The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-06

The great surgeon had come down TO
Marion for rest and forgetfulness. He
had meant to go where there was nei-
ther pain nor sorrow, if such an Eden
existed, and he had come to Marion.
For one thing, it was not on railroad;
for another, its diminutive size pre-
cluded the idea that the clanking
chains of business life were about it.
It was lust a lazy little hamlet-a
church, a general store, score of
struggling white houses with green
blinds, and that was all.
Here the surgeon meant to bury him
self for his precious four weeks out
ing. He could have gone to Europe as
the guest of millionaire had he said
the word. He knew he needed Marion
instead.
The great surgeon had been sadly
overworked. All through the summer
months he had promised himself that
he would stop and rest. 1t was late in
September before he finally started
He felt that his iron nerves were Civ
| ing way, and one September morning
he noticed that the marvellous steadi-
ness of his good right hand was i'm
paired. He knew then that he had
enough.
He went away with all the precau
tions of a defaulter. He left no ad
DRESS He desired no mail, no tele
grams, to follow him. For month he
meant to drop his professional exist
! ence. He picked out his destination al
lhaphazard from the big map on his of
| fee wall. He was Influenced, as has
been said, by the fact that the little
| village was off the line of travel. Ht
bought his ticket for a point beyond
the railway town that was Marion!
nearest connection and then doubled
back.
"And now," he said, as he alighted
| yalise in hand, from the mail stag
| that brought him over, there's an en(
| to the surgeon shop. For a month In
somebody else, somebody who know
no more of struggling with human all
i ments than he does of throttling Thra
clan gladiators."
He hadn't even brought profession
nj card with him.
A half hour later he was comfortabl
lodged in the upper front room of tn
Widow Gilettes coy cottage, with
wonderful view of smiling hillside
and tinted woods and blue and whit
sky from it's extremely clean windows
| He had told the widow that his nam
was Thomas Brown and that he was
worn out travelling man who had com
to Marion for rest and quiet. Wher
was he from? From BraceviIle, an
he named the railway town to whic
he had purchased his ticket when h
ran away from the big city.
| "Much sickness in BracevilleF' II
guired the widow.
The surgeon shuddered.
81 don't know" he said shortly ant
taking his hat, went out for stroll
AS he passed down the maple bowere
highway beyond the row of house
kicking the red and gold drifts {
leaves as he family remembered doin
when he was a boy in that farawa
wa village, he noticed lame man a.
preaching The man walked with
; crutch, one of his legs being bent stiff
at the knee. He was CHEEKY face
old man in u faded blue blouse wit
brass buttons.
"Mornin, squire" he said, with trI
rural affability.
"a fine morning" said the great su
0 geon, resolutely looking away from IL
stiffened knee.
"Not from my rheumatism's pint
view," chuckled the old man.
'Rheumatism, eh?' said the surgeo
81 thought it might have been a gu
shot wound" The lame man had hal
ed, and the surgeon felt that he W;
called upon to say something.
mo, SIR" said the lame man, WI
much emphasis. Il went thro' t
, war without a scratch. Got into
!, pitched battles an came out ag'in soul
o as dollar. Uncle Sam don't owe
r nothin. No, sir. Mornin." and
!, sturdily plodded along.
The sugeon smiled at the old mar
yehemence Then. as he looked ba
at his pain cramped figure, he sighe
Somehow the sunshine didn't see
quite so bright.
He walked long enough to win go