Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-06-10
DOCTOR
MARLIN.

Mr.. Van MaCrlCn of Dutch Guiana, when
he first descended upon Little PCddlingtOn
some 80 years ago rs a student in its well
known technical school, armed with let.
tcrs from his fathers Boston agent that
admitted him to Little PcddlingtOn's first
society. And the first society of Little
Peddlington was really high society in
those days Its young men were gentle
men of wealth and leisure, who made the
grand tour in the English style and con
traCtcd high life debts on a corresponding
scale, The young ladies were sent to New
York for their finishing" and acquired &
cosmopolitan polish by flirtations with hcl
Britannia maicsty's swell officers, who
would seem to have been more sociable in
those antcrailway days than they are now
away off there in Canada.
In this society Van Macrlcn shone. He
had been to Europe and could hold his owT
with the travelled bcaus He was tall anG
dark and distinguc looking and said ina
dame in a fascinatingly foreign way fol
the ladies. No one of them ever fell in
love with him, however, strange to say, or
rather, no, it was not strange, for Their,
was something more than tropical, NOR,
than racial about Van Maerlcn from the
first. something mongrcl and uncannv
His eyes and hair were too black, his teetl
were too white. his cynicism was too cvn
iCal to admit of any warmer liking thar
the sort one has for caviare or olives
GilCttantc taste rather than an emotion
Then there was his nose, the most extraor
binary nose, not in the style of Cyrano de
Borgcrac, but in the style of Kosciusko-
that is to say, nose which had started
out to be one kind of a nose and then sud
denly became anothcr-a nose shapely
enough and regular enough in its aouilin,
order till the tin was reached. but there
turning abruptly and sharply upward
precisely as if some malicious fairy ha(
pressed hard finger on it in its owner,
babyhood. 1t was a bold, not to say {
brazcn. thing for man with such a mari
upon him to do what Van Maerlcn pres
entity did, and right there, too, in that lit
tie town where everybody knew everybody
else. If not to speak to. at least by sight
noses included.
The rich Dutch planter father had sem
this son to Little Pcddlington's institut,
to become a civil engineer in order tC
have the big plantations down there il
Dutch Guiana run on scientific nrincinlcs
but, instead of studying, the son spent tn,
four years course carousing with tho rich
and idle Young men with whom his let
tcrs had thrown him. And when the fou,
years were ND instead of a diplomn the
fathers reward was big bundle of l. O
u, s to nav.
Naturally the father was furious. but he
came nobly to the scratch. sending on fin.
money to pav the prodipals debts o
"honor," along with the peremDtory com
mand that the prodigal himself should re
turn on y certain shin SAILING ont ~ RIOS
ton or never. Instead of having his debt,
with the money sent him he gambled if
away. After which he made his exit from
Little Pcddlington's social swim on >
purse made I'D by the cotcrie of youne
men with whom he had caroused and who
had had enough of him To he willing r.
pay a good round sum TO get him off thei,
hands on that now or never shin from
Boston for Dutch Guiana.
A year later one of those nurse makers
a busy Young doctor with n wife and tbs
BEGINNINGS of a family to work for. was
sitting with them at his sumner table
when Van Macrlcn stalLcd in nnberaldod
and unannounccd.
"YOu. Van MaerlenP'' cried the aston.
ishcd doctor
IF YOU please, doctor nv name is Mar
lin now; DR., Marlin
The real doctor was an easy going man
He accepted the situation and allowed
Marlin to STAY ON in his house and hclr
him in his office where the latter inns rnt
"a certain KNOWLEDGE of the nrofessior
whose title he had assumed Int thongt
Marlin was careful to 90 ont nc H++le nc bf
all Van Macrleu $ former haunts it was
inevitable that some time that should hap
non which did The rpul doctor ypaS q