Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-08
copyrighted, 1901. by Daily Story Pub
fishing Company.

The doctor entered, brisk. smiling. pro-
fessional. Good morning. Miss Har-
riet: hows our oatient?'
II wonder why they call us patients"
Miss Lane answered. Patient! l lie
here and pray for strength enough to
shoot the nurse because she won't give
me food. Are you going to let me lie
here til l starVe?'
mo. no. | hope not. If this fever.
keeps down and everything goes we'll,
l think We'll let you have soup week
from today
"A week.-seven days and nights
one hundred ana sixty-eight hours I'll
be dead and buried by them
mot bit of it You'll be just a hum
dred and siNty-eight hours younger. I
hope that YOU can eat a big dinner on
Monday"
"Great Scott! should hope so. And
I want it understood that won't have
quail on toast; | want a whole chicken
to m.'self.''
The doctor laughed as he took her tenn
peratIre. He shook his head.
'"Ta!king too much; temperature not
satisfactory. Friend Nichols is a de-
gree lower this morning.
Bother Nichols! You treat him bet
ter than me. | don't believe he's half
as sic!; am"
The doctor laughed-"That's what he
says about you.
"rhe ideal Do-are you going to him
first this afternoon?'
Eyes; why? Do you object to that.
too? Next you'll be insisting my CIV
ing M the case
mo; but ! want to write that hateful
man one lne-just one line! l promise
not to speak a word all day--not to have
any fever-oh, I'll be an angel if you'll
let me write him.
us it curse?' said the doctor.
swell tearing a page out of his pre-
Scription book) here you are.
oughtn't to do it. but ! can't be accused
of partiality. One line, now"
Sh" seized a pencil and wrote. you
may read it," said said. He did so and
roared
81 shall use my own discretion about
delivering it. Miss Haaiet. Now re-
member, no excitement. or Well re-
woke that soup promise
The doctor laughed and left. And
he began that day to play postman
for the correspondence that follows:
Mr.. Nichols:
Hateful Sr:-I consider it distinctly
ungentlemanly of YOU to boast a tenn
perature a degree and half lower than
mine (:signedD
THE NICHOLS CASE
Mr.. Nicholas
DR.. Freeman awards me the prize to-
day for lack of fever! l gloat. l gloat!
I gloat! THE LANE CASE.
Miss Lane:
Twas to be expected that the fever
prize would go to you. considering the
new feverish interest I've developed
in the doctors visits.
HAROLD r. NICHOLAS.
H. II. N.:-Dr. Freeman says you are
looking better this morning. You're be-
having detestahy. H. L.
H. L.:--Called for a mirror: should not
support doctors statement myself. Thing
even you would be satisfied that 1
couldn't look, worse. II. r. N.
H. r. N.:-Relieved by your last.
went down a degree! OF course I've
never seen you. but I'm believed that
you're looking badly. Haven't courage
yet to look at myeslf Am beginning
to suspect the doctor. H. L.
Fl. L.:-Have had soup to-day; life
holds nothing more. Can wish you no
greater joy than your first bowl!
II. r. N.
H. r. N.:-Almost thrown into con-
vulsions by news of your soup. Fever
again. Doctor threatens to cut off cor
respondence. H. L.
H. L.: So sorry about the soup;
shouldn't have mentioned it, Have wor-
ried myself into trouble again through
remorse. H. r. N.
Fl. r. N.:-Think the doctor is perse-
cutting me. No sympathy from family
who chant the tiresome chorus, For
your good" I know I'm starving in the
midst of plenty, some day they may
know. H. l..
II. L.:-My deepest sympathy. If
Freeman cuts off our correspondence
I'll change physicians. Wish I were in
condition to smuggle you food. Try not
to despair. Faithfully. H. r. N.
H. r. Nj have been in heaven for
two days. Don't be alarmed: I mean
that in forty-eight hours I have had
from forty to fifty cups of heavenly
brew. unexpectedly called broth. Doc
tor is forgiven the past He says I may
scratch occasional lines to you again.
Suppose we begin by Introducing our
selves. Tell me about yourself-what
you look like. The nurse again! I'm
condemned to silence and sleep. Sim
cerely, HARRIET LANE.
H. L.:-Your note a gOdsend. I have
been steadily declining since our cor
respondence was. cut off, but take first
upward step to-day. Have noticed that
there is ray of sunshine in my room;
I'd forgotten about sunshine. You want
1ne to introduce myself; am before you,
in truly eptaphic style-here lies Har-
old A. Nichols, sometime wanderer,
Philistine, and writer of tales-a Bohe-
milan. and ne'er-do-well, a lingerer in
the middle west from interest in the
game, the hurrying, furious game; sud-