The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-08-14
CHAPTER |.

full days of my new venture, were
most confidently looked for. Contra
ry to everyone's advice, had decided
upon making practice in prefer
ence to buying one; but so far they
the patients-were conspicuous By
their absence.
1t was, | say, TIE end of my first
six weeks-the longest and weariest
six weeks | had ever passed. Each
hour dragged out its sixty minutes
and each minute saw the death of a
hope, until now of all hope | was near
ly bankrupt when the consulting room
bell gave out at length it's first wild
peal
The instantaneous result was simply
indescribable. The good old soul who
kept house for me-nay, did every
thing from cooking to praying for
me-and who shared to the fullness
of her warm old heart in all my hopes
and fears, fastened to smooth the
hair and clothes of the Buttons, and
hurry him to the door. He-the But
tons-assumed a dignity and import
ance that | shall never forget, while
| rushed to my bedroom to put on
my frock coat and call up my profess
sional attitude.
When entered the insulting
ROOM" as the Buttons persisted in
calling my well arranged sanctum,
| found a tall, slender girl standing
there, with clear-cut. well-prOnOunced
features, a prominent chin and large
luminous eyes, having dark shadows
beneath She was dressed in a dark
gray waterproof that fitted her per.
fectly, hat of the fashion Of two
years ago, and pair of much-mended
slate-colored gloves. Her manner
was quiet but thoroughly self-possess
ed; she rose as I entered, and told
me that she kept tobacco and paper
shop in Arlington street. close by.
She had. she said. been far from
well of late, and would be glad if
would give her something that would
enable her to get through her work
Upon sounding her chest | found that
she was suffering from pleurisy. and
advised her to go home and to bed for
day or two, adding that IL she con-
tinued to get about in her present
condition she would probably have a
severe ILLNESS.
The following day | visited her at
her little shop. at the back of which
was small apartment that did duty
as a sleeping. sitting and eating room.
/ found her lying on the sofa, breath
ing painfully and heavily, and as ]
asked automatically the stock ques-
tions, and at the same time took in
the contents of the room. | rapidly
realized that | had anything but an
ordinary patient to deal with. The
girls manner. the neatness of her
dress, the perfect cleanliness of the
tiny room. the character of the few
books on the shelf. which were partly
theological and partly well-chosen
novels. contrasted most markedly
with the startling absence of every
comfort-nay. almost every necessity
of life. Having given her all neces-
sary directions and prescribed the
necessary medicine. | rose to go, and
as | did so asked If she would allow
me to send her a bottle of some wine
l had, that thought applicable
to her case. She thanked me. and |
from that day until she had recovered |
not wine only. but soup, and other
necessaries were daily supplied her
from my house. In a fortnight she |
was quite herself again and busy in |
her little shop.
From that date the whole aspect of |
my practice was changed; the sur |
gerry bell got no prolonged rest; tbs |
old housekeeper became exultant; the |
Buttons found the place anything but |
the sinecure he had at first anticipat
ed. and |, from the crest of the rising |
wave. saw a great professional career
Just ahead OF me. But the strangest |
part of this strange turn events had |
so suddenly taken. was that every pa
tient, or nearly every patient. could |
be traced, either directly or Indirect
~ TO my friend in Arlington street.
Miss Milne. sir" many of them
would say, has advised me to consult |
you with reference to my child's |
health Miss Milne tells me sir. that !
you are great on joints"
called several times to thank her
for the energetic way in which she
was more than repaying me for my |
efforts 10 be of service to her.
| ordered my morning paper and to-
bacco from her. and often ran in TO |
see if | could in any way forward her |
interests. but every effort and offer |
was firmly but gratefully declined. |
She would look up with a sad but I'M
affected smile. and assure me in per- |
fectly natural way that there was
nothing that | could do beyond what
I was doing that would in any way !
tighten her burden.
The nature of the strange circum-
stances that had combined to bring
a girl of such manners, good looks
and evidence of past responsibility in
to such a poverty-stricken position
was to me a constant source of won
derment. | made her the center of a
hundred plots and the heroine OF a