Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-18

Accustomed 10 the mznifsstiy insincere
grnhings OF London young nlez.. was
sstonished 1t the naive manner in which
this country Esculapius tried in vain to
hide his sudden admiration. II came
cut in every word aud lock. Ii was .
case Of ''loye as first sight on the part
OF DIR. Wedmore- Before left the din
ner table he had offered TO lend me .
horse. proposed that be should drive me
10 meet ten miles OF and expressed
wish that ! should know his thrce SIS
ters-
But the next time saw him my head
was tied up in flannel shawl and my
throat was so swollen could hardly
speak. The doctor had been called in
professionally. The climate OF Mud
chester had been too much for me, and
I was down with . malignant sore
throat.
The doctor came every day, and once
he came twice. 10 work patent in
haler and paint my throat with some
mysterious compound. He constantly
changed the treatment: it was as if he
could never do enough. He even used
to bring me howers-and who ever
heard Of q doctor taking his patient
flowers? Daisy was convulsed with
amusement. She said that when she
was i'll she sometimes used to have to
send for DR.. Wedmore two or three
times before he appeared, he was 50
busy.'
At tho end of week was better,
and in ten days l was quite we'll.
really felt very grateful. for ! knew
that tho doctor had saved me by his
constant care from . dangerous illness.
wonder If he took my gratitude for
something stronger? Anyway, as l
told Christina when she scolded me for
the whole affair. it was not my fault.
hadn't fallen in love with DR.. We'd
more-that's all.
The thing came quickly to a crisis.
We were all invited to spend an evening
at the doctors house. In the north they
have a mysterious meal called thigh
tea" which is apparently source of no
little comfort and even of self righteous
ness. 1t enables the partakers thereof
to allude witheringly to the habit of
late dinners" INDUCED in by the inhab-
itants of the south. And so, if you are
invited out in Northaw. be sure you viii
be RECALLED on tea and cold chicken fear-
full mixture), on hot cakes, jam, mar
malade and currant buns. TO this even
ing meal, then. we were hidden by DR..
Wedmore.
He lived alone with his sisters, who
were curiously like him. They were all
stoutish. with nondescript features and
had slow and somewhat pompous man
rers. To see al four of them together
inclined one to indecent mirth. 1t was
impossible to be more worthy, more dull
and moro self satisfied. The Misses
Wedmore were considered to have a
pretty taste for art; they painted every
thing within reach with sprawling red
roses or startling white daisies, and the
doctor was of opinion that his sisters ar
listic talent was of the first order. Miss
Ada, too. sang songs by Pinsuti and Mil
ton Wellings. The doctor liked Miss
Ada's vocal efforts: while Miss Emily
was literary, she assiduously read Miss
Edna Lyall and Rider Haggard. and of
these authors we discoursed solemnly
until ''tea" was announced.
The air was full of orninous portents.
The doctors manner, when he invited
me for the second time tn partake of
cold chicken or pre5eHd -,rar TIC witt.
northern hospitality the currant cake,
was full of certain protecting pride,
while humbly conquering expression
was in his eyes when they rested upon
me- It was with intention" as the
French say, that he showed me the pho
tograph album, full of aunts and cous-
ms, after tea, and the good doctor
looked quito sentimental when later on
Miss Ada warblcd romance, with a
waltz accompaniment, entitled 1.-The
Love That Will Never Fade" l began
to feel cold all down my back.
Five times did get up, cross the
room, engage either of the solemn Misses
Wedmore in feverish conversational
always ended by finding the doctor at
my elbow. At last resigned myself to
my fate and sat down to talk to him. l
imagined that the state of drains in the
suburbs of Northaw would be a safe
subject and one unlikely to lead to a
declaration Of a tender nature. but in
this, it appeared. was mistaken. We
got on TO the subject of fevers, and TO
convince me on certain point the doc
tor suggested o reference to ono of the
medical books in his surgery. Once in
side the little room, which lay just across
the passage. DR.. Wedmore shut the door
and advanced toward me with that par
ticular expression which is so intolerable
In young man one doesn't care for.
put on my most Indifferent manner
and inspected with much interest the
rows of medical books in their glass
cases.
$50 kind Of you," said hurriedly to
Gil up the dreadful pause, ito take so
much trouble. Most doctors only laugh
ct You if one wants to know any real
fact-about your dreadful trade" /
added with fiippancy. seeing that the
man was not listening TO a word was
saying, but was gazing at me as the
snake is popularity supposed to regard
the sparrow.
Trouble" he said at last. chow can
anything be . trouble that is done for
you? wish you would let me tell you
how much I--how much p
A sharp rap at tho door interrupted
this speech A servant came in.
PLEASE, sir. Mr.. Brown is very bad.
and Mrs. Brown says will you come at
once. and bring some of the drops. and
she hopes you won't be long"
"a three mile drive said DIR. We'd