Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1922-02-16
The
Doctors Bride
By KATE EDMONDS
lal Ia1L. Western Nowspaper Union.l

ayes, miss, that's the way to the vii
lage. So you're the new principal Of
J the free SCHOOL, hope you'll like
the place, miss, and stay with US
a while; the last principal she found
ed the schOol-MlSs Brown from BOS-
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 said,
and that's saying a heap, for we all
thinks a 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
bill.
"Five years ago Doc Bentley was
practicing in NOrtOnville, q 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 a 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
CIafin clear over those mountains.
The day was set for their marriage at
the Presbyterian church. And you'd
have thought that he'd have let up a
little on npracticing, with his we'd
ding day a few hours off. But he
didn't.
1.-THE night before his marriage q
call came over the long distance tele-
phone from CartersP which lies Is
miles south from NortOnville, in the
midst of the mountains. A negro
man had been crushed by a 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 Carriers And, seeing
that nothing he could say. would stop
him, Jim saddled the horse, and Doc
Bentley reached Carriers at midnight
and saved a life. ~ - -,
at had been downhill to Carter, but
IT Was uphill going back. and ID
miles upon a tired horse may mean
a7s hours, or tRenty-four. when the
mountain roads have become rushing
streams, and especially when your
horse falls and breaks his leg in two
places. Doe Bentley rose up from the
muddy ground, looked at the animal,
and drew his revolver from his pocket
to put It out Of its pain. Then he re-
flected. IF can cure a mans broken
leg reckon ! can cure a horses, he
said to himself. So he pulled the beast
into thIeket, and, two days later, no
was back there with plaster Of paris
and a load of corn-and the end Of It
is that Doc Bentley rides that same
nag today, up and around Changers.
Seey there he comes over that Fisa
He'll be here In FIVE minutes.
"Where was I att Oh, yes. Well,
when he was six miles out Of Norton
Vile, and walked into town, Miss
Edith SOmers was waiting at the Pres
byteriar church. That was at noon,
and you might think Doc Bentley
coulG 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 a log
In the road from tive in the morning
until half-past eight. Also, he had q
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 NOrtonvIlls. 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 / reckon
nobody holds It against him. Anyway,
he's powerful good doctor. But don't
you believe what other folks say. for,
as / told yOu,. they'll get it wrong.
miss.
"We1l, ! must leave you here, for
I've 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, doctorI This Is
the new principal Of You know herr
Garry Myers, come hereI Come
here! There, you're too slowl You've
missed tit What did / sect, Why,
Doc Bentley kissing the new principal
Of the free school In the middle Of the
street, as bold as brass, and-loOkl
Why, they're carrying on as If there
wasn't another human being in the
world but just themselves I"