The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-28
THE EVENING STORY
A Complicated Case.
(By Donald Allen.)

George, of 1.-The Sycamores," to Miss
Fanny Isle of the city.
Miss Fanny Lisle arrived. 1t was
necessary only to look at her to know
since she was ten years old, and
didn't mean to begin at nineteen. She
had never been arrested and sent to
jail. Her misbehavior wasn't bad
enough for that. 1t was mere mis-
chief. 1t was in doing such daring
things as dressing up in a suit of her
brothers clothes and then ringing the
front door bell and asking the moth
er S consent to court her own self with
a view to matrimony. She had driven
two young men-not to suicide or a
lunatic asylum, but into the moving
picture business. She had once pre-
tended to lose her memory while shop
ping. and had the whole police force
hot-footing around to discover her
identity and abiding place.
Miss Fanny arrived, and for one
whole day she was very demure.
Then she got sight of DR.. Harper, who
had just graduated and set up prac-
tice in the village half a mile away.
she learned that he had only one pa
tient in three month, and that there
seemed no possible chance of his hav-
ing another in three more to come.
She felt sorry for him. She wished
she had some way of spreading ma
laria over the neighborhood, or of
having all the children come down
with the measles. Then came an idea.
Miss Helen George was twenty, and
staid. Her mother was almost SOL
emn. Neither would countenance any
deception. Therefore, in the plan that
was laid they were left out. Miss
Fanny awOke one morning to declare
that she felt strange in the head.
There were offers to make catnip tea
and all that, but she thought DR.. Har-
per ought to be sent for. He came at
once. He questioned for half an hour
before he was satisfied that it was a
cold in the head. He left a remedy and
would call again.
Next day the head was better, but
there was trouble with her right foot.
1t seemed to be asleep. Did the doctor
think it was case of creeping palsy?
He pursed his. lips and looked wise
and said he must have two or three
days to watch Developments It might
be nothing but twinge of rheuma-
tism. He would have thought so had
pie tree in the orchard that afternoon,
but he was half a mile away.
Don't you go flirting with DR.. Har
per, for I won't stand it, and mother
would be Mortified" warned Helen.
why Nelly, how can you think of
such thing! It's just that if I am
going crazy in my head 1 want to know
it, and If I'm to have paralysis want
to write to father. You are cruel to
talk that way"
his patient with pain in her side.
1t was a pain that moved up and
down. Sometimes it gave an awful
twinge, and then again it ceased and
was good. Was it something danger
Gus? Had she better return to town
and consult a specialist?
Moo, hardly" the doctor said.
Probably flying pain. A mustard
plaster will draw it out"
Her tongue was looked at and her
appetite questioned and some changes
were suggested in diet. Sour apples
were not among the suggestions, but
Miss Fanny ate six of them that day.
A mustard plaster was made for her
dropped out of the window of her
room. In dropping it fell on the head
of the gardener, but all his swearing
was done below his breath. Aside
from the sour apples there was GRO
quet and other racing around and a
long walk.
That evening Miss Helen observed
to her guest:
rose, and I'm sure nothing will all
you when you get up in the morn
ing"
But alas, who can tell what a night
may bring forth? The doctor came
to see about the pain in the right side,
to be told that it had jumped over
into the left. 1t now surrounded the
heart. He used his stethoscope, and
found the heart beating as regularly
as the tick of a clock, but even as he
was saying so the pain disappeared
AID the patient complained of a roar.
ing in the right ear. 1t roared and
roared and roared, and Miss Fanny
almost had tears in her eyes as she
asked if it was the precursor of stone
deafness.
"Um! I'm, UNI" muttered the doc
tor, and then recommended cotton and
a weak solution of laudanum.
81 -
solemn but motherly Mrs. George who
asked:
Doctor, do you regard the case as
serious?"
mot at present" was the reply, 'but
it is one that needs watching
Two hours later as the patient was
racing the Newfoundland dog up and
down the lawn, Miss Helen stopped the
sport for moment to says
"I wouldn't have new symptoms
tomorrow, if I were you. You are
getting SO many that DR.. Harper for
got to put on a necktie this morning"
ST wasn't going to have any, you
mean old thingi" was the reply.
AS luck would have it there was
none, and the doctor was SO encour-
aged that he invited Miss Fanny to
ride with him in the afternoon. 1t
was a social. not a professional ride.
patients ailments. 1t was general
talk.
ooh, I'm so glad 1 WENT" the girl
exclaimed when she returned. do
you know 1 almost feared I was los
ing my mind, but found could un-
derstand everything the doctor said
and talk back to him. Isn't It an
awful thing when a girl loses her
mind"
Next day the doctor dropped in, un-
professionally. He came to chat for
an hour. 1t was so on the next day
also, but on the third there was more
than a social chat that awaited him.
Total loss of appetite and a feeling
of general lassitude were troubling
the girl With tears in her eyes, Miss
Fanny admitted that she couldn't eat
a broiled lobster if 1t were placed be-
fore her, and that she was so dis
- i. L.