The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-11-27
WRONG DIAGNOSIS
[Original.]

tantY-tlrce, uteu VI - oSsessinS
income Of $4,000 a year, quite
.nrh to crafty all his wishes, there
nothing for him to accomplish.
1on therefore a medical specialist
Ia him that Il certain lump he had
covered OH his person too near a
al mart to be removed was of a ma
s,nt nature and would kill him
E,lir = period of from Il few months
fnv years, the only horror attend
- thc announcement was the suffer
involved. However, since there
uess as vet no pain, the young man de-
,sninnd to turn everything lie had
sto cash and get all the enjoyment
p'ora was in it. This would serve a
to,hIe purpose of giving him pleasure
ND diverting his mind.
To.hps believed that the greatest en-.
Iovment is TO be derived from associa.
s,on with the opposite sex He had no
lind to confine himself to any one
,oman-he chose three Tie first was
.cncs Tweed, one of those girls who
IN Paris go by the name of grisette;
4ho second was Mildred st. Clair, a So
fo,otv belle; the third, Margaret Wal.
han the daughter of a clergyman
Whose income was but $1,000 a year.
Forbes spent an average of $4,000 a
month for eight months; then, finding
That his tumor was growing less, he
toonsnlted his physician, who told him
that he had been mistaken in its ma
[upnant character. 1t was a harmless
Growth and was being absorbed. The
fvo1ng man found himself with life be.
fore him and a fortune reduced from
|som0OO to $4,000, out of which an in
come could be derived for bare Sap
mort. He resolved to announce the
fact TO his feminine associates. begin
ming with the clergyman's daughter.
"Margaret,'' he said, eight months
AGO l was told by my physician that
! must die within Il short period. /
turned my fortune into cash and have
been spending it freely ever since. en-.
loving u great deal of it in your COM
papv. Now the doctor tells me that
he was mistaken in the character of
nv disease and | have nothing to fear.
Some $4,000 of my fortune is left
lust enough for a bare living. Win
YOU share it with me as my wife?'
Margaret thought for some time be.
fore replying.
81 could not think Of passing my
life" she said, with a man who has
no ambition, no principles, no sympa-
thy for a world in which so much is
needed. Had you on your doctors first
announcement given your fortune to
the poor, ~reserving only enough to
carry you through the short period you
expected to live, and now without q
cent made me this proposition, resolved
to make Il career for yourself, l might
have said Yes AS it is, my answer
Is No."
With bowed head Forbes left her.
perhap more depressed than when his
doctor had told him he must soon die.
He wandered about aimlessly for 4
few days; then, throwing off tempo
rarily the disagreeable feeling conse-
quent upon his rejection. he sought
Mildred st. Clair and told her of his
doctors two announcements.
"Mildred,' he added, chad | sought
you when ! was well and possessed u
fortune I would have asked you to
share it with me. AS 1t is I cannot
think of proposing that you should
share my beggarly income"
81 confess" replied the girl, chat
had you asked, me before the sQuan-
dering of your fortune l would have
accepted you. though greater fortunes
have been offered me. AS it is, l must
agree with you that your income
would not support me except in com,
p%arative poverty, for which l have 40
taste"
Forbes left her with a sigh. The one
had declined him because he had no
principle, the other because he had
spent his fortune. He did not know
which reason pricked him most. but II,
his heart he could not but respect the
reasons given by Margaret. and
now" he said, "as a last resort l will
e0 " ASHSS. Sutely Sic Will udNc III
Scruples. and the remaining $4,000
VIII be a great temptation to her"
Tony" she said, after he had an
bounced that the doctor had erred. that
Ms life vas before him and that he
stll had money in bank, you are a
good fellow. You have treated me
white You have spent a lot of mon
ey on me. and now you propose to get
ed OF the rest of your fortune in the
same way. I'm going to surprise you
pv refusing to take any more of it.
tor you there is still q future; for me
mere is none" Tears started to her
yes. MY advice to you is, Settle
aoWn to lead a steady life, and let the
rest of us take care of ourselves II
VIII be some time before I'm old and
lecrepit; meanwhile I'll get along
FORBES went away protesting that
she was the only friend left him and
mat she should continue so. When
me next day. he went to see her again
le found that she had moved withoH'
leaving any address.