The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-08-17

DR.. Crowder's professional success
was complete. His selection to deliye
the address at the meeting of the In
ternational Association, of which h,
mad been notified but yesterday
Voucned for that, even had not hi
great practice, largely as counsel FOL
other physicians, no settled the mat
Ter long ago. But his selection by his
Fellows in a profession jealous and ex.
acting to the last degree. to represent
them In a great international, scien,
tihc gathering, put the final STAMP OF
approval upon his achievements.
And so DR.. Crowder whistled merrily
as he worked along in his library lab
1ratory gathering data for the address
which he had resolved to make the
most nlomentous ever delivered before
a medical congress.
One cloud only hung over DR.. Crow,
ders life, 1t was a woman, of course.
When a mere boy, not yet formed or
educated, he had married pretty Ethel
Wood, a mtlliner's apprentice. She
was Pretty, of course, very, very pref
ty-dnd she was good, and tender, and
true, But she was ultimately impossi-
bic for a man with such a brain as
Dr. CroWder possessed. Had he been a
bank clerk, or a dry goods, salesman,
or almost any sort of a fellow except
ing just the kind he was, she might
have made an ideal wife for him, and
a most happy and conventional home
might have been established. But
when the great brain in him awakened
and ne felt the divine call to climb the
heights he did that which SO many
others have done-he went away.
Through all the toilsome years since
he had been conscientious in his
monthly remittances, even when it lad
reduced him to the most uncomfortable
straits. Yes, Ethel and the little boy
had been taken care Of physically
that much was taken off his Consci-
ence. But many times he questioned
within himself whether that covered
his obligations.
But, great heavens, she could not
SPELL he said to himself over and
over again. She scarcely could read
never read anything worth while. She
had no ideals, ambitions, no mental in
1tiatiye, Life with her would have
been mental death. | have been able
to be of some service to the race. |
never could have been if l had remained
tied to her. might have attained the
proud distinction of becoming a regis
tered pharmaCist-that would have
been about all"
An! but the boyle got on Dr
Crowder's mind many sleepless nights.
What right had he to project a human
life INTO the world and leave it to work
out the devious course of existence
without the guidance and aid of a
fathers care? These revolts of con-
science were not frequent, however. as
Dr. CToWder was a very busy man and
his splendid brain was fully occupied
with problems of great import to the
race.
Tonight the memory of his girl wife
ana the few happy months he had
spent with heretofore he heard the
call to climb the heights-was hot nm
on him, and he paused in the midst of
his experiments and sat with his head :
in his hands for a long time. Every
detail OF her glorious face and her trim ,
ngure came to his mental vision. The
old love Inc the old desire surged
through his veins. He had met the
most beautiful women in the world !
since his professional success had been
assured-but here was his woman-the !
mate he had chosen in his youth-and
who mad chosen him. He could feel L
her very presence and his heart
throbbed with the thought. "
And the boy-he never had seen tbe S
boy. The boy had been born after ba
mad left. But he was his boy-1esb Of
his flesh, bone of his bone-and his +
very W blood, and the blood of his +
flowed in the veins of this II
boy he never had seen and in whose a
he mad had no part. All these c;
-hings were very much on the mind d
heart and spirits of DR.. Crowder te
O-night. {
OF n thing he reflected with satis-
action-as he frequently had done no.
ore-he had covered his tracks well
acquaintance of his youth couId ~
identify the great DR.. Crow
Ter or New York as the callow youth 10
i Pottstown 20 years z known aa |
ON Billings. For the boy had changed
is name when he planned his new lel
areer and no human being knew of 20
connection with the exception of nl'
is trusted lawyer, through whom the
were sent-and he did NOT
now very much about it all. H..
Well, anyway, he had increased tbe ""
emlttances as his income had in -.
'eased, and the boy had had a chance W
} far as education was concerned far Wy
eyond anything for which the doctor d.
yer Lad hoped for himself.
Cognizant of the fact that this sort
thing never would do If he were to
the experiments upon which bu
Is great address to the Medical asso-
alton was to be based, DR.. Crowder eta
look his tswney a and arose. He tbi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS