Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-03-23
The
Doctors Bride
By KATE EDNTONDS


~ eS, mss, tlal lIle way To the VII
lage. So you're the new principal OF
the free SCHOOL, | hope you'u like
the place, miss, and stay with us
ID while; the last principal she found-
ed the school-Miss Brown from Dos
ton. YOU knoW-and she bided here
for seven and twenty years until Doc
Bentley sent her home to die.
Couldn't do nothing for her, he sad,
and that's saying IA heap, for we all
thinks good deal Of Doc Bentley
down this way.
Doc Bentley, did you ask? Yes,
he's been our doctor for nigh upon five
years now. That's his house on the
hill.
give years ago Doc Bentley was
practicing in NortOnville, Il hundred
miles across the mountains yonder.
Doc Bentley was considered the best
doctor there, and he used to be thick
with all the society folks in the place.
'But for all his big practice Bentley
wasn't the man to sacrifice the poor to
get bigger fee.
you see, miss, Doc Bentley was en-
gagged to be married to Miss Edith
Somers, the only daughter of old Jim
Somers, who built the railroad from
Clafiin clear over those mountains.
The day was set for Their marriage at
the Presbyterian church. And you'd
have thought that he'd lave let up
little on his practicing, with his we'd
ding day few hours off. But he
didn't.
THE night before his marriage
call came over the long distance tele-
phone from Carriers, which lies IS
miles south from Nortonville, in the
midst of the mountains. A negro
man had been crushed by wagon and
he was the nearest doctor. Would he
come at once?
"Doc Bentley dropped the telephone
receiver and called to his man: Sad
die my horse, Jim he said. I'm 60
| ing to ride to CarterS.' And, seeing
| that nothing he could say would stop
him, Jim saddled the horse, and Doe
Tp1tley reached Carriers ut midnight
| and saved a life.
it was uphill going hack, and IS
| miles upon tired horse may mean
| five hours, or twenty-four, when the
| mountain roads have become rushing
| streams. and especially when your
! horse falls and breaks his leg in two
places. Doc Bentley rose up from the
muddy ground, looked at the animal,
and drew his revolver from his pocket
| to put it out of it's pain. Then he re-
| Elected. If | can cure mans broken
| leg | reckon | can cure a horses, he
! said to himself. SO he pulled the beast
into thicket, and. two days later, he
was back there with plaster Of paris
| and load of cOrn-and the end of it
is that Doc Bentley rides that same
nag today, up and around Changers.
| See, there he comes over that rise.
! He'll be here in five minutes.
"Where was I at? Oh, yes. Well,
| when he was six miles out of Norton
| Vile, and walked into town, Miss
| Edith Somers was waiting at the Pres
| byterian church. That was at noon,
and you might think Doe Bentley
| could have covered the distance on
| foot by then. But the fact is-which
| forgot to tell yOu-that he had been
stunned by his fall and lay like log
| i'm the road from two in the morning
| until half-past eight. Also, he had a
| broken shoulder.
Miss Somers waited with the bridal
! party from noon until a quarter past
one. Then her father took her home,
| and an hour later they were speeding
| in their car out of NOrtonville. She
never went back-I guess she was too
proud. OF course you know Jim Somers
| lost his fortune in the panic year.
doc Bentley had to leave Norton
vile. of course. We learned his story
soon after he got here, but l reckon
nobody holds it against him. Anyway,
he's a powerful good doctor. But don't
you believe what other folks say, for,
as told you, they'll get it wrong,
| miss.
well, must leave you here, for
Eve got some shopping to do. But
walk straight ahead to the turn and
you'll see the school on top of that
rise. Good morning, doctor. This is
the new principal Of You know her?
| Garry Myers, come here! Come
here. There, you're too slow! You've
missed it! What did | see? Why.
Doc Bentley kissing the new principal
of the free school in the middle of the
street. as bold as brass, and-look
| Why, they're carrying on as if there
wasn't another human being in the
| world but just themselves!