The Portland daily press., 1901-02-06

"IIellow exclaimed DIR. Bascomb as
he entered his office, where Jack Kenly
was walking back and forth while
waiting for him. What is the mat
ter? You look worried"
IL am worried" said Kenly as he
shook hands. Have You seen Nellie
lately?"
mot since a week ago Thursday, just
before you started on your trip to Gin
cinnati. Is there anything the matter
with herT
II can't say for certain, but l am
afraid there is. She says herself that
she Is quite well, but she is so silent
and irritable that l am afraid her
nerves are out of order"
"Well, I'll drop around and see her
some time during the day." said the
doctor.
'No; don't think you had better do
that" said the young husband. "She
protests that there is nothing the mat
ter, and II you made professional call
1t might mShc her angry and increase
her nervousness. But, say, can't you
come round and have dinner with us
and have q smoke with me afterward?
And perhaps you could diagnose her
case without her suspecting anything,
and then you could prescribe some
thing that would help her"
"All right" said the doctor. call for
me on your way home, and I'll go
along"
Having relieved his mind by making
this arrangement Kenly went TO his
Office and during the afternoon tele-
graphed to his wife that Dr. Baseomb
would be with them to dinner. This
was not unusual, for he and the bache-
lor doctor were old college chums and
still retained much of the friendship of
their student days. AS young Mrs.
Kenly had made it a point to make her
self agreeable to her husbands old
friends, so that he would never feel
that he had given up too much of his
old life when he married, and as she
had developed a warm personal friend
ship for the young doctor, he usually
spent at least one evening a week at
their house. So there was nothing In the
doctors visit to excite her suspicion.
While Kenly and the doctor were
strolling to the house Kenly talked Of
his wife's ailment, of which he had
thoroughly convinced himself. Like
many healthy people, he had an almost
morbid dread of Illness, and his talk
had the effect OF making DIR. Bascomb
very alert for subtle symptoms, for
nervous disorders are so elusive.
TO their surprise Mrs. Kenly greeted
them at the door with her accustomed
liveliness, and when dinner was served
was the life OF the little party. just as
she had always been in the past. In
deed her livelness seemed greater than
usual, for her husband was somewhat
silent because he was worried and
thought that his friend could diagnose
the case better If he kept in the back
ground. The doctor being profession
ally alert, ascribed her brightness to
the elation that so frequently follows
detection and was working up quite a
serious case. After dinner Kenly made
the excuse that he had no good cigars
in the house and went out TO buy some
so as TO leave the doctor and his wife
together.
How are you feeling these days"
inquired the doctor when they were
alone, In a tone that he tried hard to
make unproeessional.
why, | never felt better in my life"
THAT'S good. You never even have
the blues. do your
"Of course, l have the blues some
times. Who doesn'tT
'Um-ml Never see sparks of fire be-
fore your eyes when you turn your
head suddenly, do your"
See here. Are you putting me
through a medical examination? Do
you want to feA my pulse and see my
tongueT
''Well. thet would do no HARM" said
the doctor, seizing her wrist and tax
ing out his watch. She snatched her
hand away almost angrily.
''No. am not going to let you feel
my pulse, and II you are not careful
you may feel my tongue instead OF see
irg it"
The doctor grayely medltated on
anu,
noticing his silence, Mrs. Kenly looked
at him with some alarm.
"Why, you don't think there is any
thing the matter with me, do you?"
"Oh. no." said the doctor with pro-
fessional diplomacy, not wishing to
excite his patient; "but you know l
always look after the health of my
friends even when they are not asking
me to-"
'But don't see why you should be
paying attention to mine just now
when | am simply brutally healthy.
Has Jack been talking to you? 1 re-
member he said something about my
not looking well when he got back"
And a momcntary frown wrinkled her
brow. But the arrival of Jack prevent
ed further talk on the subject Of health,
and the two men retired to the library
tn smoke.