The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-04-21
Select Sturp,
IN THREE WEEKS.
walter Besant in The rdler.

"You are II The physician faced MS
patient with cold eyes. 'sYou are made,
you think, for long life. Your parents
were killed in an accident; otherwise they
might have lived to an old age; your peo-
pie for generations have all been long lived.
Yes; you seem framed for an attainment of
old age. Yet, there are chances, there are
flaws, no one must count upon the outward
promise of longevity There is no certain
ty; there are germs in the air, in the water
"You think. then? the patient interrupt
ed, without the least appearance of discom-
posure or anxiety.
aWhat l think, young gentleman, is
this-you are so strong that you are brave
enough to face the truth.
"Thope so.
"Then, sir, you will be dead in three
weeks"
There was silence for space The
patient received this intelligence with steady
look He flinched not; nor did his check
turn pale. He got up slowly, and began
to walk about the room, looking at the
pictures, taking up triAes from the man
telshelf, as one does when the mind is
greatly preoccupied. Then he turned sud
denly to the doctor. ''You are quite sure
of what you say?"
II am quite sure"
"You are an old man. You have seen
thousands ofcases. With your experience
mistake is impossible -
at is, humanity speaking, impossible.
For one of my experience, such mistake
is, humanity speaking, impossible.
"And there is no loophole, no chance to
escape?"
eWhile there is life there is always
chance. In your case the locality of the
mischief cannot be reached. You must
die"
'Thank you" said the patient sit is
rather pity that did not know of this
week ago. You might then have saved
-" He stopped short, with choke in
his voice. 1t was the only outward sign
of emotion. ''Thank you" he repeated,
laying an envelope with check in it on
the table, II will not take up your time.
And my own is too short to be wasted"
The physician looked out of the window.
The young man walked across the street,
and with head erect and springing gait,
marched down the pavement.
"One would say he had hundred years
before him" said the physician. Sand
he is only "a. And wealthy, he told me.
And ambitious, I should think. And able,
l am sure All the world before this un-
fortunate young man, and he must die at
Al. III li,,or
whom nobody wants, will be kept alive till
seventy! Humph There he goes, march.
ing like sergeant of the guards. Round
the corner now" The physician returned
to his fret was cold morning Che was
an old man; he sat down for moment and
warmed his hands. "Twenty-four," he
said, "and am seventy-four. The world
is very unequal. That's the chief charm
about it. Without uncertainty life would
be too monotonous. The young man took
it bravely" He got up and prepared for
the reception of another patient. "They
are braver than they were; they used to
take it fainting; or they took it signing,
crying, sobbing, blubbering; or they pray
ed for life at any cost of any sufering-ah !!
l. We MlJutSoGu CuIlOub OOmdlAlOC III
time. Now they can't bear pain, and they
won't have it-not the least bit of pain.
But they don't mind dying! Odd change!
More nerves and more courage
Wrong, most learned physician. They
mind dying very much, and at any age, but
men are not so horribly afraid of the silent
and lonely journey as they were. Perhaps
the young mind dying less than the old,
because they are not so bound by the de-
lights and vauities of this, on-the-whole-and-
Decentralization made, happy life, But
they don't really like dying, and they never
will, so long as the step is made out of
light and companionship and sunshine in
to-whatever is to follow-by dark and
solitary way.
The young man, then, walked away with
steady carriage and an elastic step.
These formed part of himself; he would
have walked to the scaffold with the same
step-in fact, he was walking to the scat
fold. Yet he was as heavy of heart as
young man can well be. Three weeks
three short weeks-and all would be over;
the world-strange thing-never to be
understood, even by the most useless
would go on henceforth, that is, after three
weeks-absolutely without him-forever,
without thinking any more about him
Poor world Unfortunate world! !! Daily
robbed, thus untimely, its chief hope and
promise Heavy of heart or not, he walk
ed to his club and took a light lunch, and
then went to his chambers, where he lit
cigar and sat down TO think. Only three
weeks left
"a long rope, my lord, . the condemned
criminal used to pray the Judge. Three
weeks was thought reasonably long rope.