The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-01-16
: IL.
ONE WAY TO CURE ENNU1.


the length and breadth of it,
Thorndyke was in his shirt-sleeves,
but he reached mechanically for his
coat and vest when the physician re-
placed the stethoscope among its kins-
men in the glass case.
II said that your condition is very
critical"-the concern in DR.. Perevin's
voice was too real to be professionals.
"that if we don't look. out you'll slip
away from us as your Uncle Granville
did"
Granville Thorndyke had died Of
quick consumption when his nephew
was a. boy of 10, and Philip had d very
vivid recollection. of the strong mans
steeple-chase down the road to emacia-
ton and death. It seemed incredible
that such a thing could happen to him.
1 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 pre-
nounced it is apt to be different. Thorn
dykes mind skipped the inter1ndiate
steps and arrived at the end of Ghings
with a shock that Jared him out Of his
usual habit of Indifference.
'For Gods sake, doctor! 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 can
tell you it isn't pleasant to be a 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 I can't take it in yet; I'm not sick
I've never had twinge or q symptom
worth mentioning"
"That may be; thetronble frequently
begins so stealthily as to give but little
warming. Your HYpcle reached your age
without suspectmg, that he had the
disease, and them az you remember, he
died within the YEAH"
eyes, I know dill about it," assented
the young man-neodily, "and now I
know why mother ;vas 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. eff any Be6aHy had told me I was
such coward III shouldn't have be-
lieved it, doctort ;,Taais thing has come
SO suddenly thata'1n all at sea. What
is there to bs ID doR a. or is there anything
to be done?" ........-...
The physician shook his head. 'Talz-
ing it for granted that you want the:
plain fact, I'm afrafd the chances are:
against you. Sometimes a complete
change of scene, climate, and habit will
work the miracle that would seem to be
necessary in case like yours, but it is
only fair to warn you that such an eN-
pertinent might only shorten your life"
"a sort of forlorn hope" rejoined
Thorndyke. "Neverthcless, think I'll
try it, not SO much on my own account
as because-Doctor, where should go,
and how long a time can counton?"
answering your last question first
Il don't know; no one can say positive
ly; but unless you get help almost inn
mediately the disease is likely to de-
velop very rapidly. I 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 and pleasant surround
ings. have considerable 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 a 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?''
eyes; 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, I wish you wouldn't
say anything about this-at least, not
just yet. Don't tell the mother or
Helen, I mean"
Certainly not"
THANK you. I'll see you again be-
fore go, that is, if it seems worth while
to make the experiment."
An hour earlier in the day, Philip
Thorndyke had sauntered into the ves-
Thule of the great office building with
the thought that n visit to DR.. Perevin
would answer the double purpose of re-
lieving his mothsy';a 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 tHG falf-hours had Of;
late taken to draggdhgrat discourage
ingly, especially rsinr the afternoons.
That they dragged was due to a number
of causes, the chissff IF which was that
Thorndyke was an unsuccessful idler.
His father hd6dn been bard-work.
ing attorney, gathering and leav-
ing an. estatekt which would have
been fortunsdelsewhere than in
New York, and which was n COM
petence even Is ia, that city %, Of mil
lionaires- The viii gave Philip half,
and the irksomeneeAssf of it's possession
had not made itself felt until after his
postgraduate course in the law had
left him squire of danes, and lack
on this train and 20 extra fares are charged
for the superior accommodations.
Tickets, sleeping car reservations and
| fill inflammation on arn1icatiOn IN vo1r