The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-09-01

poet, an artist or
musician; but in the good old days
of his graduation no one thought of
gaining living by the latter pursuits.
One must, no matter what his gifts
were, be either a lawyer, a clergymen
or physician. The first two Harold
decided he could not be-. Medicine
alone was left to him. Profession de-
cided, the next thing to be determined
was where to study. In those days
medical schools and hospitals were
not general, and candidates for the
Esculapian degree studied at the homes
OF regular practitioners. Harold's
home was in rural community, and
having considered the several physi-
clans within few miles of his home,
he settled finally upon DR.. William
Gray, who was considered the most
skillful surgeon and practitioner OF
medicine in Washington County.
DR.. Gray lived a few miles distant
in g. small hill village named Grove
town, from a. group OF large NAPLES in
the center, saved when the hill was
cleared OF the primeval forest, serving
the village as a park and the sur
rounding country as a picnic ground.
There was but little business carried
on in Grovetown, and its only insti-
buttons OF q public nature were an
academy, a hotel, a store and a
postoffce.
DR.. Gray was considered a singular
man. He was scientist devoted and
conscientious in his profession. His
business was to heal, and no storm,
however severe, ever kept him from a
patient When he had a particularly
dangerous case on hand hewould stay
with the patient for hours. He SEEM
ed to care little for money; it was q
common saying in the village that it
would pay him to hire a. collector.
He was given to few words, seldom
showing any emotion, and for this
reason was considered by many to
be hard-hearted. Perhaps it was for
this reason that, while he was re-
spected by all, he could scarcely be
said to be loved by any.
He occasionally showed signs ofsenti-
ment, however, although he did not
acknowledge it by that name. The
first horse he ever owned, long since
past use, he kept in summer in a fresh
ly cultivated pasture on delicate
white clover, and in winter on food
especially prepared for his almost
toothless jaws. When asked why he
did this he would say:
''Duty! He has been faithful SER
want to me-
"Duty" was the doctors watchword.
A few years before our story opens
DR.. Gray had married Lawyer Coles
daughter; she was much younger than
himself, a handsome blonde OF SEN
timental disposition, whose time had
been spent in drumming a little on the
piano, painting a little, and in read
ing novels a great deal. The marriage
caused considerable surprise, the
But the pair seemed to live happily
together.
Ada Gray, however, was young and
fond OF amusement, her husband was
old and devised to study, hence it fell
out that the young wife was often
lonely. The doctor knew this, and
was glad when Harold Hargrave be-
came member of his household-he
would amuse Ada, and they could
sing and read together. Harold saw
no objection to this arrangement, and
his medical studies suffered in conse-
quense. This was not altogether sat-
isfactory to DR.. Gray for he was con-
scientious, and duty came in here as
in everything else. He insisted on a
certain amount of study, and that
Harold should see his patients. cit
is a crime to be O. skim-milk physi-
cian," he would say. But on many
an evening when he was called on an
important case which The thought it
advisable for Harold to see, he was
importuned by Ada to allow the
young man to stay at home, and he
yielded to her invariably.
The end OF all this may be easily
guessed. People began to "talk" OF
Harold and his patrons wife The
young man hearing this was troubled.
He did not wish to involve his kind
friends in p scandal. He telt he had
been honorable in his intentions and
actions toward both and they toward
him. That being the case, was there
any harm in their manner of life? 10
the outside world it looked suspicious.
True, it was none of their business,
but people never have been careful
about the line of demarkation be-
tween their affairs and those of others.
Then again, was he attending strictly
to the affairs that brought him to
Grovetown? He spent the night in
this kind OF reasoning, and one morn
ing, weary with lack of sleep, decided
that in the future he would attend to
study and cause no more suspicion by
action of his.
After that he insisted upon &C.
companying Doctor Gray on his daily
rounds. The old gentlemanlooked at
him occasionally in a curious way, as
if he noticed his increasing interest in
medicine, and apparently it pleased
him. Ada noticed it also, and some
thing very like a pout came to he1
pretty lips when she pleaded loneliness
in vain. She missed her cavalier and