Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-07-11
SHEPHERDSTOWN, ". JULY II, 1895.

He amt doing anything that you could
call work, now, is he? It. me that
sticks out my tongue and bears the
pain in my shoulder, amt it?
PAY him. he hurried on, "why,
I'd pay anything before I'd pay doc
tors bill, and I've often told him so,
an he don't expect I'd pay. I can
tell you one thing, I'm pretty good
friend of his-Tve never said a word
against him Now this is work that
I'm doing and you're hindering me,
boy. So you just run along home.
Good day.
Mr.. Timms began hoeing again with
such zeal that Earle turned sadly to-
ward the gate.
"This is awful work, said Earle to
himself, as he turned the corner and
started for the Whistler place, another
mile away, upon the hill. at makes
me dizzy, the way they talk It's get
ting late, too. I'm glad | thought to
tell mother that I might not get home
for supper, and that l put the ginger
bread in my pocket
Earle knew to much about Mr..
Whistler's peculiar disposition, to feel
very hopeful as he approached the
house-a fine, modern structure, into
which very few of the village people
had ever entered.
Mr.. Whistler, a nervous, eccentric
invalid, had come from neighborlng
city, hoping for benefit from the quiet
and change Of air. For the first few
months the doctor had been in con-
slant attendance upon him, and had
grown much interested in his patient,
which had made their sudden rupture
the more unpleasant.
The man-seryant who opened the
door was beginning to tell Earle that
his master was too unwell to see any
one, when a shout checked him:
LET him in, say-whoever he Is.
and Earle was quickly conducted across
the polished, rug.strewn floor of the
hall to an elegant room where Mr..
Whistler sat with a pile of newspapers
at his elbow He was tall, gaunt
old man, with fiery black eyes under
white eyebrows.
well, boy" he asked sharply
81 brought out papa's bill-Doctor
Thatchers-to see if, maybe,you would
please, just as lief, pay it, murmured
Earle, in Il subdued voice There was
something very awe-inspiring about
this feeble old man in silken dressing
gown and embroidered skull-cap.
"Pay Doctor Thatcher S bill Never.
the tone was so vehement that Earle
trembled, and was turning to steal
quietly from the room, but Mr.. Whist
Ter went on
"Pay that ignorant scoundrel, that
blundering ignoramus Let him be
thankful that ! do not sue him for
malpractice'
Mrs. Nixon's unfailing, unreasonable
suavity, old Timms' conscientious scru-
pies, had each in turn vanqulshed
Earle, but Mr.. Whistler's bitter words
transformed the discouraged boy OF a
minute before into a warrior ready to
battle valiantly in defence of his
fathers rights and name.
81 won't hearmy father talked about
like that !" he exclaimed, with flashing
eyes. "My father is the best doctor in
the country You'd better pay what
YOU owe him-and I'll stay heIeti you
dol" Earle seated himself opposite
Mr.. Whistler, and gl0red at him def
antly. The boys wrath was so honest,
flial, that it had its effect upon the old
man, who saw that he had overstepped
the bounds of propriety in giving his
opinion of the doctor to his son.
"Well, boy" he said, a spoke has
tily. withdraw what I said. But
you can go-it would be crime to pay
for such services y
"Oh, know all about it !" proclaim
ed Earle, scorniully. MY laIhei n@u
YOU almost cured, and then a miserable
caqck doctor came along and talked to
you till YOU got wild and believed ev-
erything be told you about papa-that
his medicines were killing you-and
all that And you discharged papa
and kept the quack, and you were soon
well, and that was because he hadIust
sense enough to keep up my father 5
prescription We know that, for We
saw it at drug store in Boston, where
the quack doctor had put it up! And
he named it 'Rallying Rapture, and
Won kent on swallowing ii. and eyerv-