The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-03-10
HIS DREAD SECRET.


I am old now--so old and feeble tina,
for several years | have been unable
to continue the practice of my profess
sion. Yet, as matter of habit as a
kind of second nature, day rarely
passes without finding me at my of
fice-as / still call the little dusty den
away out of hearing of the noise and
crash of the street.
Yesterday, as | was sitting there
alone, a friend came in and gave me a
long, garrulous account of skeleton
that had been but an hour before dis
inferred in the heart of the city by
some workmen digging for the foun-
dation of building. 1t was the skele-
ton of woman, he said. | looked at
him sharply, and satisfied myself that
he told this merely as a piece of intel
Iigence. Heaven helped me to keep
composed, think. This was my dread
secret.
Somewhat more than fifty years ago,
and in this very room where / write,
concluded the long weary probation OF
my student life, and entered singly up
on the practice of my profession. My
success was immediate and gratifying.
To be brief, l was successful almost
beyond precedent; business and money
came at my command and the city re-
sounded with praises of my skill. and
the wonderful cures | had performed.
was called from my bed at mignight
upon one occasion, and directed in the
most urgent manner to repair at once
to the residence of Judge c. The
house indicated was the house of one
of the wealthiest and proudest families
of b., and / obeyed the summons as
soon as possible 1t was with difficult
ty that [ ascertained, amid the sobs
and tears that greeted my arrival. that
Helena c., the only and idolized daugh-
ter of the family, and the acknowI-
edged belle and beauty of the city,
had been suddenly attacked with a vio-
lent malady 1t needed but one glance
at the sufferer to assure me of this.
Can you save herr" was the fathers
agonized question.
THE chances are ninety-nine in a
hundred against her living an hour, !"
was the reply. Nevertheless, | will
leave nothing undone."
My end was accomplished. For thir-
ty-six consecutive hours | sat by her
bedside, warlly combating the vital
disease which had assailed her, and
at last pronounced her out of danger,
I felt that l had almost wrought out a
miracle. This was another triumph
added to my list, and the report Of my
fame was in every mouth.
But this was not the only conse-
quence of the occurrence The discov-
cry that my lovely and amiable patient
regarded me with a warmth of emo
tion and gratitude which only her own
warm heart could conceive, filled me
with feelings of the liveliest pleasure
For several weeks after Helena's
perfect restoration to health [ was a
frequent and welcome visitor at the
house. Neither of us had ever spoken
of love, and yet knew that she, equal
Iy with myself, was secretly hoping
for future of welded happiness-at
least this hope was the cherished
dream of my life, and, alasl like every
other dream, it had its end. Buoyant
and elated with my false hopes, VEN
tured one day to ask Helenas father
to sanction our love. The revelation
was new one to him, and with a
frown the naughty aristocrat bade me
leave his house and never approach it
again.
Embittered by such relentless oppo-
sition as this, l began to consider Hell
ena as forever lost to me, and follow
ing the idle impulse of the moment. |
started upon a voyage to Europe. Wan
dering restlessly over the countries of
the Old World for a year. | at length
received a letter from home which.
among other things, spoke of the mar
riage of Helena. I smiled bitterly
as the name of the husband caught my
eye. The man who was thus preferred
to me was coarse, sensual, and unre-
fined, but wealthy, and therefore un-
exceptionable to Judge B.
1t was the very day, if | remember
rightly. subsequently to my return to
b.. that I was sitting here in my Of
fee. solitary and alone. | had as yet
seen hardly single one of my former
acuuaintanceS, and more utterly
wretched and desolate, If possible, than
before my departure, for, spite of my
utmost endeavors, my thoughts were
constantly fixed on Helena. | had al
most lost consciousness of external
objects, when light rap upon the
door reached me- There had been an
audible step in the passage, and con-
occurring that my visitant was wo-
man, / hastened to admit her. / was
correct; it was a woman, and none 9TH
err than the subject of nay thoughts
do not think i'll of me, Walter, for
coming here. 4 heard of your return,
and wished to see yoE, If but for a
moment. I am very unhappy"
Her aast sFords were addressed rath-
erxt0 1leEyrlf than to me. an q yielding
her emotion. she ssa1i tesas aSA