Evening star., 1914-05-16
gasoline instead of pulled by an honest

gasoline instead OF pulled by an honest
old gray
Mns Tns doase oned eons shs
be bothered" and the golf club, and
when 1t was discovered that he had
fair tenor voice. he quickly occupied
a conspicuous position In the Episeo,
many of the hill people belonged.
Yet the doctor did not worry.
Hadn't he served his people faithfully
for thirty years? Wasn't the death
rate lower in Hes,thfeld than in neigh
everywhere Afectionateiy spoken Of
always and pointed out pridefully 10
strangers as the doctor. And he knew
he always would be '-the doctor" there,
where he had given the good wears OF
his life until his days were ended.
He never thought of how the years
were crowding him. He never knew.
though the sweet-faced wife did, how
very weary he looked after he and
the old gray had put in an unnsu-
ally strenuous day. And he never
heard shortly after the arrival of the
new doctor. though the sweet-faced wife
did, people speak of him the old
doctor; and after they had come down
certain flight of stairs in the new
bank building refer-apologetically, it
seemed-to "Dr. Norcombe's" d-time
methods. speak gushingly in the same
breath of Dr. Sifton's degree from ia
nous Scotch university. of the time ne
had put in in famous London hospital
Of his extreme care in sterilization and
Of his absolutely immaculate self and
office. The doctor wore the same old
alpaca coat summer In and summer
out. and the same old horsehair fur
niture had graced his office years with
out number.
No. the wife took care that he did
not hear the talk, and he, In turn
when the passing weeks witnessed his
practice falling off lamentably, and the
new doctors motor car with eVer,ln, 1,
to the rich folk. and also down to the
fats of the poor. hid the fact from the
little wife and drove away every morn
ing at the usual hour to make his
round,' which before many months
elapsed meant a pitifuiiy few calls on
as was most generally the case.
where the new doctors call could
not be paid and it didn't mater
with the doctor' He coulo have
but there was the wife to think or SO
many a lonely mile he drove on country
roads that he might reach home at MS
usual hour-lunch time.
Up on the hill there were only one
or two families who stood by nlH'
one fictitious attack Of gout his OLD
friend the major had. Even Mrs. Now
hray discovered a case of indigestion.
meekly tolerating the old club and so
ciety harangue. AS for Betty MoWoray,
one of his babies. she stormed furiousiy
at the treatment accorded him. openly
rtdiculing Dr. Sifton and his new-fangled,
ideas. Nothing positively nothing.
she declared, would make her olsloyai "
the doctor She told him SO one day
when the depression gradually lal,ms
upon him was unusually noticeable our
ing one of his visits to the major.
He patted Betty's consoling hand ten
derly and, driving homeward, thougn ne
passed doctors coupe in front OF .ne IN
grounds of the mayor OF aeathneiu, a.
front Of the post Office commsseratlng
"poor old Norcombe," the little warm
glow Bettys words had sent through
him was with him when he reacned
home enabling him to shoW ae";,ea sweailg sms.lng
into his own. He did not know how in
finitely pitiful and tender they were
when his back was turned. he oi oi9
not hear the low. You dear, pIave olo
soldier, you!" uttered by this little WON.
an equally brave in the game Of
duplicity they played.
Time sped on and at last came the
day when. instead Of dreading the ring
ing Of the office bell and the telephone
because the doctor was 80 very very
sounds, fevertshly. but always in vain
II it had not been for Maj. Mowbray' 8
gout there would have been no call FOR
the old gray to jog up the hill And
even there there seemed to be some
grumpy: Mrs. Mowbray more kindly. in
.. pitying way; Betty he rarely encoun-
tered. He discovered the cause one day.
when-rare tfing-a call came for him
from the country.