New-York tribune., 1892-01-03
MRS. HIGGINS'S LODGER.
CHAPTER /.
"nE DO TALK QUEEE. DOCTOR"

the disadvantages of youth and lneNperlencc ""'
poor and friendees Every other doctor III Ill,
town as O matter of course kept his brOGghahi
went my round of vists-and very lttc IouhO
IL was-on foot and told my patients / preicfIc,
it, as / found the exercise beneficial. his was IO
quite an untru,h. AS u matter of fact, did prefer
walking TO driving, and there is no DOUBT thal my
health benefited troul the cNerclse But l mus, mus
own at the same tine that had not much choict
in the matter; carriage was out Oi the question
Now that | have one | do not u>e 1t more IMAM
can help. When it is fine weather ana alh no.
pressed for time nor tired, still prefer Walklh-
TO my patients houses but then people now Know
that do this purely from choice and not IRON ne ne
,essty They did not know 1t then, or they did no
believe il, which amounts TO pretty much the same
thing and my prestige suffered in consequence
One evening | was seated In my modest niue
consulting room scrbblins an article Tor haga-
zine-for in those DAYS as now, | dabblcd occas on
ally in lteraturcl heard a ring at the bell. ana
minute or two after the servant brought III note
i opened IL and read as follows
SO Minnow Lane.
Dear Sir,
"Our lodger, Mr.. Lee. has been suddenly taken
very bad. II YOU please come and see him.
Your obedient servant. GEORGE IlIGGINS'
This Higgins was a poor shoemase whose wife
/ bad been attending quite recently Dut kheW
nothing OF this lodger, Mir: Lee. had heard more
than once, in the course of my visits TO their house.
some one coughing i'll adjoining apartment, ant,
had made the remark that did not like the SOUND
Of that cough but as neither the shocnaker nor
bis wife volunteered any Information ABOUT ne SUI
fefer, did not care to ask any questions MY lhi-
mediate inference OH reading Mr.. Higgins note was
that this the "lodeer" l was requested ~ 80
and see.
And / was right. On my arrival found in a
small dingy room, lying in rckcty, but toieraoiy
clean-looking bed. the emacated form oi MAJ, man
about fifty few dark streaks III irregular
patches here and there diversified the general
whtenexs OF his bushy beard and scanty hair; ms
black eyes shone with feverish brlllancy and
his sunken checks were colored with peculiar
flush which indicated the nature of the ma.ady ohly
too Plainly nj tall orsor doctor said Mrs. Higgins in
phiS He iS Outp oil his head
WHO is this? Why did you let him come in p
suddenly asked the sick man, in quick agi'ated
It's only the DOCTOR said Mr.; Hssins; you
said we might send for him, you know
oh, the DOCTOR" he replied seemingly much re-
heved. Give him chair, and leave him alone
Neither Mr. Higgins nor his wife offered to move
He 40 talk queer said the latter again oa'
viii you please to leave the room while ! have
a talk with Dr. Dunbrook," =" requested the sick man
'saTV in s very S1 SeedeS c tone ped the shoemaker
moving toward the door and almost forcing ms W 1e
20 accompany him. Her curiosity had evidently
been powerfully excited by their SICK !odSers S,ro
Now, Dr. Dunbrook," said Mr. Lee, when they
were. gone come and eAaIaine me, and let uIe
know how long have to live.
There was clearly no. dciiriuu now, what
ever might have been the case before l came.
bis chest When l had finished, l kept
silent for little while, wondering what had
better say; lie regarded me with wistful'
Well" he said at last. how long?"
With care" / replied. "you may yet last sew
eral months, but you may also go OIL in few
Which is the most likely event?' he asked.
The former if you take care, of yourself me
1te II Ec" G0 ana sPgcah ssS II SO to @
picious-loolling bottle and glass standing on
table not far of
at any rate not habtualy was seized with a
shivcring fit today, and drank lttle hot gin
and-water to warm me- That's all"
u am glad TO hear IT," said: alcohol would
firish you OF very quickly. do not approve of
it even us a remedy for IA shivering ut; cup OF
not milk and warm bed would have been better
Were you in bed when You were seized with the
shivering ftp?
No, but jumped in-or 10 speak more accu,,
rateiy. crawled indirectly had taken my eTog
THAT was right bat another time take no
grog. Drink some hot milk and send for me az
once AT present there is no immediate danger
thereupon wrote out prescription for him and
getting up to leave, when ne begged me 10
sit down again for a minute ] complied.
You're sure there's 10 immediate danger?
he asked.
There's nothing absolutely sure in this world"
! answered: but don't think so. If you follow
my instructions and take care, you will get over
this attack in day or two"
:" In that case" lie said, q" ! would rather put
of what j have 10 say 10 YOU till a future occa-
sion. for il is not pleasant. ! will not there
fore, detain you longer in this hole which You
cannot find pleasant either Here is your fee
AZ he spoke he thrust his thin, wasted hand
under his rdllOwl and drew out something
wrapped up in small piece of paper and offered
Pray don't talk of fec, Mr.. Lee" I said
IL cannot under present circumstances accept 1t
Excuse me, DIR. Dunbrool," he said, but you
must. insist upon ii. This is your second
mistake"
Here he was interrupted by a violent fit Of
coughing This is your second mistake" he
resumed when the fit was over. Judging hastily
drunkard; and now, Judging hastily from ,ap
pearances again, YOU think me pauper. You
are wrong in the last supposiiiol as in the
first. 1t is not through poverty that have elected
TO take up my quarters in this modest room and
somewhat unaristocratic locality. This is mere
trife, and ! only press il upon you because, by
your own admission, there is posSibility-thouch
hope not a probability-of my going of suddenly.
have a service TO ask Of you yet for which you
will be paid handsomely but it is not a pleas
ant subject 10 discuss, 90 we Will put it of till
! am better"
I" Is it service which can render You consist
emily with my Prof. ana other duties n
" Very good Mr.. Lee. we will discuss il, as you
propoee another day. ! will call again to-m0r-
row, when ! expect to find you much better"
With that bade him goodbye and left.
The next day ! found him better-dccidcdly
better, though OF course knew that the amcliora-
tion was only temporary. Upon that poiht he hal
no illusions either: he knew well as dill that
his DAYS were numbered, and that the number
though indefinite. was not q very high one. lie
mifht last as had told him. for several months :;
he might even last over year: but, from the
condition of his lungs the end could not be far
distant His parONyslns of coughing, though
painful enough when they came were less fire.
aucnt than one might supposr
What is The mystery which surrounds this
man ?" ! asked myself. What can have induced
him to bury himself in such place." In con-
Armation of his assertion that, in spite Of appcar
anccs he was not poor, had the evidence of what
lie had given ne the evening before: the somc-
thing wrapped in paper which he had extracted
from under his pillow was a couple Of soveregns
Two sovereigns given unasked-nay. thrust upon
nfe-indicated nefthcr pahper nor mscr. His
conversation, too, was that OF a man Of culture
and education. On my second visit as MS h,
had learned that had found him decidedly better,
he cast aside the subject Of illness and talked with