Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-02-02


ever, since | may be mistaken in this d.
agnosis | would recommend watching the
action of the liver. the kidneys. the spleen
and other organs.
Dorothy kept her room and refused
herself to visitors. DR.. Archibald
Swain Chichester whose practice was
among the ultra fashionable set, next
took up her case. read DR.. Treats
diagnosis-or. rather. scanned it con
temptuously-asked the patient great
many questions. gave especial direc-
tons as to her diet. wrote the Gus
tomary prescription-Or, rather. pre-
scriptions, for there were three of them
and departed. promising to return
again in a week. Since Mrs. Cum
mings was now much troubled about
her daughters condition Dorothy did
not dare to burn up her prescriptions.
but when the medicines came she daily
poured q small portion Of each in a
sink. Since she thwarted her physi-
clans intention in her behalf II is not
remarkable that she gained no benefit.
But. on the other hand, if she gained
no benefit she suffered no injury.
Now. Dorothy In her feminine way
was far better diagnOstican than any
Of her physicians. Though she had
met the Rev. Charles Fordham but a
few times, she had noticed in his eye
that peculiar spark of love which
flashes at times between two persons
of opposite Sex. as well as felt it in
her own heart During his first SER
mon she had kept her gaze fixed upon
him and had several times noticed his
momentarily concentrated upon her.
During her illnesS-or, rather, her Sc
clusion-he had made repeated inqui-
ries of her family as to her condition
and had manifested the usual solicit
tude Of a pastor for one Of his con-
gregation. He even expressed a re-
greet that the rule he had made with
reference to refraining from private
visits to the women of his church had
prevented his giving the sick girl the
benefit of spiritual comfort.
The statement seemed to have a bad
effect when Mrs. Cummings repeated
it to the patient, for the next day Dor
othy admitted to her mother that one
of the causes Of her ailment was
self conviction OF her own sinful con
dition, When Mrs Cummings repeat
cd this to the clergyman he threw his
rule to the winds and informed the
good lady that he would visit the in
valid whenever she desired to see him
The next Monday afternoon. Monday
being the Clergyman's visiting day
he rang the bell at the Cummingses
and was uShcred into an upstairs liv-
ing room where Dorothy, whose pal
lor had been caused partly by confne-
ment and partly by face powder skill
fully applied. was half reclining on
lounge. She was dressed in Il becom-
ing kimono-like gown and partly COW
cred by silken spread with colors
to correspond with the gown. She
was very pretty girl and never looked
prettier than now, AT the same time
enlisting the sympathy of an invalid.
How far the young clergyman stuck
to the subject of that he had come to
talk about is not known TO any one
except him and Dorothy. when he
departed the girl seemed to have been
more benefited than by ali the drugs
she was supposed to have taken. Mr..
Fordham having broken his rule once.
found it much easier TO break 1t II sec
ond time, after which it was far easier
to break than adhere to it.
1t was shortly before these visits
began that DR.. Effingham Treat. meet
ing Mr.. Cummings. asked after his
daughter Mr.. Cummings said that he
had had four physicians and gave DR..
Treat a summary of their opinions rs
to what was the matter with Dorothy.
DR.. Swain-Chichester thought the pa.
tient WAS threatened with melancholia.
The next practitioner attributed her
illness to her liver. the next to the
nerves, the next to Il nonaSsimilati0n
Of food. There was -one point on
which they all agreed-that the pa
tient gave no response whatever to
the medicines they prescribed. This
was not remarkable since she had
taken none Of them. DR., Treat listen
ed to these diagnoses, looked wise and
said nothing.
The visits Of the Rev. Mr.. Fordham
TO Miss Dorothy Cummings were con-
tinued with excellent results Her
physicians were discharged, what re-
manned Of her drugs was destroyed, and
1t was not long before she was driving
out for an airing. Then she was seen
frequently in company with the clergy
man, and members Of the congrega-
ton began to talk of an engagement.
1t was whispered among some of the
unmarried ladies who had themselves
bad designs on the reverend gentle
man that Dorothy Cummings was max
ing dead set for him.
They were all Of them behind the
times. At one Of the earlier visits Mr..
Fordham bad made on Miss Cummings
he had proposed to her and been ac-
"epted. Since their engagement and
Dorothy's recovery they were simply
having courtship for the world, and
more especially the congregation Of
the State Street Presbyterian church.
When this outside intimacy had con-
inued long enough to satisfy appear.
ances the engagement was announced /