Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-09
II.
"a Very Ugly Secret"

"a Very Ugly Secret"
The consulting room In Harley street,
where Sir Bernard Eyton saw his patients
and gathered IN his guineas for his ILL
scrubbed prescriptions. differed little from
a hundred others In the same severe and
depressing thoroughfare.
1t was a somber apartment. The
walls were painted dark green, and
hung with two or three old portraits in
oils, the furniture was OF a style long
past, heavy and covered in brown morocco,
and the big writing table, behind which the
great doctor would sit blinking at his pa
tient through the circular gold-rimmed
glasses, that gave him a somewhat Teu-
tonic appearance, was noted for its prim
neatness and orderly array. On the one
side was an adjustable couch; on the other
a book case, with glass doors, containing q
number OF instruments which were, how
ever, not visible because Of curtains Of
green silk behind the glass.
Into that room, on three days a week,
Lord, the severely respectable footman,
ushered in patients one after the other,
many Of the society women suffering from
what is known in these degenerate days as
nerves." Indeed, Eyton was par excel
lence a ladies doctor"-for so many Of the
gentler sex get burnt up in the mad rush
Of a London season.
I had made up my mind to consult my
chief. and with that object entered his
room on the following afternoon at a quar-
| ter before four.
well, Boyd, anything fresh7'' he asked,
putting OF his severely professional air
and lolling back in his padded writing chair
as I entered.
"No, nothing" I responded, throwing
myself in the patients chair opposite him,
and tossing my gloves on the table. "a
hard day down at the hospital, that's all.
You've been busy as usual, l supposer'
Busy" the old man echoed. why,
these COMPOUNDED women never let me
alone for an instant! Always the same
story-excitement. late hours, little wor-
rtes over erring husbands, and all sort Of
things. I always know what's coming as
soon as they get seated and settled. 1
really don't know what society's coming to,
Boyd" and he blinked over at me through
his heavy-framed spectacles.
About so, OF middle height, he was
slightly inclined to ~rotundity. with hair
almost white. a stubby gray beard and a
pair Of keen eyes rather prominently set
In a bony but not unpleasant countenance.
He had a peculiar nabit OF stroking his left
ear when puzzled, and was not without
these little eccentricities which run hand
In hand with genius. One OF them was his
fondness for amateur theatricals-for he
was a leading member Of the dramatic club
at Hove, and nearly always took part in
the performances. But he was a pro-
nounced miser. Each day when he arrived
at Victoria station from Hove he pur-
chased three ham sandwiches at the re-
freshment bar and carried them in his
black bag to Harley street. He there con-
cealed them in a drawer in the writing
table and stealthily ate them instead of
taking half an hour for luncheon. Some
times he sent Ford out to the nearest
green grocers in the Marylebone road for a
penny apple. which he surreptitiously ate
as dessert.
, Indeed, he was finishing his last sand
witch when I entered. and his mouth was
full.
1t may have been that small fact which
caused me to hesitate. At any rate, sit
ting there with those big. round eyes peer
ing upon me, l felt the absurdity OF the
situation.
Presently. when he had finished his sand
witch, carefully brushed the crumbs from
his plotting pad and cast the bag into the
waste paper basket, he raised his head,
oAa ~ hho D6 6gtb again OllQAln
through his spectacles, said:
You've had no call to poor old Cour-
tenay. l suppose?"
mo" l replied. "why?'
Because he's in a bad way"
"worseY"
Yes" he replied. I'm rather anxious
about him. He'll have to keep to his bed.
I fear"
/ did not In the least doubt this. Old
Mr.. Henry CourtenAy. one OF the Devon
shire Courtenays, a very wealthy II some
what eccentric old gentleman, lived In one
OF those prim, pleasant detached houses In
Richmond road, facing Kew Gardens, AMI
was one Of Sir Bernard's best patients.
He had been under him for a number OF
years. until they had become personal
friends. One Of his ececntricitiea was tc
insist on paying heavy fees to his medical
AdViser-believing. perhaps. that by so do
ing he would secure greater and more care
full attention.
But strangely enough. mention OF the
name suddenly gave me the clue SO Ions
wanting. II aroused within me a sense
OF impending evil regarding the very mar
OF whom we were speaking. The sound Of
the name seemed TO strike the sympatheti,
chord within my brain. and I at once be-
came cogpiEant that the u~nAceountAble pre-.
sage OF impending misfortune was con,
neeted with that rather insongruous house
hold down at Kew.
Therefore when Sir Bernard impaired e
me his misgivings I was quickly on thu
alert and questioned him regarding tn,
progress OF Mr.. C~ourtenAy's disease.
The poor fellow is sinking. I'm afraid