Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-24
DAILY SHORT STORY
AN AMATEUR PHYSICIAN.
COriginal.l

| ''Those people said the medical stu
dent. who are always telling an inva-
lid Just what's the matter with hin
and recommending some peculiar treat
ment are u nuisance"
II was once very much benefited by
one of these amateur physicians" re-
piled the artist.
You? How"
| You know Ned Bradley"
/ Yes; Il simpleton. He's one Of that
| nd-knows more about medicine
than a whole, school of doctors. Did he
! doctor you
well, yes. l was feeling very bad
| one spring, and in the midst of my all
| ingS ran across Ned. L know what's
the matter with you, he said. It's
your heart Going to Il closet he
! brought out a StethOSCope and clapped
| IL to my heart. He listened awhile
! then rushed off TO a case where he
| kept half Il dozen medical books with
such titles rs Ones Own Doctor
| Medicine Made Easy and the like
| and. taking one of them, he hunted
! through the leaves till he found heart
disease After reading what it said
| he reluctantly Informed me that / was
liable to drop down dead ut any mo-
| ment."
"Of course you submitted the case
to physician:'
That's what | should have done. but
| dared not lest he should confirm
what Bradley had said. Instead |
went about expecting each day would
be my last The flesh melted from my
bones. 1 lost my strength. l was on
| the verge OF collapse. Then I began
to make preparations for my death.
| had $4,000 in government bonds and
| no relative in the world TO whom TO
| leave them. The only person | loved
was Mary Klagget. ami Mary was re-
| ceiving the attentions of Alex Mac
Arthur. Nevertheless, my affection for
her was Of the true kind. We had
! been chums mt school. hunted butter
! flies together in summer and Skated to-
| gethcr i'm winter. Then, when we grew
| older we read the SameibOOkS. thought
the same thoughts. had similar aspira-
| tionS. All went we'll till Macarthur
| appeared: then,I dropped. away. But
| loved Mary so well that l resolved to
| leave her my bonds.
"Aftcr that l went downhill at to-
| boggan speed. Somehow | felt aveTSe
| to meeting peopEe-they bore an invalid
| so, asking how he feels, and all that
| so | kept at home ana ut last took to
my bed l called in doctor and took
any quantity of medicines, but none of
them did me any good"
Did YOU tell him about your heart
| disease"
| "No: | preferred to have him make
| his own diagnosis. At least. this is
| the excuse | made to myself for not
| telling him The truth is | didn't dare
| tell him. for fear his reply would end
. the business at once. When l got SO
| low that | thought l wouldn't last
much longer | resolved to send for
Mary and give her my property. When
| she came aud saw MY condition she
| burst into tears.
Mary l said. you remember how
we used to play together. read the
same books-what pleasant times we
had in each others companionship?
Well. all this made you the only being
IN the world to me. Now I'm going to
leave You. There is the key to my
box in the safe deposit company. and
| here is paper making you n present
fifty $1,000 United States bonds. Take
them. and may Alex Macarthur make
you happy.
she Just bent down over me and
! whispered:
| "'Nou have made Il great mistake
"'And you're not going to marry
Alex
| NO
"'You don't love him?
"'How could l when 1 have always
loved somebody else
"She said this so softly and looked ut
me SO tenderly out of her trimming
eyes that l began TO suspect l had
made Il fool of myself in drawing out
of the race so easily.
MARY 1 whispered, is it 1 you
love-
eyes; and If you get we'll we will
| enjoy life to-ether'
| And if not:
Then I don't want your bonds
| "She was sitting on the bed beside
| me, my arms about her. and her cheek
down against mine. The door opened
! and in walked Ned Bradley.
| Horace lie said. I've found out
there's nothing the matter with you
! after all
"'What|
"'Nou're well enough. so far as your
! heart i concerned
Then what did Won mean by telling
me that | was liable to drop at any
| momeutE
"'I got hold of the wrong book
! lie was going on to explain. but l
! ETasped a pitcher that stood on table
| beside my bed. and as he vanished out
| Of the door the CrOckery splintered ali
| over the floor. l sank back exhausted
/ with the effort, for / had really brought
| myself down To n low state by worry
| ing. and gaSped for breath. Mary put
some liquor TO my lips and revived me.
MARY called servant and ordered
| carriage. In half an hour we were
| bowling along fine road. and 1 was