Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-27

a gentleman wished to see him, at the
same time handing him a card on which
was inscribed, 'Dr. Cornelius Macdermot,
II. l. G. s."
SHOW him up" cried Ashton eagerly.
and bring in some tea" he added. as he
reused the fire to a bright blaze.
my dear DOCTOR ne exclaimed as a
short, stout, red-haired man, with twink
ling keen gray eyes, a short, broad face
and a turned-up nose, entered the room,
you are most welcome. l had no idea
you were in England"
The Doctors visit was a welcome inter-
ruption to Ashton's sad, solitary musings.
The military Esculpius had served his full
term and retired on a comfortable PEN
sion; he was consequently in a Joyous mood
and not too careful of his money-as be-
came a bachelor of rather luxurious ten
denotes. So Ashton found himself carried
of to theaters and suppers and other re-
sorts, which he found helped, as the doctor
asserted, to rouse his soul.
One very foggy afternoon, too dark to
work, too unpleasant to go out, Ashton sat
over the fire trying to decipher a letter he
had Just received. 1t was written in a
very illegible hand by the stewards wife
at Thoresby at the request Of Mrs. Norton,
to explain why she had not answered a
letter of his making inquiries for her and
Grace. From it he gathered that the latter
had been seriously i'll and was now slowly
recovering. He had risen. intending to re-
ply at once, when the doctor came in.
1--WE just come to bestow my tediousness
on you, my boy. What cutothroat weather
nc comfort indoors or out,j What's the
matter, Ell Heard OF thefdeath of your
sweetheart or the loss of your fortune?"
well, neither, exactly. Hhave heard of
the illness of a charming girl whom
sorely wanted for a sweetheart, or. rather,
for a wife, only she wouldn't have me-
said Ashton. who had no small v~anities.
"Begad, she must be hard to please and
a fool in the bargain. Sure you are a nat
urally domesticated animal. You'd just be
a model husband. Is she bad still? If so,
introduce me to the darling, and I'll soon
put her to rights, for, though l say It my
self, l am a devilish good Doctor"
We'll, the young lady lin question is on
the mend, still, l wish you could see her;
II the weather improves next week would
you mind coming Town to the country for
a day or two?"
mot 1. I'm game for anything. Where
does your jewel hang OUT"
"oh, in Midlandshire-a place called
Thoresby."
"Thoresby-I seem to know that name. I
say. Ashton. light up the gas, mi and let
me see those works of art; these with
their faces to the wall, en- penitence. Are
they your failures?"
Yes, in a sense; things l have failed to
sell-but some OF my best work"
Turn them round, my boy. Sure, I'm
going to start an elegant little bachelors
- A.r.IN n-A 49, -. ThI -. g..
pictures to brighten it."
The friends accordingly lit up and be-
gan to ~criticise and discuss the neglected
canvases-woodland scenes. sketches Of
purple moorland-a great variety OF sub
jects. At last the pastel portrait Of a girl
more charming than handsome cam up for
exhibition.
Ashton, who is that?" cried the doctor,
when Ashton placed II on the easel. And
he rose to inspect it-then stepped back
and drew nearer again-evincing a great
amount OF interest. 81 fancy ] have seen
that face before"
II do not think you have" returned Ash
ton. for / do not think the young lady
was born when you we're last in England"
us II the darling herself? Yes-then,
man alive, don't you let her go easy. Try.
try, try again. Nothing succeeds like per-
severance. Faith, it's the face of a nice,
kindly, human angel. What's her name, IL
l may make so bold?"
20, Norton. There is nothing to conceal
about Grace Norton"
"Grace-O. yes-but ! do not know Nor
ton"
Her father was in the army, but her
grandfather was huntsman TO de Burgh OF
Thoresby Chase"
de Burgh? You do not say SOP
The doctor stopped abruptly and kept
unwonted silence for a while.
Look here, Ashton he exclaimed,
rain or shine, let's go down next week.
Where do you put up down there, wherever
it TSP"
"oh, l always take my rooms in Mrs.
Norton's house-a delightful, roomy cot
tage."
Gould she put me up, too?"
81 have no doubt she could
Ashton was shocked to see so great a
change in Grace when he and his friend
took up their abode at Woodland cottage.
Though the local doctor had been dismissed,
she was still pale, weak and given to al
most unbroken silence. but she confessed
10 sleepless nights, and seemed scarcely
to care about getting we'll.
will you let a poor old sawbones like
myself do what he can to bring back the
life to your heart and the light TO your
eyes, my dear young lady? I'm unknown
to the faculty here, but you see I've lived
among the magie-mongers Of the east. and
/ know a thing or two"
During Ashton's short stay he Kept a
strict guard over himself; nothing could be
more brotherly and unloverlike than his
manner and conversation. Grace again be-
came thoroughly at home and at ease with
him.
MAedermot was the FIRST to depart. He