Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-09-18
Mrs. B. Parsons, M. D.

NAL years. Not one of the com
placent happy ones. either.
To begin with, I took up medicine
comparatively late in life. They
had made an architect of me, but ]
soon found myself kicking vigorous
| ly against that honorable probes.
sion.
After deal of persuasion | was
allowed TO enter as a student al
Bart's, and for two years worked
hard.
l read good deal at the British
Museum, like other fellows, from the
9Th of August, 1873, always at the
i IL sest.
Why, you ask, always at thai
place?
Well, because it was Cd that date
that the most charming little woman
/ ever saw fist came and occupied
the seat marked B IL. l hoped she
would keep to that seat, and so she
did.
The pile of books she used daily
staggered me, and of course it would
have been troublesome to alter the
indications on her reference slips il
she had changed Or been ousted from
BIZ.
From The 9th Of August, l88-.
it was generally toss up which Of
us was the first reader to appear in
the reading room. The assistants
often smiled.
Her name was Bella Whitcpmbe
l learned that very soon. An Off
cial left one of her slips on my tab!e
by mistake. She had asked fol
Strauss famous "Lecture on Cardiac
Troubles" and the slip came to me
marked ain use."
had the greatest pleasure in the
world in returning the slip to hel
with smile. Then she smiled back
at me with those sweet, brown eyes
of hers and remarked, "What a nui
sancel / did so want it,"
After this we often exchanged
words. Trivial words! Any pre-
text was good enough for me that
procured me q glance or smile from
her.
| did not get on st all with stud
les. IF | had not been fool (fron
the professional point Of view),
should have bolted TO the w or Y
part OF the room but I had come
to the conviction thai it was moro
enjoyable TO fail in my Examination
and sec Bella every day than pass
with distinction at the cost of sever
ance from her.
Blissful, lazy, heart-breaking. anx'
ious hours Day after day, from
half-past nine until three, with al
interval Of three quarters Of an hour
for lunch.
Bella was brought TO the Museum
every morning by maid tue maid
took her of for lunch, and the maid
was always waiting among tue pig.
cons under the portico from five
minutes 10 three in the afternoon.
There was no getting rid Of thai
precious Accountable domestic.
When we had known each other 0
month l proposed Git was a wild,
foolish thing to do) to accompany
her towards Bayswater on an omni.
bus. The maid was to go inside, she
and / outside. But it was no go.
"My father would not like it, Mr..
Marrable," she said, with a sympa.
thetic smile.
tried whispering conversations
about the weather, text books, ex-
aminations and SO on but, to say
nothing Of the frowns / raised on
other studious faces and a formal
protest from the gentleman on his
throne in the middle of the room,
Bella did not greatly encourage me.
81 am here to work." she wrote on
q slip at one time and pushed this
toward me.
1t will hardly be credited, but |
ostentatiously put that slip to my
lips and then folded it and placed it
in my watch pocket-the heart peck
ct.
How she looked at me when / lid
this. An ordinary girl would have
giggled. She did not giggle, and
theneeforwarded her les were not
quite what they had been. The PEN
siye seriousness in them, however.
made her more and more dear TO
me.
Even when, for a joke, / recon-
mended her to ask for Spencer on
"Shoulder Blaaes''-a we'll known
absurdity-she only gave ne little
Ieproying nod Of her pretty head,
with the bronze co!ored hair and The
tiny shell ears.
So it went on until November
when could bar il no longer. ]