidential. | suspected
that there was something on her mind, and
implore.l her to give me her confidence.
After while she did so. Her grievance
was that she fancied her husband neglected
her In vain pointed out that man in
Lord Dartmoor's position, as the heir to
the dukedom of Nestcountry, as the mem
Der for Clodworthy, as an under secretary
of state, naturally had his hands pretty
full.
cdr. Swansdown, he has ceased to love
| me said LADY DartmoOr Lady Dart.