Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-03-15
emit, Doctor Doviland hurried

# well doctor, what do you thinkT
she eagerly questioned.
II think, madam" said the doctor
balancing both thumbs In the arm
holes of his vest. THAT | shall let him
der
Doctor
Because" added the disiple Of Gal
en-, with a sly twinkle in his merry
blue eyes, he Is determined to die
whether or not. and man always
lives longer for having his own way
II don't comprehend your meaning
at all, Doctor" said Mrs Dilthrope,
quarver in her voice.
ALLOW me to explain II to you," said
the doctor, taking her hand, and cOhr-
teously leading her back into the blue
and-gold reception room: land l be-
leave l can make you agree with me,
that he had better die and be done with
! it."
Mr.. Ebenezer Dilthrope's mind grew
curiously morbid and distorted under
the action of disease that was more
mental than physical. He lay among
his pillows, not altogether ill-pleased
with the prestige that attended him
as "a dying man. although, If he had
thought the castrophe to be immed-
lately impending, he might have seen
matters in a different light; and there
were times when he wished people
wouldn't agree so implicitly with him
when he sang dolorous changes on the
old strain:
when | am gone--when am gOnew
A little timely contradiction had been
fuel to the flame; but 1t was all with
drawn Nobody dissented from him
now-not even his wife.
1t was toward sunset, on the even
ing of the third day from that on
which Doctor Doviland had acquiesced
in his melancholy views, when he
started from brief dose, at the sound
of voices in IN adjoining apartment.
'All to be left to the widow, ehY'
said a CHEEKY accent. "Oh, Charley,
what lucky thing for you! You have
always loved herT'
''Of course | have"' returned IA voice
which Dilthrope recognized as that of
his wife's cousin, Charley Castleton.
"Dilthrope's good fellow enough, and
l haven't a word against him person
ally: but he never was half good en-
ough for Agnes
"A wealthy widow musingly re.
peated Lucy Castleton. why, Char.
ley, it would set you up in life
II shall propose as soon as the old
fellow is well underground said Cas-
Teton, gravely.
Here Mr. Dilthrope bounced in bec
to make sure it was flannel blanket
over him, instead of sods of black wal
nut
And" went on the heartless youns.
miscreant, shell have me. of course"
"Aggie always liked YOU" interject-
ed Miss Lucy.
The deuce she did," muttered Mr..
Dilthorpe, giving another spasmodiC
jerk.
Il shall take her to Europe said
Charley, in the slow meditative way
wherein one discusses the bright pos
sibilities of ones future. 'She has had
but dismal time of it lately, brew
ing Cruel for Dilthorpe and bathing his
head with cologne and bay-rum! Now
darling! l won't enact the selfish
grand mogul! Wen keep this cottage
for a summer residence. 1t will do
well enough with little alteration
a conservatory thrown out at the south
end of the awing-room, and library
at the back. | shall sell off the furni-
ture at auction, and"
You will get out of this. if you
please, at once.' roared the voice of
the doomed sufferer. and Charley
Castleton started to behold Mr.. Dill
thorpe standing. tall and spectral, with
a sheet wrapped about him, and anger
flaming in his eyes. You may do as
you like after I'm dead; but I'm not
dead YETI
And wearied out by perturbation of
mind, and the excitement of this I'M
usual effort, he dropped painting into
chair, just as Doctor Dociland en-
tered at an opposite door.
Hello cried the doctor. with long
"hiSiNs 'hpuCht sou NtlN Wy
But I'm not DYING said Mr.. Dill
thorpe, wrathfullly; land / don't in
tend to die-not just at present at all
events!
Bravo cried the doctor IL would
not, if l were you
And Ebenezer Dilthorpe kept his
word. He got well at once. Doctor
Doviland gravely protested it was the
most wonderful and speedy recovery
he had ever witnessed.
do you know, DOCTOR" said Mr. Dill
thorpe, the first day he drove out with
his medical attendant, II begin to be-
lieve-that | wasn't so very sick after
all?"
'Have you just found it out?" said
the doctor. Didn't l tell you so long
ago?"
IF it hadn't been for that scoundrel
Casteton," said Dilthorpe, II should
have died in good earnestw
Possibly" said Doctor Doviland
THE mind sways the body powerfully
But that scoundrel Castleton, as you
call him, was nothing more nor less
than a brisk dose of medicine, admin
istered for your reliefv'
En- cried Dilthorpe, pricking up
his ears. Then he WASN'T In love
with Agnes, after all?"
HE Is to be married to lovely
young Philadelphia heiress'next week."
said the doctor. 1T was all a plot Of
ours to cure your