Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-04
DAILY SHORT STORY
His First Patient.
IOriginaI.l


listen to none of them when they spoke
OF love. The reason for this was that
Henry Brownell, the son of retired
banker, who lived near her home, had,
long before he had n right to think of
marriage, asked her to be his wife.
Then he had gone east to college and
after that had studied medicine in Phil
adelphia. Henry had written Ethel
regularly during his first year at col
lege, irregularly the second year and
only occasionally after that While he
attended medical lectures he did not
write at all.
Henry had shown fair ability in col
lege, but when he became student of
medicine it was plain that he possessed
remarkable aptitude for that profess
sion. The fame of his great promise
spread abroad, and. having relatives in
the Quaker City, he became n favOrite
socially. The girls he had met while in
college began 10 seem very plain people
to him compared with the high bred
danes of Philadelphia, while his for
mer country sweetheart seemed a very
low order of being A marriage with
her seemed out of the question. But
home for awhile after finishing his
medical course and must meet Ethel
Before being graduated he received
very flattering offer to become the as
sistant of n noted surgeon and wrote
his father that he would remain in
Philadelphia, entering upon his duties
as soon as he had taken his degree.
While he was mingling with the elite
of an aristocratic city Ethel remained
the same plain country girl with the
same sweet unpretentiouS bearing, the
| same true heart. She was beloved by
every one who knew her and would
| still have been sought in marriage had
she consented to listen to proposals.
| Such girls do not give their hearts and
| take them back easily. Ethel was
much troubled by her lovers treatment,
| and when he did not return after hav-
ing been graduated she realized that
he had passed beyond her. She neither
wrote upbraiding him nor spoke a word
to his discredit. She told her parents
that Henry was right. His social sta
ton had always been above hers. and,
now having met the refined people of
great city, she could not hope that he
would prefer her to her more refined
rivals Then she burst into a passion
of tears and ran away 70 her room.
From that day she was changed. The
color faded from her cheek. and she
grew thin and was troubled with Il
hacking cough. The village doctor was
called, but reported that he could do
| nothing for her since her malady was
! Occasioned by some mental trouble.
/ MIR. Brownell, ST., was an honorable
man He knew of his sons course, but
made no comment, intending to wait
until Henry had taken his medical de-
gree When Henry wrote that he eX-
pected to settle in Philadelphia, his IA
Their sent him telegram to come home
at once. Henry had no choice but to
obey or suffer his fathers displeasure.
From the latter he shrank and reluc-
family took q train for home.
1t was a spring morning when he
reached the station, where he found
his father, who had come to drive him
over several miles to their home.
Henry said the father, al desire
that you begin your medical life right
here After a year of work among
your old friends, if you desire it, you
shall have my consent to return to the
city"
"But 1 can never advance here" said
the son. 1.-The field is too narrow"
"You will have my influence to Sc
cure patients"
| Henry leaned back ia the carriage
with frown.
j ITO prove that l can help you," con-
tinued the father, 81 am going to drive
you to the house of one who has been
failing for long while. You, a recent
graduate, should be far in advance of
the fogies about here who have failed
to cure the patient, and you will have
a good opportunity to show your skill"
There was something in the tone
with which his father spoke that Hen
~ did not like, but the enthusiasm of
youth stepped in and suggested that,
after all, he might show his old friends,
the country doctors, how little they
knew CHANGING out of the carriage,
he saw that they were approaching the
Woodbridge farm. He cast a quick
side glance at his father, but the elder
man wore an imperturbable though
serious expression. They turned into
the gate and alighted at the door. Hen
nv was led upstairs. door was thrown
open, and there on a bed lay his dis
carded love.
The windows were open and the odor
of flowers was borne into the room by
the south wind, A vine climbing about
the easement was twisting and turning
to thrust its latest sprouts into the
chamber. Ethel. in the midst of this
revival of life, was unrevived. She lay
looking over the fair scene without, I'M
responsive to its freshness and beauty.
There" said Mr.. Brownell to his
son, ais your patient. Cure her.
For a moment it seemed to Henry
that the past seven years had been OBJ
liberated. 1t was at this season that
Ethel had given him his first kiss in the
garden below. which was now sending
up its perfume. He forgot the girls Of
the college town, the high bred DANES
of the city. Going to the bed, he bent
| ovov- his M tfpnf