Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-02-11
A CASE In EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
DE w. 90 cURE EMU
tcopyrigh, 1855. by } 3. LiDriuoou Co..


Thorndyke was in his shirt-sleeves.
but he reached mechanically for his
coat and vest when the physician re-
placed the stethoseope among its kins-
men in the glass case.
4 said that your condition is very
Critical,-the concern in DR.. Perevin's
voice was too real to be professional:
that il we don't look out you'll slip
away from US as your Uncle Granville
did"
Granville Thorndyle had died of
quick consumption when his nephew
was boy of 4. and Philip had 4 verv
vivid recollection of the strong mans
steeple-ehase down the road to emacia-
ton ana death. 1t seemed incredible
that such a thing could happen to him.
He sat down and tried to realize it.
Realizing is usually a methodical
process, but when a man believes he
has just heard his death-sentence pro-
nounced it's apt to be different Thorn
dykes mind skipped the intermediate
steps and arrived at the end of things
with a shock that Jared him out of his
usual habit of indifference
For Gods sake, doctorl Do you
know-but of course you don't; no man
can really put himself in another's
place when it comes to the pinch"
''Not wholly, perhaps; and yet l can
tell you it isn't pleasant to be prophet
of evil Hadn't you any hint of your
danger?"
''Not the least in the world Why.
I'm here now only because the mother
and Helen insisted upon my coming
And | can't take it in yet; I'm not sick
I've never had a twinge or symptom
worth mentioning"
THAT may be; the trouble frequently
begins SO stealthily as to give but little
warning. Your uncle reached your age
without suspecting that he had the
disease, and then, as you remember, he
died within the year"
Eyes, L know all about it." assented
the young man, moodily, "and now l
know why mother was so anxious"
He got up and walked nervously back
and forth in front of the physician,
with his hands behind him and his head
down. IF anybody had told me was
such a coward 1 shouldn't have be-
lieved it, doctor. This thing has come
SO suddenly that I'm all at sea. What
is there to be done /? or is there anything
to be done?'
The physician shook his head. "Tall-
ing it for granted that you want the
plain fact I'm afraid the chances are
against you. Sometimes a complete
change of scene, climate, and habit will
10 IL
necessary in case like yours, but it is
only fair to warn you that such an ex-
pertinent might only shorten your life
"A sort of forlorn hope" reioined
Thorndyke. Nevertheless, 1 think I'll
try it, not SO much on my own account
as because-Doctor, where should GO,
and how long time can L count on?"
Answering your last question first
= don't know; no one can say positive
iy; but unless you get help almost i'm
mediately the disease is likely to de-
velop very rapidly. 1 should say that
six months would tell the story, one
way or the other; though it might take
longer. And as to the place, there isn't
much choice, so long as you get an even
temperature ard pleasant surround
ings. l ha i, siderable faith in the
climate of the southern end of the Blue
Ridge; but you must live out of doors
if you go there"
six months; something less than 200
days. That ought to give man time
enough to make his peace; many poor
devil gets less than that many minutes
or seconds. And yet there are some
things that can't well be settled in a
short half year"
you are thinking of your engage
ment to Helen?"
Yes; that, and the property, and
my mothers grief and worry, and a
hundred other things that were not of
the least consequence an hour ago"
He took his hat and paused in the door
way, Doctor, / wish you wouldn't
say anything about this-at least, not
Just yet Don't tell the mother or
Helen. l mean"
Certainly not"
THANK you. I'll see you again be-
fore 60, that is, if it seems worth while
to make the experiment"
An hour earlier in the day, Philip
Thorndyke had sauntered into the YES
thule Of the great office building with
the thought that a visit to DR.. Perevfn
would answer the double purpose of re-
lieving his mothers anxiety, and of
enabling him to wear out a half-hour of
the afternoon in chat with the old
family physician; and he went the more
willingly since the half-hours had Of
late taken to dragging rather discourage
ingly, especially in the afternoons.
That they dragged was due to number
of causes, the chief Of which was that
Thorndyl1e was an unsuccessful idler.
His father had been hard-work-
ing attorney, gathering and leav-
ing an estate which would have
been a fortune elsewhere than III
New York, and which was a com
petence even in that city of mil
liouaires The will cave pbiIin half