Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-05-30
ooprapar4r 9, 4nEEtcAn PREss ASSOCIATION. 1854

| claimed Maxtv. oh, then we must be
| told! Professional secrets are always
the most entertaining of secrets. Out
with it. Lamar"
We'll. replied the physician, las
| long is you understand that it is not a
matter To be talked about outside, l
don't know that l need hesitate. Pre-
pare yourselves for most curious and
mysterious affair.
Il think 1 may say that everybody is
sufficiently prepared, said Maxey.
Let Us have the whole mystery at
once
"Dictum factum! You shall. l will
save my conscience by not calling any
names. y certain lawyer of this city
| called ut my Office this morning and in
a very cautious and enigmatical manner
informed me that he wanted to have
my opinion ON 4 matter of vast impOr-
| tancc 10 himself and others interested.
First of all, said he, L want TO know
if Won can tell the comparative age of a
| scar on the human body TIC so very
| vague and general aQuestion l told him
| certainly could give him no satisfac-
tory answer. Very well, said he, 1
have presented my case l want you to
get into my carriage. l will then take
you to Il place where there is n scar
which l wish to have examined. shall
introduce Won under false name, and
it Is not 20 be known that You are n
physician. All You have to do is to as
sent 10 everything 1 say, and when 1
show You the scar scrutinize it as close
" Is You can. Aftcrward I shall ask
Won for your opinion.
II will tell You, he went ON, that
this Is a IaCSt important case, and that
yuu are only one Of several prominent
physicians whose opinions are TO be
asked We wish and intend to make
this matter ~ much of n certainty and
10 have it partaLc rs little of the nature
If EuJS>Nvurk aS medical science will
permit. l do not want TO conceal any
thing from yOu, however. There is a
b,r,. possibility that ut some time or
oyh,r yru may b. called upon rs an ex-
lpt-t t. repeat the opinion which You
shall give me i'll court. If so, we shall
80, that YOU are amply recompensed for
any l,~~ Of time or interference with Your
lu>ir,--< that such Il necessity would &C.
C.,>iun. And III view Of this possibility
viii yua 70 rccullcct just how this
matter WAS presented Ivy me 10 You, and
that - far from endcaYOring to control
Your opinion have not even told you
whether il would be for our interest 10
find this scar 10 be old or recent
Why. what Is the trouble, Fostelle?
You are pale. Is your faintness coming
on again.
With n sudden effort Mrs. ForSythe
Ovcrcame the emotion which had made
itself 50 dangerously apparent in her
cuuntenancc. She forced a smile, and
with admirable presence Of mind made
haste to turn the apprehensive glances
If everybody from herself by requesting
Lamar TO go on.
oh, no, EUStaCC; you are wrong this
time, at any rate. 1 never felt better in
my life. Go on. I pray yOu; am SO in
tercStCd!'
The physician, almost forced to disbc-
licvc his own eyes, eventually complied
with this request.
After this preliminary, he con
tinurd. Il got into n closed carriage
with my cnigmatical friend and was
driven TO certain place, where was
ushered into the presence of rs pretty n
young lady as you often have an oppor-
tunity to look At.
"A pretty young LADY," exclaimed
Maxey. You are doing very we'll, La
mar. Proceed. Don't spare the details -
Everybody laughed, even Mrs. For
| sythc. but Ellen, who was watching her
with sharp eyes, saw that new and
/ secret terror was coming over her as the
| doctor went on. AT his last words her
hand tramblcd visibly. Nevertheless she
only raised handkerchief 20 her lips
and did not speak.
Lamar continued: "'Well, said my
friend, the lawyer, TO the young lady,
| here is Mr. SO-and-sO, of whom | told
| YOU He was an old friend of your ia
/ Tiers. He ought to know you very
we'll You won't object to his examin-
ing You, 1 suppose:' The young woman
| laughed as 1 thought, little nervously
and said: oh, no, not at all l have no
objection. He may inspect as much as
| he pleases.' Rather more bold and loud
than 1 should have liked, but still not
offensive. Dark hair, you see, said the
lawyer. Isn't that right oh, yes,
said |. quite right And black eyes
Good again, isn't it?' oh, yes, said /,
perfectly good And so he went on
making sort of inventory of her dis
tinctive points, much as though she had
been horse which he was trying to sell
me. And finally you can't guess what
happened
They all gave it up without trying.
Well" said Dr. Lamar, finally
the lawyer persuaded the girl to pull
off her stocking and show me her left
| foot"
Mr.. and Mrs. Maxey~ere so intent
on what the physician had to say that
they did not observe Mrs Forsythe, but
Ellen saw that she looked really i'll, and
in the midst of it darted wild, search
ing, suspicious glance into her own eyes.
He made her show me her foot, -
said the physician, land then l saw
that one of the toes was missing. Here
was the scar about which he had SO
mysteriously limited Well, said he,
when we were out Of the place once
more, was it old or recent?' L am sure
| [ don't know how to answer that,
said, with laugh. Well. can you tell
me this? Is it IS years old?' Fostelle,
You are i'll. 1t is useless for you to deny
it. You look as though you had seen q
ghost. Your face is pale. Your hands
tremble. am afraid you are going &c
be sick. We had better go at once"
No" cried out Mrs. Forsythe in Il
husky voice; don't stop your story AT
such an interesting point on my ac-
count. Give your answer to the lawyer