The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1895-03-16
A. GHOST STORY.

You may believe in ghosts to your
hearts content" said the doctor as we
all sat around the blazing fire one
night night just before separating for
bed; you've never seen one. For nv
part, I've been more fortunate, and
| believe in them.
When I was a lecturer In the ana
tomical course of the school. years ago
| was in the habit OF frequently giving
lectures at the dissecting table with
the class around me there.
AT the same time l was in full
practice, and l had one case in particu-
lar that was enthralling to me. This
case had baffled the skill Of every ply
stefan of note in the country. [ was
the last employed upon it; and being in
love with the young lady l struggled
against it's progress like a mad man.
There were recorded in all our medical
chronicles but four cases Of this type
two had occurred nearly 100 years
ago and had been poorly diagnosed
then; the third was a twin sister of
my patient, who had not died of it
simply because in an early stage of the
disease she had been drowned. I saw
that there was no help in science or
sympathy for my patient; and as day
by day passed and she steadily declin-
ed, and my love did nothing but in
crease for her unfailing sweetness and
her beauty, that blazed only brighter
with the disease, it used to seem to
me us If my brain would burst with
despair and desire and suspense. 1
will not attempt to tell you how beau
tiful she was, wen in her illness and
incipient decay; her features nodded
like some antique statues, were ala
bastrine, the flames of her spirit
burned behind them till they were fair
~ luminous; her great dark eyes glow
ed-with the hidden fever perhaps
but still like stars and a faint rosy
fame went and came on her cheeks
that many a time 1 longed to deepen
with my lips, but never ~dared-for had
I told her of my passion I should have
been Of little good as a physician; and,
in fact, I was of little good. Let me do
my best and try my utmost, study
and ponder, search and compare, all
my efforts were but a~lleviations; the
disease like an underground fire whose
issues have been closed at the surface,
burned steadily underneath.
"She saw the absorption In which
she held me; but she knew that I was
devoted to my studies and if she recog-
nized it to be anything but profession
al zeal she gave me no sign. But my
heart beat wildly for one Of those
smiles of hers that she shed around so
carelesly in moments freed from par
oxysms of her pain, for one of those
smiles that should be given to me and
me only. I stole n day a long tress
Of her yellow hair, while she was
sleeping; I betrayed my profession In
doing it.; perhaps it was alb liter solace
to me, and I have it yet. There was
nothing earthly in this passage of
mine; how could there be when it was
for n whose body was passing away
from earth? I had a certain sort Of
bliss only in seeing her from day to
day, in the freedom and the friendship
of our relation-of taking her hand,
whose touch almost made my heart
leap into my throat-of receiving her
confidence-of being looked for and ex-
pected by her . Sometimes when the
man and lover become the student Of
science and I saw that even this must
end before long; I cursed the day I
was born and groveled on the floor In
darkness. OF what use was my profess
sion to me, all my skill, my nerve, lay
courage, my steady hand, my judg-
ment, if in one my one need they avail
ed me nothing, absolutely nothing?
They were my bane, for had I never
possessed them I should never have
been consulted in relation to this case
I should never have been tortured to
agony by knowing that I could save
any rat-catcher's daughter from all the
fevers that infest the slums, while be-
fore the life of my soul as it departed
I could only veil my face. You must
not think me a positive monster when
/ assure you that it would have been
some satisfaction to me after things
came to the worst, could I but have
had the liberty to make an unfettered
investigation, into the anatomy Of tho
disease, which I could and would have
done-we a. r strange compounds-at
any rate a physician is. p"
zone day I was summoned away by
q message which I could not disobey;
nv father was ill where I alone could
be of service to him. I went to Elise
and gave my written orders for her
treatment during the next three days.
I thought I might venture to leave
her for that length Of time, since the
changes of her disease were so slow in
their progress-and at any rate l must.
If anything strange or new occurs,
Elise, desert my directions at once
I said, and send for DR.. :Haussman-
but. do not lose your heart to him. I
said that lightly, for DR.. Haussmar,
though almost unrivaled In his art.
was a bachelor laughing-stock among
young women.
/" II I did," said Elise, The should
never know it."
!"Why not" I asked, with something
very like hope, a ghost of hope, rising
in my heart. If a man loves you,and Is
loved by. you, has he not a right to
know it?"
" All, do you think I am such a
wretch as that" sighed Elise. TO en-
courage SO hopeless q love as n for
me must beg' ~, .
lyon are an angel I said. I went
out with my blood dancing for Joy In
my veins; T. had learned all I wanted
to know-and even If she died I
should know that Elise would be wait
ing for me-mine, and mine only-in
the life beyond.
IT was detained by my fathers ILL
ness the three days, and started on my
return. Overtaken by a great snow
storm, and our coach broken down, and
horses that could make Roadway being