The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-02-02
DOCTORS STORY
He Granted His Ladylove's Request.
Then She Threw Him Over.
BY FRANCES SCHNEIDER.

9 BY FRANCES SCHNEIDER. g
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Not married yet nor going to ber'
"No."
"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 shiI full on his face.
As for me, l pause. abruptly, feeling
that l had hedged on painfully delicate
ground.
Il meant to have written to you Of q
matter that has concerned me very deep
ly, Jack, but somehow have never felt IN
the mood. I've gone through q tough ex-
perience since l saw you last"
Looking at his haggard face. could
well believe this.
"Why, dear old chap" said I, forgive
me for rubbing you on a sore spot. ]
hadn't the slightest idea
How should you? You are the only
person to whom l shall ever mention the
subject, but if you care to hear
''Tell me-" 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 of her daughter Carlotta?"
"Quite well. You raved about the girls
beauty and fine qualities and 6lial affec-
ton, etc., till thought
81 did not overestimate her." interrupt
ed the doctor, with q flush. Mrs. Sell
win was suffering from a complication Of
diseases that reached a climax, or rather
an anteclimax, in the alarming attack
which occasioned their sending for me.
| pulled her through-that is, Carlotta
and pulled her through. 1 knew that
she was destined to have more Of these
seizures and would eventually die In one,
though the end might be staid off for
some time. The Selwins were southern
ers and had lived in a little out of the
way place in Virginia. never knew ex-
actly why they came north. The only
relative they had was a sister of Mrs.
Selwin's, who lived in Baltimore, and
they had made no friends. They were
well off and amply able to afford every
luxury and comfort that might help to
make Mrs. Selwin's illness more beara-
BILE. However, when / suggested the fea-
sibility of u trained attendant to relieve
Carlotta Of some of her responsibility in
caring for her mother the girl begged
earnestly to be allowed to wait upon the
patient herself, and the mother, who had
some old fashioned notions about trained
nurses and hospitals, seconded her. And
SO it followed that l saw a great deal of
Carlotta in the sickroom and out Of it.
Il am not given to enthusiasms, but no
man could see and know Carlotta Selwin
as l did without being deeply impressed
by her beauty, her loneliness Of DISPOSE
ton and her intelligence. She had few
queer little conservative notions, such as
it would have been impossible for her to
escape, brought up in q small place and
under the influence of 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
an unusual degree. Well, to make a long
story short, l fell desperately in love
with her, and two months from the day
we met we were engaged. 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.
Zone evening Carlotta and ! had gone
for short walk and were returning
when we were met by one of the maids
who had hurried out in search of us and
who told US that Mrs. Selwin had be-
come desperately i'll. 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, prop
ped up by pillows, a position in which
1t was absolutely necessary to place her
during her paroxysms. From oil the
symptoms judged that the end was not
far off, though she might last some days.
Carlotta, with her usual dizziness and
presence 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 l returned to
find her again in agony and begging
piteously to be put out Of her misery.
"The three days that followed were
indescribably painful. On the evening of
the fourth l returned from my round
of visits and found q message from Car
lotta. hurried to her at once. The
girl had her arms about her mother. who,
in wild paroxysm of pain, was strug-
Cling to draw the pillows from behind
her. During a momentary lull In her
suffering Carlotta slipped to my side and
asked:
"'How long will this lastP
"'It may last for days. replied.
"'For Gods sake, if you have any
humanity, end it! 1t is wrong-all wrong.
that she should suffer so. End it, beg
IF you"
'At this moment there was another
fearful paroxysm, and the girl returned
quickly TO her post.
"'Carlotta,' said. stand aside mo-
ment.' She obeycd. l am not sure that
she knew what l meant to do, but il she
did she offered no resistance. l drew
the pillows gently away from Mrs. Sell
wins shoulders and laid her down. For
l moment she was perfectly quiet, the
dawn of a smile on her lips and her eyes
seeking Carlotta's. Then there was
gurg:.ng sigh. The smile deepened, and
all was over.
"'Motherv cried Carlotta. You are
betterr
eyes; she Is better replied. Car
lotta, don't you see?
''The girl took her dead mothers hand,
look of horror deepening in her eyes.
".Ah,' she exclaimed, she is
"'Carlotta, don't you know?'
eyes she answered, falling upon her
knees and burying her face in the bed.
clothes; i know-I know-she Is dead
you have
81 bent over the girl, but she repulsed
me coldly, saying only:
81 know-I understand-please leave
me-
Il saw that she was better alone, so
went away to telegraph for her aunt and
make what other arrangements deemed
necessary, feeling that a reaction would
come presently and that Carlotta would
call for me. But she did not, nor would
Cd g., of har r,,otI 20
death. Then, one day when l called. she
| sent down word that she wished to speak
to me. l was dismaycd when she came
into the room, the ghost of her former
self. All the energy and animation were
gone out of her face; even her hair look
| ed dull and lifeless. | approached her
| with outstretched hands.
"'At last, CarlottaT l said, but she
| drew back, with a shudder.
| "'I felt | must see you she said, to
! set right any lingering impression you
might have that there could be anything
! more between us. This is the last time
4