The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-03-20

Os-.-s-.-.-.-,-.-.-.-.-.- ~
believe that the two most des'I"Dis
blessings one can have are youth anu
health. There is third that is e4u"'-
ly important, though much more ap' "
be lgnored-that is, absence OF "o''S.
| have had an experience 10 the i"Sl VI
the three. or its reverse, which Is tne
subject of this story.
II ever a child was born mo Ine
world In a perfectly normal conul 'iOn
was that child. | grew to manNo0u
without an ache or a pain, and seeing
others taking medicines and consulting
doctors would say to them; "Get your
mind away from your aches and PANS
Don't worry and you viii be as wen aS
| am. As for the doctors, they are only
good for serious matters; IN small SICK
nesses they are humbugs."
One morning when taking my pain
discovered a small lump on my rlsn'
side. i rubbed 4 and pulled at H. ana
| didn't like it at all. For three days
tried not to think about II, theh gave
up the task and went to doctor ia.
nous for the treatment Of all sorts OF
"growths." waited two hours lor
consultation, during which time was
In an increasing state of terror
Doctor" | said when admitted TO
the consulting room Of the great spe-
cialist, "a little lump has come IN my
side. fear 1t bodies something serl-
GUS"
The doctor directed me to remove
sufficient clothing for him to make an
examination. After be had hnished
he spent some time putting away the
implements he had used, but SAID noth-
ing. | inferred the worst, and it was
the worst that be finally communicat-
ed to me
THAT lump" he said, "ls malignant
growth which we medical men cali'-
he gave long Latin name Whlch
didn't remember FIVE minutes-"and
my duty is to tell you that If you nave
any affairs that need to be settled you
had better go to work upon them"
sank down in a chair and covered
my face with my hands The doctor
remained silent. Presently, notWlth-
standing the shock under which l sur
fered, | remembered that an anteroom
was full of patients who were waiting
to consult the great man, and | pro-
ceeded to make certain Inquiries.
How long have | to live, doctorT
asked.
81 don't know. The records of such
cases as yours have usually proved
fatal within three to four months"
Shall | suffer muchp
mo; the diseise will eat into an ar
terry, when the end viii be painless"
could thinkOfno other Information
that | would ned, so, rising from my
chair, | staggeRd out of the room, Civ
ing place to thtnext patient, who was
to gain cOmfot or despair from the
eminent specialist He sent me a bill
of 500 for telling me that had but
four months almost to live, but under
the Circumstanes the money was moth
ing to me and since the doctor was
| living at the nte Of 100000 year 1t
was q good deal to him.
For the first week after learning my
doom / gave myself up to meditation
upon my fate At the end OF that time
/ made up my mind that it wouldn't
need a malignant something or other to
Kill me or -four months in which to dc
the work was preying upon myself
at a much more rapid rate. ! resolved
TO throw of the mental octopus that
had me In its clutches and make the
most Of the brief period that remained
to me
had 100000 In 6 per cent bonds
worth Sl500O0 There was no relative
who needed the money, and | resolved
to spend the most of 1t in PURCHASING
whatever would keep my mind or m!
coming demise | would need compan!
some one to be with me most of th'
time-and cast about for an associate
would spend part of my time with
man friend and the rest with womai
friend For the man | chose Arthu
Atherton and for the woman Adel
Sturgis, with both Of whom ! was o.
familiar terms. told them that pro
posed to spend 100000 within fou
months and that In consideration o
their devoting their time to me for tina
period | would divide the remalnln
$4,000 between them. Atherton wa
out Of business at the time and had n
fortune He looked very sympathetl
when ! made my proposition, but
thought be was trying to conceal
good deal Of happiness. In third OF
year be would earn $4,000 besides Ell
joying HxuHes that wouldn't cost hii
anything.
As TO Adele, she said she would thin
the matter over. After doing SO ST
told me that She would accept my pro-
osition with an amendment that tt
amount | would spend should be r
duced by $4,000 and added to u
amount OF her portion. Furthermor
this portion vas not to be given to ne
out left to charity by will.
This did not seem to suit the requir
mcnts OF the case. but Adele was u
only girl knew that | thought woul
be able to Mt me out Of myself. and
ossented began by meeting Arth'
about Q o'clock every morning an
spending the time with him till about
in the afternoon We played billiard
and went wherever anything interes