Evening star., 1933-03-26
INSTALLMENT I.
INSTALLMENT !.
~ CONGRATULATE you on the
Is success Of your cure, sir" said
DR.. Thomas Wohlmut, put
ting his stethoscope in his

from the chintZ-cOvered daVenporI Oh
his hotel room, and slipped on his shirt.
He was in excellent humor, for he felt
completely rejuvenated after his four
drinking of the waters, baths, mas
sages. walks and hours of rest. He
was locking forward with pleasure to
his return to his home and children,
End all but to the resumption of his
duties. He took an envelope from the
table which he had got ready before
the doctors entrance, and said-with
touch of embarrassment. since he was
dealing with a man of reflnement-"For
your professional service merely; my
gratitude is quite another thing"
Dr.. Wohlmut put the envelope IN
his pocket. Its contents he estimated,
would be about 500 marks. That was
the fee which rich patients, who eX-
pected daily visits during their cure,
habitually paid on the day Of their de-
parture Then he stood hesitating,
picked up book from the table and
looked at the title He always felt
slightly sensitive about leaving the mo-
ment he had received his fee.
Gatterburg obviously had the same
sense of uncomfortableness, and SO he
began a perfectly superfluous CONVEX
sation while putting his clothes IN
order.
What do you do during the Win
ter. Doctor? During the Summer kiss
ingen is a perfect paradise. But the
Winter? You are still young. Do you
treat the local people? Do you study?
Or travel?"
"A little of everything. During the
Winter my practice is pretty limited. OF
course; the place has hardly 5000 in
llabitants, and 120 physicians live here
permanently. Still, there are two or
three visits day, and the consulting
hour Leaves plenty Of time for study
keep up with all the medical journals,
and particularly works on surgery
Surgery is my love. Sauerbruch. when
finished my course, prophesied a
great future for me. 1t cost me pro-
found inward struggle to give up an
academic career-'
80. And why did you?" asked Cat
terburg, absent -mindedly, as he adjusted
his necktie. He was thinking up
humorously turned letter in which he
would announce his impending arrival
to his WIFE
Perhaps on account of cowardice
My father built up this practice. He
was a doctor here for 40 years and
extremely popular. When he died
that was five years ago-I was engaged
was in a position to give woman a
pItdSdIlJ anu ScCuIe GALSltIlCe IL i tOUk
over my fathers practice. That's why
did it"
"And-have you regretted it?"
mol A happy marriage means
great deal. doesn't it? And never to
have worries. Even if one doesn't ex-
actly live in luxury, one has all sorts
of small pleasures-a nice house. a
little trip during the Winter :. Some
times, of course, when I read about
new clinical discoveries, about amazing
operations"
At this moment. Judge Gatterburg
felt that he had sufic emily performed
his duties of politeness. He held out
his hand to the young doctor.
NV Gear Doctor all of us have I'M
fu,d!lod wishes. Eut telieve me, there
ir ncth'-~ better than a secure exist
cr~e. I didn't have so easy time OF
il when 1 was a young man. Good-byl"
The doctor left his patient hurriedly,
almost ct trot. His wife must have
arrived half an hour ago by the l
o'c'ock train. In spite of his joyous
haste he paused at the promenade to
buy bouquet of red roses to welcome
her home. Syhil had been away only
three days-with her sister in Augs-
burg-but Thomas never missed an
opportunity of showing her attention.
He always had the feeling that he must
give his beautiful young wife some
compensation for the monotony of
small-town life.
I'll take her to Paris for a fort
to himself, "or better perhaps, to
Northern Africa. Tunis, Algeria,
Egypt. We can manage that quite cas-
lily. We've had a good season. The
house doesn't need anything; it was all
done over last year. And we don't have
to save, since We have no children"
He followed this last train of thought
for a while as he walked rapidly
through the streets that lay hot under
the August sun. 1t was quite unreason-
able to think about it, for he could alter
nothing Sybil did not want any chill
dren. Sybil simply lacked the desire
which SO often tormented Thomas Of
having visible symbol of their love, a
sign post to their common future. There
was no sense in thinking about it, and
Thomas rarely did so. A peaceful,
smooth married life is much too agree
able a thing to endanger by fruitless
argument.
The doctors little villa was set
among many other larger ones, about
10 minutes distance from the prone
made. 1t was house in the style OF
the sos, with Cupids over the door and
at the corners Of the loggia. But in
Summertime the loggia and its Cupids
were overrun with dark red rambler
roses, so that what one really saw were
roses with few window panes among
them
When Thomas entered the house he
was surprised at the silence. When ne
hung his hat upon the hook in the hall
he noticed that SPILLS travelling cloak
was not there He felt a slight dis
I,,,rr tyrcfoirc CUhi1
was not there.
Old Irene appeared, small, gray and
reserved.
My wife has not yet come--what?
Has there been telegram?' Thomas
inquired with a show OF irritation.
mo"
Has she telephoned'"
mo"
Thomas mind flew to the possibility
of railway accident. He rang up the
stationmaster. His heart beat as though
it would choke him. He had difficulty
in asking, Has the 1920 train arrived
on time?"
Yes, sir!"
Then, Thomas thought, Sybil must
be ill., He called long distance, asking
for Augsburg. and gave the telephone
rumber Of Sybil's sister. But while he
vas still spelling out the name his
Glance fell upon letter leaning against
he ir!lwell, the address in his wife's
land He had already seized 1t to tear
j. open when he noted, with sort OF
paralytic terror, that the letter was not
posted in Augsburg, but in Berlin.
He did not tear open the letter. He
sat for a considerable time quite mo-
t;onless and stared at his feet.
Later it seemed to him as if at this
moment he had already known the
whole contents of the letter Not only
that Sybil had left him forever, but
also that it was with Ralph Robert
Shortwell, that absurd American, who
laughingly gave the silliest reasons for
his trip to Europe. Nevertheless. ne
was unable to open the letter until he
heard old Irene Gathering about with
6ishes and knives and forks and knew