Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-01-09
THE DOCTORS STORY
Not married yet, nor going to be-"

why, Frank, | thought surely by this
time"
The doctor moved uneasily in his chair
and turned so that.the electric light over
his desk did not shine full ON his face; as
for me- | paused abruptly, feeling that
had hedged on painfully delicate ground
Il meant to have written to you of a
matter that has concerned me very deep
Iy, Jack, but somehow have never felt in
the mood I've gone through tough
experience since j saw you last"
Looking at his haggard face, L could
we'll believe this.
why, dear old chap" said I, forgive
me for rubbing you on sore spot. l
hadn't the slightest idea"
How should you? You are the only
person to whom I shall ever mention the
subject, but if you care to hear
Tell me-" l said.
do you remember, just before you
went West, my speaking to you OF Mrs.
Selwin, whom l had been called to at
tend, and her daughter, Carlotta"
Quite well. You raved about th3
girls beauty and fine qualities and filial
affection, etc, till l thought.
Il did not overestimate her, interrupt
ed the doctor with a flush. Mrs. Ser
Of diseases that reached a clilnaX-or
rather an ante-climax-in the alarming
attack which occasioned their sending
for me. | pulled her through-that Is,
Carlotta and | pulled her through. L
knew that she was destined to have more
of these seizures and would eventually
die in one. though the end might be
STAYED off for some time. Inc SelWlns
were Southerners. and lived III little
out-of-the-way place in Virginia. l never
knew exactly why they came NGrth. Inc
only relative they had was q sister OF
Mrs. Selwin's. who lived in Baltimore.
and they made no friends. They were
we'll off and maply able to afford every
luxury and comfort that might help TO
make Mrs. SelWins illness more bear
able. However. when | suggested the
feasibility of trained attendant to re
lieve Cariotta of some of her response,
bility in caring for her mother, the girl
begged earnestly to be allowed 70 wait
upon the patient herself. and the mother,
who had some old-fashioned notions
about trained nurses and hospitals, sec
ended her. And so it followed that L saw
i great deal of CarlCtta in the sick-rOom
and out Of IL
Il am not given to enthusiasm. but no
man could see and know CarlOtta Selwln
IS / did without being deeply impressed
by her beauty. her loneliness OF DISPOSE
ton and her intelligence. She had 4 few
Oueer little conservative notions. such as
it would have been impossible for her to
escape brought up in small place anu
under the influence of Il woman like Mrs.
Selwin. whom she regarded as nothing
short of an angel. but in most matters
the girl was liberal and wide-minded to
m unusual degree Well TO make a long
story short. | fell desperately in love
with her and two months from the day
we met we were engaged. l was SUI
premely happy, and SO CarlOtta seemed
to be. the only cloud upon our horizon
being Mrs. Selwin's health, which | could
see was failing fast.
One evening Carlotta and l had gone
for A short walk, and were returning
when We were met by one of the maids
who had hurried out III search of us
aud who told us that Mrs. Selwin had
become desperately ILL., We FASTENED to
her and found her suffering agony that
no effort of her strong will could conceal.
She was sitting erect in her bed. propped
up by pillows, Il position in which 1t was
absolutely necessary to place her during
her parOXysmS. From all the symptoms
[ judged that the end was not far off,
though she might last some days. Car
iotta, with her usual dizziness and pres
s,nce of mind, helped me to do all that
there was to be done to relieve her
mother. and before morning she was
somewhat easier. With strict injunctiOns
that her position should not be changed
| left the house. Later | returned to find
her again in agony and begging piteouSly
to be put out Of her misery.
The three days that followed were in
,leScribably painful. On the evening of
the fourth | returned from my round of
visits and found a message from Car
lotta. | hurried to her at once. The girl
had her arms about her mother. who in Il
wild paroNysm of pain was struggling to
draw the pillows from behind her. Dur
ing a momentary lull in her suffering,
Carlotta slipped to my side and asked:
How long will this last?'
1t may last for days, | replied.
For Gods sake, if YOU have any hui
manity. end it. 1t is wrong-all wrong,
that she should suffer so. End it, | beg
Of you
AT this moment there was another
fearful paroxysm, and the girl returned
quickly to her post.
9 'Carlotta,' said, stand aside a mo-
ment.' She obeyed. | am not sure that
She knew what | meant to do, but if she
did she offered no resistance. [ drew
the pillows gently away from Mrs. Sci
wins shoulders and laid her down. For
4 moment she was perfectly quiet, the
dawn OF a smile on her lips and her eyes
seeking Carlottas. Then there was a
all was over.
: Mother" cried Carotta. You are
better
Yes: she is BETTER | replied Car
lotta. don't you seq
The girl took her dead mothers hand,
4 look of horror deepening in her eyes
:" OH she exclaimed; she is
. 'Cariotta. don't You know
Yes. she answered. falling upon her
knees and burying her race IN the bed
clothes; / know know-she is dead
YOU have
Il bent over the girl, but she repulsed
me coldly. saying only:
Il know understand-please leave
me-
Il saw that she was better alone. so I
went away to telegraph for her aunt and
make what other arrangements 7 deemed
necessary, feeling assured that Il reaction
would come presently and that Carlotta
would call for me- But she did not, nor
would she see me for weeks after her
mothers death. Then. one day when L
called. she sent down word that she
wished to speak to me. | was dismayed
when she came into the room, the ghost
of her former self All the energy and
animation was gone out of her face, even
her hair looked dull and lifeless. | APP
preached her with outstretched hands.
At last, Carlotta" [ said, but she
drew back with Il shudder