The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-05-02
A DOCTORS MISTAKE.
by Andre GODDARD.

Awakening from a state Of lethargy,
Raymond Ashleigh, young man Of
ewenty-seven, beheld his doctor gaz-
Ing on him sadly.
"Saved once more" breathed Ray
mond, and he smiled as he stretched
out his arms.
MY poor FRIEND" sighed the doctor.
The sick man stared aghast.
Pull yourself tOgether!' he contin-
ued. You are a man who can stand
the truth"
What do you mean?'
"Your symptoms are those Of the
Mona"
"Of what?'
"a curious malady. which has re-
Gently been described and discussed
in the Lancet. When the state OF
lethargy is over, the patient has three
lucid hours, at the end of which he
dies suddenly"
"Whew!'
snow, look here, keep your spirits up,
like the plucky fellow that you are.
After all is said and done, life is not
worth living! Goodby-good-by my
poor friend, goodby"
Ten minutes later Raymond had
risen. Clad in his flannel smoking
Jacket, he was putting the last
touches to his toilet. The doctor had
withdrawn, that his friend might
have time to settle his worldly affairs.
When he had done brushing his
mustache and smoothing his finger
nails, Raymond chose one Of his
dricst cigars, and lighted it, while
casting sorrowful look at the others,
tnh he ~ >I-o
Then he threw himself on his divan
and began to reflect.
However brave he might be; how
ever fearless of death. Raymond
Ashleigh soon came to the con-
clusion that his case was peculiarly
-aGgravating one.
The day before, when lie was taken
with tho feyer-he had made up his
mind to prepare for the worst-he had
sent for his lawyer and for clergy
man, and destroyed all his letters.
Then he had laid down his giddy head
and fallen asleep, with the con-
viction that he would not wake again
before doomsday.
But now he was like 4 condemned
man who, after having made sure
OF reprieve, found himself suddenly
on the way to the scaffold. Out
side in the CHEEKY atmosphere Of
d bright June day, the drives of the
Central Park were alive with
continuing stream of smart carriages
everything spoke of happiness and
health; he himself had never felt
so eager for drive, so eager to eagor
to enjoy it, and he was asked to be-
lieve that tomorrow there would
be nothing left of all this-So far as
he was concerned-but a mournful
crowd Of friends, a trip in a slow,
jolting hearse. to Greenwood Gem
etery, and the conventional and
monotonous utterances of the clergy
man before an open grave.
Tomorrow the joys and friendly
ties Of his whole life would be gone
forever!
While he was finishing his cigar,
reclining listlessly on the cushion OF
his divan, Raymond saw all his life
fit past him as in a dream. Nearly
forgotten episodes of his childhood
cropped up as if they were quite re-
cent; then, in rapid succession, his
mind dwelt on the many times he
had fallen in love between fifteen and
twenty-five; until, only one year ago,
he came to the first month Of his mar
ried life.
How full of unmitigated JOY those
days had been! Raymond renem-
bered the minutest events of his
honeymoon spent in fun and frolic,
with pleasant excursions, verging on
bachelors dissipation, freaks which
made lively gossip for fashionable
New Workers. Delighted beyond
measure by the admiration which his
1,o l,o
was more madly in love after his mar
riage than before. He would have
been jealous if the mere possibility
of such thing could have been seri-
,ously entertained by either of them.
And all this passionate love had been
brought to an end, three months pre-
vious,by a scandalous separation, ow-
ing to blunder on his part and L rash
escapade of his little wife-a mere ca
price on her part, with no thought of
wrong.
BY mutual consent they had separat-
ed. Yet, strange to say, their love for
each other had continued. SO far as
the world was concerned. their rela-
tons were restricted to icy bows when
ever they met in the park, at the opera
or in the theater, but their professed
indifference for each other scarcely de-
ceived their common friends.
The idea Of dying without having
seen once more the woman he loved
above all others appeared preposter-
GUS to Raymond. STUDIED obstinancy
and stern resolve seemed to be alto
gether out Of place when brought face
to face with everlasting separation.
What risk did he run in attempting
Il reconciliation even if it We're not to
succeed?
Raymond sprang to his feet, and.
seating himself before his writing desk
scrubbed hurriedly a short telegram,
and send it off by his valet.
He looked at his watch; he had two
more hours to live; his beloved wife
would have time to come.
Would she come? Would she be
touched by note containing dying
mans farewell. Or, in the relentless
dignity of offended woman, would she
refuse to forgive, even under these
solemn circumstances?
The anguish Of uncertainty, added
TO the moral torture, made Raymond
vince despite all his nerve and reso-
luton to take his inevitable fate
cOOlly. With something yery like ter