Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1903-01-09
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Ny acquaintance continued gradu.
ally to grow. I knew plenty of young
ladies, but was not ladies' man. I
knew large number of young men,
some who like myself were but start.
ing out in their chosen life-work, and
others who had no need to grind, bus
who were the fortunate sons of wealthy
men.
Nor was my acquaintance limited
to the younger element of San Fran
cisco society. I was the recipient of
many gracious bows and handshakes
from the substantial men and women
ofthe lark street congregation, some
of whom lived in fine residences on
Mob Hill.
1 also became a member of the
Golden Gate Club, club composed
OF many of the prominent and most of
the rising men of San Francisco In
the comfortable club-rooms T spent
many pleasant hours. I had been
proposed for membership h1 Arthur
Langston, then young lawyer, whose
success at the bar just about equaled
my own success as a physician.
Langston and I had met at some of
the social gatherings, in which was
beginning to be-or, at least, to feel
like-a familiar figure. Ny legal
friend was possessed of no more of
this worlds goods than I was. But,
being q shrewd, capable fellow, his
practice gradually began to show
signs of life. Langston was gay man;
at least, his mind was always at ease,
and he took humorous view of life.
He was a favorite with all who knew
him. 1 regarded him in the light of a
brother. On our evenings at the Col
den Gate Club, Langston and 1 could
almost invariably be found at the same
table.
When I was not at the Golden Gate
or attending to my professional duties
| or loungine in my comfortable office,
reading, my unoccupied moments
were generally spent talking to an.
other new friend, Phister by name,
who kept well-appointed drug store
near my Office He was a good fell
low, somewhat prosy, it is true, but,
on the whole, on agreeable compan-
ion.
My associates at the boarding
house remained almost strangers to
nae, for I was there very little. I
generally got my breakfast there, and
sometimes my lunch, but Langston
and 1 were extravagant enough to
partake Of our dinner at the Golden
Gate.
Langston had more of my conf
dence than any other person in San
Francisco. If the time ever came
when I needed legal assistance, Lang
ston was the lawyer, of all lawyers,
whom would favor with my dis
tinguished patronage. And he. if he
needed medicine, would come to me.
But neither Of US needed the other.
Many and many time did we linger
over our coffee and plan brilliantly
for the future; and when the walls OF
our castles became dangerously high,
we would tumble them down with a
laugh and find companions for whist.
table.
Matters progressed in this way for
nearly q year. Gradually my little
practice grew, and with care could
live within my income. My circle of
friends slowly increased as we'll, and T
began to feel myself in q sphere which
might in time become useful as we'll as
a paying one. Ny main ambition now
was to have practice that would
enable me to live we'll and keep a
span of fast horses. It looked very
business-ike, thought, for a doctor
to be seen driving furiously through
the streets, as if the lives of his
patients depended more on the speed
OF his horses than on his skill.
expected no change in my plans.
I was anchored in San Francisco, and
expected to spend my life there. /
had heard and read of creatures of
fortune, swept here and there by the
tide of unexpected events; but in my
prosaic, humdrum life there was moth
ing to indicate that such fate was in
store for me.
Perhaps it was better that it was so.
One dark night in December, after
[ had my dinner and made a few I'M
important professional visits, I was
thrown on my own resources to pass
away the time, by the fact that Langs-
ton had very pressing business en-
gagement out Of town. AS was usual
at such times, I wandered into
Phister's. Phister was laxative, and
as that suited my mood, I sat musing,
unheeding the flight of time. The
wind began to blow, and the rain
came down in torrents.
"Crickmore," said Phister, peering
from behind his colored bottles out
into the night, "this is the worst
San Francisco has had in five years.
You are lucky not to be out in this"
Possibly" I said, with some
doubts. 81 am lucky to be in here,
and then again possibly I am not.
You forget that ! have got to go out in