Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-05-06
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or a. CONAN DOYLE

his hat, and produced his stethoscope
from it's interior with the air of a con-
jurer upon the stage. (Which Of these
gentlemen am to examiner" he asked.
blinking from one to the other of them.
"Ah, it is you! Only your waistcoat!
You need not undo your collar. Thank
you! A full breath! Thank you! Ninety
nine! Thank you! Now hold your
breath for a moment. Oh, dear, dear,
what is this hear?"
What is it them" asked the Admiral
coolly.
Tut! tut! This is great pity. Have
you had rheumatic fever?"
Never"
"You have had some serious illness?"
Never"
"Ah, you are an admiral. You have
been abroad, tropics, malaria, ague-I
know"
IT have never had days illness"
mot to your knowledge; but you have
inhaled unhealthy air. and it has left
its effect. You have an organic muir
mur-slight but distinct"
rs it dangerous?"
"It might at any time become so. You
should not take violent-exercise."
"Oh, indeed. 1t would hurt me to run
a half mile?"
ut would be very dangerous"
"And mile?'
"Would be almost certainly fatal"
'Then there is nothing else the mat
ter?"
mo. But if the heart is weak, then
everything is weak. and the life is not a
sound one"
You see, Admiral" remarked Mr..
Metaxa, as the doctor secreted his steth-
oscope once more in his hat, my re-
marks were not entirely uncalled for.
am sorry that the doctors opinion is
not more favorable, but this is matter
of business, and certain obvious pre-
cautions must be TAKEN"
"Of course. Then the matter is at an
end
well, we might even now do bust
ness. am most anxious to be of use to
you. How long do you think. doctor,
that this gentleman will in all proba-
bility live?'
well. we'll, it's rather delicate ques-
ton to answer" said Mr.. Proudie, with
a show Of embarrassment
"Not bit, sir. Out with it! have
faced death too often to finch from it
now, though / saw it as near me as you
are''
"Well, we'll. we must go by averages
Of course. Shall we say two years? I
should think that you have full two
years before you"
"In two years your pension would
bring you in f1,6OO. Now will do my
very best for you, Admiral! I will ad-
vance you $4,000 and you can make over
to me your pension for your life. 1t
Is pure speculation on my part. II you
die tomorrow l lose my money. If
the doctors prophecy is correct I shall
still be out of pocket. If you live a lit
tie longer, then I may see my money
again. 1t is the very best can do for
YOU"
Then you wish to buy my pension?'
Eyes. for two thousand down."
"And If I live for twenty years?"
"Oh, in that case Of course my specu-
lation would be more successful. But
you have heard the doctors opinion"
would you advance the money in
stantly?"
you should have a thousand at once.
The other thousand should expect you
to take in furniture
I'm furnitur5?"
Eyes, Admiral. We shall do you a
beautiful houseful at that sum. It is
the custom of my clients to take half
in furniture"
The Admiral sat in dire perplexity.
He had come out to get money, and to
go back without any, to be powerless to
help when his boy needed every shilling
to save him from disaster; that would
be very bitter to him. On the other
hand, it was so much that he surren-
dered, and so little that he received.
Little, and yet something. Would it
not be better than going back empty
1nded? He saw the yellow backed
eheque-book upon the table. The
moneylender opened it and dipped his
pen into the ink.
"Shall I fill it up?" said he.
II think, Admiral" remarked West
macott, "that we had better4have lit
tie walk and some luncheon before we
settle this matter"
"Oh, we may as we'll do it at once. It
would be absurd to postpone 1t now"
Metaxa spoke with some heat, and his
eyes glinted angrily from between his
narrow lids at the imperturbable
Charles. The Admiral was simple in
money matters, but he had seen much
Of men and had learned to read them.
He saw that venomous glance, and saw
too that intense eagerness was peeping
out from beneath the careless air which
the agent had assumed.
. You're quite right. Wesmacott," said
he. We'll have little walk before we
settle it,"
But I may not be here this after
noon."
Then we must choose another day."
But why not settle it now?"
Because I prefer not said the Ad-
mral shortly.
VERY well. But remember that my
offer is only for to-day. 1t Is off unless
you take it at once"
Let it be off, then"
There's my fee," cried the doctor.
How much?"
"A guinea"
The Admiral threw a pound and a
shilling upon, the table. Come, West
; macott." said he, and they walked to-
gether from the room.
II don't like It," said Charles, when
they found themselves in the street once