The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-01-01
THE TDoCTOR'g S77ORT.
A SHRIJTnAJ RgnANeE BY .h. ri.
written especially for the Ocala Banner)

Weir had Just reached ne. Dear, win
some Kitty, AS I read her kind letter
I coIld not l,la ember the time I had
not lovCG her. When was a lad
Of sixteen and she a old of twelve
we were schoOlmates az our dear old
Kentucky home, and even a that ten
der age l think I would have gone
through fire and blood for Kitty. Her
letter vas an invitation. 10 spend the
Christmas holidays with herself and
uncle at his beautiful home on Lake
Weir, and the utter impossibility of
an acceptance by me, a struggling
young doctor, waiting in vain in my
poorly-furnished Office in this far
away Montana town, for the patient
that was so slow in coming. made me
curse my fate and the good health of
the community where I bad so unfor-
tunately, il seemed. hung out my shin
gle. -. Ii was a little mining town at
the foot Of the mountains, and it seem
ed to me that none of the inhabitants
would ever need the services of
young physician, only too willing TO
serve them.
I had been here for six months. In
fact. had located here Immediately
upon the completion of my two years
strenuous experience at the Presby-
terrain Hospital. and 50 far had been
barely able TO pay my Office rent and
board. So an acceptance Of KiUtys
invitation was utterly out of the ques-
ton.
Five years before this / had begun
my studies with Kitty's father. kindly
old Doctor Bascombe, and never did
an ambitious boy have a better friend
or more diligent instructor in the eth
les of medicine. Three years ago this
good frierd---a second father TO me,
a poor orphan boy-had been called to
his reward in a better and happier
world. and I mourned my best friend
and counsellor, and Kitty the fondest
/and most indulgent of parents. The
dear old man, however, had such a
tender. kind and loving heart that he
only left Kitty the remembrance OF
an untarnished reputation crowned
n with a halo of good deeds, his memory
sacred shrine ia the hearts of his
BLOW townsmen. But Kitty had a
healthy uncle in New York, a bachel-
!. her fathers youngest brother. He
as banker. and upon her fathers
18th came home to Kentucky and
bk unto himself my sweet Kitty, TO
a solace and JOY in his declining
ars. He had recently retired from
business, and with her as his sole heir
had purchased a beautiful orange
grove and built an elegant home on
the south side of Lake Weir. in the
Land OF Flowers" where they in
tended to spend their winters.
Upon Doctor Bascombe's death
had taken q position as flagman on
l. -
cient amount 10 defray the expenses
of one term al the Louisville Medical
College. Just before finishing my
course I Unexpectedly fell heir to the
sum of one thousand dollars through
the death OF an aunt whom 1 had new
er seen. BY this good fortune l had
been enabled to go to New York
where. |. by the strictest economy. had
gained experience that otherwise
would not have been mine, though
had practiced in a country town fol
ten years.
Of course / had never spoken a wore
of love TO Kitty. but l was convinced
that she knew loved her with a love
that was stronger than life itself snC
1 felt assured that there was al .eas
a warm place in dear Kitty's heart TO
me. We had not met since her faith
er's funeral, but our letters had beel
frequent. and now, as | read her let
ter. / saw this picture before me: 4
petite form of perfect mold, with hea'
and features that would grace a We
nus. crowned by a luxuriant suit o
brown hair that turned to gloriOu
bronze when kissed by the sun; brow
eyes. as soft as those of the timid ga
zelle. with depths OF liquid beauty tina
kindled and flashed like diamond
when excited or pleased. and swan
with emotion and sympathy whel
touched by pathOs. Could I help bu
love here No: God bless her, Sh
would always be enshrired within m
heart. and [ felt that the mere priv
lege Of having knowa her would a
ways enable me 70 ~alk clearly, w.
rightly and honestly before my fe
lows Bur now she seemed turtle