Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-11-10
DR. DAWSON'S WARD.

DR. DA WSUN > w AKD.
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 to see you, George.
l think | can guess what your visit
means. You wish to ask me to con-
sent to your engagement to Laura"
George Abbot felt far more nervous
than on the well-remembered occasion
Of making his first speech to a jury;
and stammered out, "Ye-es, sir. But
how did you know7 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-
tiOns were such as no honorable man
would offer without serious inten-
tions."
"The you consentw the young man
broke in.
"If, after you have heard the story 1
ain about to relate 10 you, you still per-
sist in your request for my wards
hand"
Your wardr'
"Yes, Laura is net my own child.
She is my adopted daughter, and I
love her as dearly as, twenty-five
years ago, l loved her poor, ill-fated
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. l
was there fifteen years and was resi-
dent surgeon at Berri-Berri Barracks,
in the Neilgherry Hills, when l first
met Capt. Kerr He was a tall, unde-
niably handsome man, probably about
thirty years of age.
"rhe colonel of his regiment was
Walter White, whose fag | had been
at Winchester. | was frequent WIS.,
itor at his bungalow. and one of the
many victims to the charms of his
lovely daughter Even now l recall
her willowy figure, her merry laugh,
her fiaXen ringlets, and trustful, viO-
let eyes. But | needn't enter upon a
description of her; her daughter is her
living image.
"Laura-her child bears her name
had many suitors, 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.
zone day a startling rumOr passed
round the camp. | heard of 1t as I
made my morning round, and, though
| pooh-poohed it. it still gained curren-
cy. Men said that Capt. Kerr had
been secretly married, more than a
year ago, to a 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 bunga-
low. | went across at once, and found
that poor Laura was in a high fever.
Her father and mother were endeav-
oring TO calm her, but in vain, and
ever and anon she would shrek: My
Rrpert my Rupert-no, you're not
mine! Not mine, oh dearr and then
would follow a burst of tears. | then
learnt that the sinister rumor was no
cantOnment gossip, but the plain, un-
vanished truth.
"On returning to my quarters I was
astOnished at finding Capt Kerr
awaiting me. 'Ha! Doctor he ex-
claimed, as he saw me, Il want you to
come over and see my-my-my Wife
with curiously hard intonation of the
last word.
81 resumed my hat, which had laid
aside. and followed him to his bunga-
low. On my way l asked, What are
the symptomsT
"Well, she is sleeping, and has been
sleeping since noon, and l can't awak-
en- her was the answer.
"On a couch in the verandar was
stretched an exceedingly fat mulattO
woman. with brown features and a
curiOusly puckered skin. She was
lying on her back and was snoring like
a StentOr.
II grasped her arm and felt her
pulse. 1t beat fast and irregularly.
The Captain stood at the head of the
sofa and leant over her. Almost at
that instant the woman awoke, and
poured forth such voluble string of
the most awful language English and
HindustanD that even | shrank back
appalled,.
"The Captain motiOned me to the
door. She's come around, Doctor, so
there's no necessity for your kind SER
vices. | will only ask you not to de-
scribe Mrs. Kerr to the mess l gave
the required pledge and left him.
"For some weeks l attended Mrs.
Kerr in her apparently cataleptic
frances. They came at irregular in
tervals, and were always marked by
similar symptoms.
"My other patient. Laura White, had
by this time recovered, but was hardly
more than the shadow of her old
sunny self. Naturally, Kerr was cut
by the regiment and l, for one, felt
| sincerely glad when It was announced
that he had exchanged into a home
regiment and would shortly sail for
England
"My affection for Laura was only
strengthened and one day, after pay.
| ing my morning visit, | asked her, in
her fathers presence to become my
/ wife.
"She burst into tears, and when she
| had recovered her composure, she an
| swered: L feel that | am honored by
the affection Of good and noble man
| and though l cannot give you the love
/ / ought, l will try to make you a good
/ and faithful wife
"On the day that our engagement
was published, Kerr's wife died
| was present when she passed away in
cataleptic fit and gave my certificate
! to that effect As is usual in hot eli
mates, she was buried within twenty
four hours.
"FOrty-eght hours later my briel
cup of happiness was dashed to thu
ground. Capt. Kerr had left for Eng
tsTHisss5sIsHtO, isss. .e"YsssEts YYEsssEts.
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