Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-09-04
THE COUNTRY DOCTOR.



THE new country physician, Dmi-
1 try Starzey, sat n day in his
Turkin's drawing room and listened
first to the hostess reading aloud her
w novel, and later to her daughter,
Catherine, who played the piano very
noisily. Then the Turkins and the
doctor stepped into the dining-room.
where they drank tea, while the host
entertained them with amusing anec-
dotes.
Suddenly the bell at the entrance
door rang. The host and the hostess
rose to receive the new visitor, and
Starzey, Selling the opportunity, said
to Catherine in a whisper quivering
with emotion:
"For Gods sake, I implore you,
don't torture me....Let's go into the
garden...."
Catherine shrugged her shoulders.
but rose nevertheless and walked out
of the room.
First you play the piano for three
or four hours at a stretch" he said,
following her; then you sit close to
your mother, and I can't say a word
to you alone. Grant me a quarter
of an hour, | beseech you!"
Autumn was approaching. All was
quiet and melancholy in the garden,
and the alleys were covered with
withered leaves. 1t was near shutdown.
u haven't seen you for a whole
week." went on Starzey. ''How | suf-
fered during all this time! Be seated,
pray, and listen" Both of them had
a favorite spot in the garden-the
bench beneath the old spreading
maple tree. They now seated them
selves upon this bench.
swell, what is it you wish?" asked
Catherine in a matter-of-fact tone.
81 haven't seen you for a whole week;
| haven't heard your voice so long.
/ am madly anxious to hear YOU
speak"
He was bewitched by the naive ex-
preston of her eyes. and the unusual
simplicity which marked her bearing
appealed to him strongly. Notwith-
standing her naivete, she seemed to
him extremely clever. With her he
could speak about literature, art and
life.
81 must speak to you, ! must ex-
plain myself" he muttered emotion
ally.
She rose from the bench and looked
at him as though she wanted to say
something. Then, all of a sudden, she
awkardly thrust a note into his hand,
rushed back into the house and seated
herself by the piano.
"To-night, at II o'clock,"-read the
note-"meet me in the cemetery
near the statue of Demetti."
"Well, / call this lunacy,' he
thought, when he came to himself at
last. what has the cemetery to do
with all this?"
He felt certain that she was not
in earnest, that she was testing. For
what sane person would think of
making an appointment in the ceme-
terry at night, since it was so con-
venient to meet in some public park?
And, besides, how unbecoming it was
for so solid and sensible man as DR..
Starzey to sigh, and receive love let
ters, and go to the cemetery to meet
his beloved! What would be the re-
suit of this love affair? What would
his colleagues say if they had learned
of it?
Thus thought Starzey as he walked
about in the clubrooms eXcitedly; but
just at half past ten he called his
coachman, Panteleimon, and ordered
him to drive to the cemetery. 1t
was quite warm for an autumn night.
The moon was shining and the dogs
were barking in the distance. Star
zey alighted on one of the deserted
streets and started off towards the
cemetery ON foot.
every person has his own pecu-
liarities," thought he. Catherine
is a rather peculiar girl-and who
knows? Perhaps she was in earnest
and she may come after all"
He walked about half a mile
through the field. All was hushed in
deathlike silence. The stars twinkled
meekly and mournfully in the sky,
and Starzey's heavy footballs sounded
rather strange and out of place.
Nobody was near the statue of De-
metti. But Starzey came to halt and
waited. He sat near the statue for
some time, then he rose to his feet
and, walking through the alleys,
holding his hat in his hand, he
thought of the numerous beautiful
ard fascinating women buried in the
graves about him. Starzey felt like
crying out that his soul was now
thirsting for love at any cost--and
soon the marble stones somehow
seemed to assume the forms of liv-
ing beings, modestly hiding in the
shade of the trees.
Suddenly the moon disappeared be-