Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-08-10
THE WRONG
BOOK
By ESTHER VANDEVEER
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation 1911

elefS westward from the Missouri river
went by wagon train system. | was
young man then and had some money
which | had invested in the stock Of
a mining company on Clear Greek,
about twenty miles west Of Denver.
News came that those operating the
mine had struck a rich vein Of ore. and
! concluded to 90 out and look after
my interests.
SO Joined a wagon train at Kansas
City consisting Of two wagons. The
owner, John ScarSdale, was taking his
family out to Denver to settle there
They consisted Of his wife, his son.
Henry. twenty years old. and his
daughter, Amelia. Henry had taken
course Of medicine at an eastern uni
versity and was going to put out his
single in Denver.
There is nothing like being thrown
with girl constantly and not seeing
other girls to make a man fall in love
And / suppose it's the same with girl
in reference TO the man. At any rate.
we had been on the road but a few
days when | began to consider Amelia
attractive
DR.. Henry Scarsdale had whole
library Of medical books with him
and studied whenever we were in
camp. He was an enthusiast in his
profession. He became q celebrated
physician afterward. but at that time
he was simply at the beginning Of his
career and always yearning for some
one to fall i'll that he might apply his
knowledge
Unfortunately | was destined to
need his attention. Ny heart would
get to beating rapidly at the slightest
prOvOcatiOn. The young doctor on
hearing Of my trouble unpacked a box
Of books that he had intended not to
open till he reached Denver, got out a
volume on heart disease ran his eve
over the index till he came to '-palpi-
tatiOn" and familiariZed himself with
my case. Then he improvised steth-
oscope, placed it against my chest over
my heart. listened and looked serious.
/ knew by that look that I was
doomed. He told me that I must not
consider my case hopeless. which |
understood to mean that it was hope
less, especially since he told me that
might live quite awhile. But the next
morning, feeling more hopeful. told
the doctor that [ thought he might
have been mistaken, whereupon he
out If | lived to reach Denver it
would be more than he expected
This broke me all up again. and |
continued to decline during the rest of
the journey. | couldn't make the
slightest motion without my heart
beating like trip hammer | lost
flesh and was so near run down that by
the time we were approaching Denver
n reclining place was made for me in
one of the wagons.
/ conceived a great respect for the
medical diagnosing power of the
young doctor. He had told me that if
| reached Denver alive | would do
well, and the nearer we got to the
town the more rapidly my heart beat
It occurred to me that he didn't really
expect me to live even so long as that
At any rate l made up my mind |
would not
When within ten miles of Denver in
camp one evening | sent for Amelia
ScarSdale and told her that being at
the point Of death. | would have no
further use for worldly wealth and
handed her my mining shares that l
had transferred to her. | refrained
from telling her that | loved her.
thinking that, being doomed. it would
be better for her that | should keep
my secret. Amelia was certainly very
grateful. tried to comfort me and de
clared that if | lived she would re
transfer the shares to me- To this |
replied that l had given up all hope;
that when her brother told me it was
not likely would live to enter Denver
l had doubted his power of diagnosis,
but l had been getting worse ever
since, and I knew now that he was
right
While we were talking Or. Scars
dale came TO the wagon and said to
me:
Il fear I have made Il mistake in
your ease. | got hold of Il book on dis
eases OF the heart. | have today been
reading one on indigestion. and |
shouldn't be surprised if your heart
trouble is due to that cause"
You say you fear you have made a
mistake" | remarked.
Yes"
Well, | fear you haven't"
Diet for a few days. and have
so-le peptonic pills I'll give YOU
took the doctors pills and the fact
that he had got hold o. the wrong book
concerning my case convinced me that
he was not infallible My mind drfted
in another channel. my heart stopped
beating SO rapidly, and l was a new
man.
Amelia insisted on returning the
mining shares, which made me feel
very cheap l went up in the noun
tains to the mine and returned a few
uaal-s lotar n very rich man I was