Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1903-11-25

DelnR Without an umbrella, i well
coined the light I'm the doctors stucy
as chanced to pass his house. When
I was ushered into his cozy little den
i was rather surprised to find the doc
tor sitting I'm a large Turkish chair and
gazing into a bright log fire which
blazed most lnvitingly In the big chim-
ney place. say / was surprised, be-
cause this was the first time had ever
found him alone without a great leath-
eer covered tome OF some kind In his
hand.
MY dear DOCTOR" said /, why so
pensive7 You look as though your
best patient had just died-your best
paying patient, | mean, for, of course
doctors are not expected to mourn
over every death"
'Your guess Is a good one" replied
the doctor quietly. "a very good pa
dient OF mine died an hour ago-a very
good patient, a very good friend"
'Indeedl | am very sorry 70 hear
A." said I, putting or my bantering
tone. "Was there anything special
about his case7 Your diagnosis was
correct, Of courseT
II am pondering over his case, and 1
am not sure about my diagnosis"
"You don't mean that you have made
any mistake"
Perhaps, but not as you mean II.
My friend was troubled with angina
pectOris and had suffered n long time.
knew that he could not live long. and
so did he He had no fear Of death,
and consequently | was perfectly frank
with him from the outset. His death
tonight was even sooner than we had
anticipated, but OF course I'm such cases
the exact duration Of life cannot be
prognosticated."
How, then, was there a mistake In
your dingnoslsY I was puzzled
~ did not say that there was. do
not know, and that is the trouble"
Explain. please"
MY friend was n splrltuallst. On all
other subjects he was certainly as ra-
tionai as any man. Indeed he was ed
ucated Tar beyond the average of even
college bred men. Stll he believed I'm
spirlts--belleyed that the dead return
90 this world, | mean"
"T'here are lots Of such people In the
world.' snid l. "But what about your
mistake IN the dlagnoslsY' l was thus
persistent because I had come 10 be-
lieve the doctor infalllble as a diagnos-
.tlcinn.
"Oh. that was but figure of
speech" he replied. smiling. II alluded !
TO my general opinion OF the man. |
thought as you do that he WINS a mild
-
held TO his spirituallstlc views"
cause enough said |. surely no |
snno man could believe that spirits |
walk the earth"
'''rhat has been my view ulso. still
Just before his death tonight he !
broached this subject. He declared |
that he would yet convince me aud |
that he would do II by returning TO |
visit me after death"
"Ah, 40 that is ltl You were looking |
into the lire just now and waiting for |
your frieDd's ghost TO appear Wen, |
we'll! You astonlsh me-" laughed \
aloud. "Come, come, doctor. am glad !
dropped In 10 cheer you up. tell |
you what; ghosts they say, do not get |
out much before ~. and Il Is not yet o. |
If youll mix me u punch I'll stay with |
you an the witching hour and stand |
by you IN your encounter with the |
specter"
'Ele did not say that he would come |
tonight" said the doctor, with smile, |
taking my chatting good naturedly,
"Weli, l imagine not lie was smart /
enough not to tix the hour, not know
Ing what engagements might be- wait
ing for him after he had passed over /
ehY | think that's the lingo is II noti
Hut, | say, did this friend of yours be-
llevc In ghosts theoretically or practi. /
callyG Did he just prove the thing TO
himself by the Scriptures on philosophy |
or something OF that sort or had he
ever seen real live ghosty A real live
ghost IL rather good, ehT'
"iIe claimed 10 have seen great
many materlalized spirits"
"rhe deuce he did, Why then. look
here, How Ia Il. II he was 50 intimate
with ghosts ON visiting terms, as Il
wen, how was Il that he never intro
duced you 60 one Of his celestial visit.
orsy"
"Ie did once"
whats thatT l hardly thought l
could have heard Alright
"would you like me 70 tell you OF my
rxperlenceY asked the doctor OF
course / accepted. hut before he began
the story he went 10 his cupboard aud
brought forward the ingredients with
which 10 brew a punch OF his own con
coction. OF which he knew that l was
very fond
"rhe incident occurred only last No
vcmher." began the doctor, "Just be-
fore Thanksgiving day received a let
ter from my friend insisting that l
should go out 10 his house In the coun-
try. II Is a place not ffty miles from
New York. but | shall not tell you ex-
aclly where because for reasons,
He had only been therc himself Tor a
few weeks. but was enchanted with his
new home. which was in sort OF park
One OF those private parks containing