The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-22


sister, but Miss Maxey met all her at
tempts to win her over with an icy reti
cence which more than once aroused the
latent fire in the widows eyes.
DR.. Lamar, usually so gay and con-
versational in the artists rooms, hardly
uttered q word. He sat beside Mrs For
sythe on the sofa as grave and serious as
if he had been assisting at funeral.
The difference was so marked and so
significant that all three Of his friends
We're impressed by the fact. 1t was the
last matter under the circumstances that
either Julian Maxey or his young wife
would have thought of mentioning i'll
his presence, but Ellen somehow felt
that she had battle to fight with an
unscrupulous woman and that any
means were justitlalle. She took advan
tage of the opportunity afforded her by
this fact to plant covert thorn in the
breast of her enemy.
II am sure" she said in an audible
voice to her brother while Mrs. For
sythe was saying something to Annette,
'the doctor is not well tonight" "
Not well?" echoed Maxey.
"No; don't you notice how constrain-
ed and different from his ordinary self
he is? He is usually so chatty and agree
able. Some shadow seems to have come
in with him. What can it be? Is he not
happy"
"HushW whispered the startled Max
ey, perfectly unconscious Of his sisters
duplicity. "She will hear you"
''She. Who? don't understand you. "
Miss Maxey addressed herself immedi-
ately to Annette.
Don't you notice that the doctor is
not himself tonight, dear?'
"Oh, indeed, is he not?" cried the
Widow Forsythe, turning with an ad-
mirable appearance Of solicitude to-
ward her af1ianced. "Do you hear what
they are saying Eustace?"
"No. What?"
'That you are not at all like your
self tonight. 1 hope you are not going
to be i'll, too, because of my bad exam-
pie"
Il was not aware" returned Lamar
coldly, that l exhibited any symptoms
of the sort. "
The tone of the reply was so rough
and discOurteOus that the color came
into Mrs. Forsythe's cheeks. She bit
her lip, and her eyes moistened.
She loves him." thought watchful
Ellen, with jealous glow at the heart.
"She loves him. There is no doubt of
that"
Lamar seemed to have instantly re-
pented his own harshness, for he at once
went on, with an assumption of careless
gayety:
"The fact is, while you have been
talking have been dreaming may
have looked sick, but the truth is 1 was
distracted. "
"Some new theory in practice, I sup
pose, " suggested Maxey.
NO." said Lamar, Strengthening up
and making an evident effort to be en-
tertaining. 'It was something odder
than that-something u good deal more
interesting"
"Of course that is meant to arouse
our curiosity and make us beg you to
tell us about it," said Mrs Forsytho
playfully.
II don't know about that" Lamar
returned, with slight frown. II am
not so sure that should be justified in
discussing q professional secret even
among friends" "
Its professional secret thenl" ex-
claimed Maxoy. "Oh, then we must be
toldl Professional secrets are always
the most entertaining of secrets. Ont
with it, Lammr'
"Well," replied the physician, "as
long as you understand that it is not n
matter to be talked about outside, /
don't know that l need hesitate. Pre-.
pare yourselves for most curious and
mysterious affair. "
81 think l may say that everybody is
sufficiently prepared" said MaXey.
LET us have the whole mystery at
once.
"Dictum factum! You shall. will
save my conscience by not calling any
names. A certain lawyer of this city
called at my Office this morning and in
a very cautious and enigmatical manner
informed me that he wanted to have
my opinion on q matter Of vast impor-
tance to himself and others interested.
First of all, said he, Il want to know
If you can tell the comparative age of a
scar on the human body?' To so very
vague and general aquestion told him
| certainly could give him no satisfac-
tory answer. Very well, said he, 4
will postpone my question until after /
have presented my case. / want you to
get into my carriage. l will then take
you to place where there is a scar
which wish to have examined shall
introduce you under false name and
it is not to be known that you are q
physician. All you have to do is to as
sent to everything say, and when l
show you the scar scrutinize it as close.
ly as you can. Afterward I shall ask
you for your opinion.
Il will tell you, he went on, that
this is most important case, and that
you are only one Of several prominent
physicians whose opinions are to be
asked. We wish and intend to make
this matter as much of a certainty and
to have it partake as litIo of the nature
of guesswork as medical science will
permit. N do not want to conceal any
thing from you, however. There is a
bare possibility that at some time or
other you may bo called upon as an ex-
pert to repeat the opinion which you
shall give me in court If so, we shall
see that you are amply recompensed for
any loss Of time Or interference with your
business that such necessity would oc-
casion. And in view of this possibility
l wish you to recollect just how this
matter was presented by me to you, and
| O., I