Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-09-13
DIR. souircs and lg1ss stctson.

Not dozen PAGES from the q small
stream dubbed up from an under.
ground spring. and II was quite Gus
tonlary for riders To give their hoFSaS
drink At this place. A wooden trough
had been sunk into the ground TO re-
ceiv0 the water and 20 form drinking
vessel for the boasts.
was consequently not surprised
when the two drew up their horses jaSt
in front OF ms and led them TO the
spring Tho doctor disnountod and
held the horses while they drank IL
the cooling draft. The two had been
engaged In conversation. and judged
that she bad been trying TO extract his
secret frsm him.
Il DO aot consider II an honor 20
keep your work SO secret until you
have completed your discovery" she
was saying Then all the world will
know IL and there Is no special inter
est In II for me-"
"Put have promised 70 tell it TO you
before any one elSs hears OF it, the
doctor answered.
How hong betore-one day or one
hour?'
There was look OF annoyance I'm his
face at her reply.
ANY number OF days beforehand
you wish" he answered.
well, then, l wish to hear It now"
she replied quickly. a bright smile re
enforcing her words.
-Woman's impatience.- be muttered.
''It has caused half the trouble in the
world"
THAT Is unkind l don't like such
reflections upon my sex"
Nothing personal was intended. Miss
Belle. was merely uttering my re-
Elections aloud"
well please don't do SO any more"
The doctor watched the horses drink
ing for few moments and then, lean
ing against the saddle of his black
steed, he said;
-Can you keep the secret If divulge
it TO your"
Can 1? don't think that question
Is necessary"
mo, probably not But want your
promise that you win never reveal it
TO anybody" he persisted.
well, you have 1t. will never men,
ton 1t until you give me permission"
"All right, then 1 will tell you all
When 1 was a young man, went to
India as n surgeon in the English ar
my. There l met SO many lepers that
my attention was called particularly
TO this disease AT first they Disguised
and alarmed me. Their rotting fingers
and toe joints, their running sores and
their emaciated bodies were so loath-
some that could hardly stay In their
presence, but in time l got used to
them. az we do to everything. / even
found myself plying them and won
dering II something couldn't be done
to alleviate their sufferlngs and even
to cure and stamp out the horrible dis
ease. This was the beginning of ca
reer that, 1 have studlously pursued
ever since. / spent all my time IN
studying leprosy In its worst forms
1 determined 20 find some remedy for
it l was limited In funds, but man
aged to get along by living near them.
could not exist I'm the same house
with them. The thought OF II nearly
stifled me. But 1 could live near them
and help them and In time perfect my
! discovery.
My secret is already out. Miss
Belle" he added after a pause. 'I am
devoting my time and life 20 the dis.
| covery OF positive cure for leprosy,
that most dreaded OF all diseases that
ever scourged a wicked world l am
on the right track. In fact, l have
about perfected it. so that l will be
ready to announce the results to the
world in year. There is only one
thing that bothers me. / am expert
menting with this continually"
Experimenting with whom?-
The words were so hollow and I'M
| natural that l turned my eyes from
the Doctors face to that OF Miss Stet-
son. / was startled at the sight Her
face was livid-paler than that of any
corpse. a look OF horror shone from
| her eyes
Whom are you experimenting with,
DR.. SquiresY she repeated IN the same
strange voice.
"With-why-my dear Miss Belle,
have ] divulged any family secretg'
stammered the doctor. Ibid you not
know7 I thought your father knew
that you knew that
q, tem-that he was a leperY she said
| slowly.
Your father knew it; his father
knew 1t; Charles knew It when he met
me. / understood that both families
made no secret OF it among them
| selves
mo. / never knew what the disease
was. Father never told me- Oh. can
1T be possibler'
| She Swayed in her saddle, and IL the
doctor had not caught her she would
have fallen TO the ground could
hardly contain myself. The news near
ly made me desperate. This accounted
for everything. was all wrong in my
conclusions. The doctor was, after all,
a good man, holding the secret OF my
masters life in his possession and try
ing hard TO help him.
'YOu must let me give you some wa
| ter, Miss Belle" the doctor said as he
( etao dad har an tho saddle anisp,o,,