Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-03-27


little to our mutual advantage"
"Indeed?" said l, wondering what
might be in the old gentleman's mind.
1.-THE fact is, I'm getting ancient"
he went on.
"Not a bit of it," said 1. You're in
your prime, fair, plump, and forty"
DENY the first, admit the second, and
make the third half as much again,
said he. I'm not broken down-and
l don't want to be before my time.
That's just the point. This last win
ter gave me warning. Besides, I've
enough to live on, and I'd like to have
a little chance for play after 40 years
of work. want to travel bit, to see
something of this big country of ours.
I'm like mole that knows his particu.
lar garden by heart but has hardly a
notion of what may be on theother side
of the fence. The long and short of 1T
is, I'd like to shift my heavy work to
younger shoulders, which will bear it
more easily, and, dare say, better"
Not BETTER" said !.
The fact is, as you've probably dis
covered, this town is hardly big enough
to support two doctors comfortably
It has seemed to me that we might make
some arrangement which would be adj
Vantageous to both of us. There's q
young chap in Trent who is trying TO
dicker with me, but I've put him off,
for you're first on the ground, and
don't believe in making two people
sleep in bed that's large enough for
only one. By the way, though. am
right in supposing that you've decided
to remain here permanently? Thai
would make difference, of course"
II can't say that have any settled
plans," said l, "but there's no expecta
ton of moving Immediately"
well, think it over. There's no
hurry about it," he answered.; and,
chirruping to his mare, away he ratified
! toward the village.
| followed slowly in his wake, let.
ting the bay choose his own gait. DR..
Banks proposition had taken me by
surprise; moreover, it had served to
rouse me to a realization of the com
pletencss with which my future was
| L
| present, to lie sure, there was no causp'
for anxiety; but a week might change
the situation completely. Suppose
Lamar should choose TO depart; there
was no certainty tina. he would ro
leave me behind. Suppose lie should
die; it was hardly probable that !
should profit by amy bequest. Supposs.
his euenicS cbo,,I,l fl;..,,yo,. l. &c ,,,t,,o.,I
| and descend upon him; the result, so TAI
as was concerned, would lie III. same.
This last danger seemed TO be the lras,
imminent OF the three, but il was IL.
well to reckon it in. had been in his
| pay for the letter part OF Il year, Ellt,
in reality, was my position improved
! had lived in comfort, free from the
cares which had burdcned nc in the
city, had accumulated few hundred
dollars, and physically had been a
gamer by the removal 10 the country.
That was one side of the ledger. On
the other could be read loss of the lit.
tie progress had made in my prcfes
| sion, absence OF settled purposes of any
sort. and growth of that often disas
trous docility which follows unqucs-
tIoning subsection to another's strong
will. Things could not go on as they
were indefinitely. Sooner or later the
end must come. And then? Was |
prepared 10 devote myself to the narrow
field of Il country practitioner, useful
and honorable us it was? Banks lad
done me great service; he had reused
me in most timely fashion; but the
awakening had been far from pleasant.
From habit my horse came to i! stand
still in front of the village post Office,
and equally from habit entered the
place and asked for my mail. Aletter,
medical journal, and newspaper
were handed out, and, mechanically
thrusting them into my pocket,
walked to the buggy, climbed in, and
turned my nag's head homeward. Still!
! possessed by doubts and speculations,
! rode to the farmhouse. and, reaching
it, locked myself in my Office, there to
endeavor to arrive at some conclusion,
to choose way out of my uncertainty
/ sat there for hours before achieved
decision, and it was hardly more than
compromise. In justice to DIR. Banks,
] would tell him it was out of my power
to enter into permanent arrangement
with him. for eventually | should seek
u more populous district; if he cared
for temporary alliance, such terms as
| he offered should be accepted.