Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-03-07

tell you--a sovereign remedy against
rheumatism. You are to1zeep it in your
pocket, night and day" q infer from
this that my maiaenly relative was I'M
der the impression that men slept in
their trousers, and possibly that they
were born in then) "If you had only
applied to me in time, You see, you
would have been spared all this dreadful
illness. But put it in your pocket 1t
will at all events secure you against the
future"
And hereupon my aunt went into a
long disquisition on the merits of the
kidney potato from medicinal point of
view, and recapitulated innu1nerable
cases of cures effected by it which had
come under her own personal observa-
ton. At least believe she talked about
these things, but truth compels me to
admit that listened to as little of it as
l could. Finally, however, l became
aware that she had paused, and was
searching in her reticule for something
else This time she produced check
book.
! | now regarded her movements with a
respectful interest which was no longer
4 feigned. What methodical woman she
/ was, TO be sure. | am convinced that
nobody ever took so long a time to per-
/ form so simple function us my Aunt
4 Johanna took to write that check. She
got her spectacles out of the case. rubbed
/ them with her handkerchief, settled
them and resettled them upon the lofty
/ bridge OF her aristocratic nose. Then she
carefully opened the magic volume, in
which indefinite wealth lay latent, and
! heedfuily snootled down the slender
pink leaves. With suspicious scrutiny
/ she selected pen from among the bundle
which placed at her hand. slipped it
4 cautiously in the ink bottle, squared her.
self at the table, with straight back and
corrugated brow, and so began to trace
/ the few but pregnant words that We're to
place me on even terms with the world
As l sat watching this operation an
idea suddenly occurred to me which
changed my mood from pleased expect
/ ancy to ominous misgiving, What If
Mary were to make her appearance now:
1t was of the last Importance to the pros
perity of my matrimonial projects that
my aunt should receive favorable i'm
preston of Mary at their first interview.
And although Mary. considered in her
1 self, was of course incapable of produc-
ing other than good impression upon
anybody, yet circumstances are potent
things, and there was no denying that
1 they would be against Mary were she to
come into my room at this moment.
With such an anxiety in my mind it is
no wonder if l found my aunt's move
ments, even in writing me a check, alto
gether too deliberate to be agreeable.
Moreover. what reason had for suppos-
ing that, even after the check was writ
ten, my aunt would Immediately de-
part?l What more likely than that she
would regard it as preparatory to a
further session of indefinite length:
1t was not in nature to expect
that an elderly lady would make
long journey and climb half a
dozen flights of stairs merely for the
sake of giving me a kidney potato and fifty
pounds and then vanishing like benevo-
lent fairy. How imperturbably she sat
in her chair! Surely no professional
beauty ever ''sat" with SO much persist
ence and self complacency. Ibecame so
nervous that by the time she had actu-
ally finished the operation of writing the
check and had torn it carefully out of
the book and returned the book to
her reticule l was feeling much more
like bundling her incontinently out of
the room than accepting her bounty
with the gratitude which it rightfully
demanded. 1t was precisely at this
juncture that brisk knock came at the
door and the door was opened. felt
that turned pale. But not was not
Mary; it was the doctor. He was just
the man for the occasion-quick witted,
audacious and intrepid. My horizon
cleared again. l saw my way.
presented him to my aunt, whispered
word to him aside and he sat down.
After exchanging dozen general re-
marks he turned to me and exclaimed
briskly:
"Now, my dear boy, are you ready?'
"Quite ready. DOCTOR
MADAM. | presume, has no objec-
tion?" continued the doctor. as he ex-
4 tracted an imposing looking case of in
struments from his pocket.
"Eh?" said my aunt. settling her spec
taclcs inquisitively.
"Only the examination, returned the
doctor; "a mere nothing. Now. then.
my boy, OF with your shirt. Quick!"
"Eh?" cried my aunt. jumping up in
dismay "his shirt
"Oh, the back and chest will. think.
be sufficient. If we need to look at the
"Gracious goodness!" gasped my aunt.
reddening to the forehead. ''let me go;
show me the way out ut once; never
could think Of being present at-my dear
Charles, why didn't you tell me? How
could you suppose
This way, aunt, this way" said l,
with difficulty maintaining NY gravity,
while at the same time taking shame to
myself for the ruse was playing off on
her. "A thousand thanks to you. dean
aunt: it is most unfortunate that the in
terruption should have come at this
time b1lf doctors you l,r,O,y-"-