Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-07-06
DR.. Dawson's Ward.

Or. Dawson s Ward.
DR.. Arthur Dawson rose from his
easy chair and welcomed to his COM
fortably furnished consulting room
the well-dressed young man whose
card his servant had just handed him.
always glad 10 see you, George.
think can guess what your visit
means. You wish to ask me to con-
sent to your engagement to Laura?"
George Abbott felt far more nervous
than ON the well-remembered occasion
of making his first speech to n jury;
and stammered out Wees, sir. But
how did you know? Has Laura"
Laura has said nothing to me. But
it is said, you know, that lookers-on
see most of the game, and your atten-
tons were such as no honorable man
would offer without serious inten-
tons"
Then you consent" the young man
broke in.
If, after you have heard the story |
am about to relate to you, you still
persist in your request for my wards
hand"
Your ward!"
YES, Laura is not my own child She
Is my adopted daughter and | love
her as dearly as, IS years ago, loved
her poor, Inflated mother But
listen TO her fathers history"
after passing through Guys. and
being duly licensed to KILL" said the
doctor, Il proceeded to India, having
obtained government appointment in
the land of cholera and chutnee. !
was there Is years and was resident
surgeon at Berri-Berri barracks, in
the Neilgherry hills. when ! first met
Capt. Kerr. He was a tall undeniably
handsome man, probably about 30
years Of age.
The colonel of his regiment was
Walter White, whose fag had been
at Winchester. | was a frequent visi-
tor at his bungalow, and one OF the
many victims to the charms of his
lovely daughter. Even now can re-
call her willowy figure, her merry
.ul, violet eyes. But | needn't enter
upon q description Of her; her daugh-
ter is her living image.
'l.aura-her child bears her name
had many sut0rs. and among them
was Rupert Kerr. The captain was
generally looked upon as the lucky
man; and, by degrees, most of the
young lady's admirers withdrew from
the unequal contest.
One day a startling rumor passed
round the camp. | heard Of 1t as !
made my morning round, and, though
pooh -poohed it. It still gained cur
rency. Men said that Capt Kerr had
been secretly married, more than
year before, to half-caste woman at
Bombay, and that she had appeared in
camp to claim her rights as his wife.
After the mess. at which Col. White
and the captain were both absent, !
was summoned TO the colonel's buga-
low went across at once and
found that poor Laura was in high /
fever. Her father and mother were
endeavoring TO calm her and ever
and anon she would shrek: My Rn-
pert, my Rupert-no, you're not |
mine, Not mine. oh dear! and then
would follow burst OF tears. | then
learned that the sinister rumor was no
cantonment gossip, but the plain
truth.
ION returning to my quarters was
at finding Capt Kerr
awaiting me. 'Ha, doctor he exclalm- I
ed as he saw me, i want you to come T
over and see my-my-wife,' with a
curiously hard information OF the last I
word.
y resumed my hat, which had laid
aside, and followed him to the bunga-
low. On my way l asked, What are
the symptoms"
Well, she is sleeping. and has
been sleeping since noon, and cant
awaken her was the anawer.
"On a couch on the yeranda was
stretched an exceedingly fat mulatto
woman. with brown features and a
puckered skin. She was
lying on her back, and was snoring
like a senator.
Il grasped her and felt her pulse
II beat fast and irreguiarly. The cap
tain stood az The head of the sofa and
leant over her. Almost at that in
slant the woman awoke, and poured
forth such a voiuble string OF the
most awful language English and