Spray courier. (Spray, Or.) 1???-19??, 1915-05-20
KEEPING A
RESOLUTION
BY MARGARET C. DEVEREAUx

The day WIS graduated FROM tn,
medical school the only woman In N,
) cMss-dear old pr. Phillips. who hand
ed me my diploma, said to me. with
smile:
"There II is. my dear. But II win Dc
you no good"
why do you say that, doctory'
asked. much disconnected,
"Some young fellow will induce yor
to marry him, and you viii have No
time TO practice II profession which, II
pmcticed property, will require al
your time"
| was young and headstrong. More
over. ! hnd spent years preparing my
self for my vocation. | grasped the
doctors hand and. raising my other
dramatically said:
II promiSe you. Or. Phillips. that
will devote my life to the sick. make
this pledge that II shall he impossible
for me to 80 back on my profession"
shall never forget the kindly smile
or the twinkle OF the eye with which
the good doctor received this VOW. !
struttcd out Of the room and us closed
the door behind me shut or part VI
what he said;
"l'll bet you don't practice three
tried to gct position that would
give ME hospital work. but. failing In
this, hung up my shingle as n general
practitioner. had been prncticlng but
few months when an elderly lady
came to my office and said that she
would like me TO treat her son. From
her description OF his disease thought
that 1t was probably mcancholia. The
young man was up and about and ut.
tending to business therefore sug.
gested that he call at my office during
my consultation hours. But his mother
said that IL was she who desired the
services of physician for her son
and she could only succeed In submit
ting him to treatment and insisted on
my going to the house Besides. she
wished him to see Il woman physician.
whereas II he went to an office he
would probably go to man.
This argument prevailed, aud II was
agreed that | was to cnll the next day
after In the afternoon. when the
young man Dick his mother called
him-had returned from business
made the call. wns received by the
lady and introduced to the patient.
There was that about him which re.
minded me Of some one else, but
could not tell who the other person
was. He did not appear to be III, but
appearances are often deceptive.
! piled him with questions. which
he seemed disinclined TO answer, and
! succeeded in getting very little out
of him. All | could do was to rec
Sinmend that he take out OF door exer.
else and have what society he rellshed.
His mother was present during the In
terview. and when arose to depart
she put her arms about me and said:
Help us out by giving us your com.
pnny occasionally as well rs your pro-
fessional services, won't you? Dick
won't go out and know no young per
sons to invite to the house"
could give no definite reply to this,
of course, and simply bowed assent.
"Oblige me by staying to dinner with
u.s. continued the old lady. and she
began quietly to remove my hat and
coat made but faint resistance,
and we were soon enjoying ourselves
at table. For my life | could see no
sign Of Illness in Dick, who was very
and charmed me with his
] am not going to give the history
Df my professional treatment Of my pa.
lent. Richard Ashley. for mingled with /
i Is love story Of which he is the
hero and the heroine. He was never
III. though lie led me to suppose that |
here was a nervous weakness about |
lin that did not appear on the surface
studied his case for months. trying
lilferent remedies. which | had my
loubts he ever took. Finally | found
myself so deeply In love that was
eady to sacrifice my profession for
lin. Indeed. the great problem of my
NC DcSulut, uOt IipN W CtIIe ulIN. VI
ny one else. for that matter, but to
ppropriate him to myself 1t was
ather than he who suffered from n
eculiar disease. II any attractive
oung woman came near him was
eized with terrible anxiety lest some
ther woman should take him away
rom me.
However. time proved that these
ears were groundless. for one evening
ftcr one Of my visits to him and ]
ad been invited to dinner his mother
1T lis alone together In the library.
nd what so desired was clinched by
proposal
As soon as our engagement was
lade known to the members of our re
pective families congratulations be
an to come in His sisters and his
Duslns and his aunts" called on me.
nd they were all not only very gra
ous to me. but regarded me With an
mIsed curiosity. One day who should
Dme to see ME but my old preceptOr,
r Phillips. to whom | had made the
ledge not to marry. | could not es
ipe him. so ! faced him lie was
trimming over with amusement.
"You little humbugr" he said 81
new y0n would not he saved for the
Iedic;ll profession. 80 ! resolved to get
eli into my family | told my nephew