THE IRRIGA7IO.V AGE. 



323 



petite roles that she is singing with 

 the Imperialists, as a beginning, 

 under the patronage of La Sarene, 

 and which continuing through some 

 weeks have brought the Imperial 

 company to a Chicago season, and 

 Miss Tinsley, under the stage name 

 of Hilda Vernon, to a hotel room 

 with a violent attack of influenza 

 that imperiously assumes all the 

 versatile and malicious phases of 

 that eratic malady. 



There is consternation in the Im- 

 perial Grand Opera Company, in 

 which Kate has become a general 

 favorite, and Sarene is watchful, 

 sympathetic and sisterly, despite 

 the demands of her profession. 



La Sarene and Dr. Lewis have 

 been friends from the childhood of 

 the one and the ladhood of the 

 other, and this eminent and immi- 

 nent physician for he is always 

 much in evidence when Sarene 

 sings in Chicago becomes the 

 medical attendant of Kate. In a 

 burst of confidence Sarene informs 

 Dr. Lewis who his patient is. and 

 though the doctor had not before 

 met the young lady, he had known 

 of her family all his life, and has 

 learned, superlatively, and even 

 extravagantly, of her through his 

 correspondence with Henry Mays, 

 who has written more of Kate Tins- 

 ley to the suffering physician than 

 of any other ten subjects that they 

 have made any pretense of dis- 

 cussing. 



Thus Dr. Lewis is now enabled 

 to alleviate the sufferings of his dis- 

 tant friend through a "treatment 

 by mail,'' more than any individual 

 has ever before been relieved by 

 such service, for Lawyer Mays has 

 written disconsolately to Dr. Lewis 



of his sudden and inexplicable loss 

 of a sweetheart, and of a resulting 

 attack of sympathetic heart disease 

 that is very painful. 



The telegraph now becomes the 

 medium of communication between 

 these friends, and today ' ' Henry 

 Hamilton Mays '' is a name that in- 

 dicates a southern arrival at the 

 same hotel in which the raging 

 octopus, la grippe, has gathered 

 Kate within the ungentle embrace 

 of all the myriad tentacles that it 

 can bring into use upon one some- 

 what small young lady's body and 

 soul. 



Lawyer Mays is inclined to be 

 profane to Dr. Lewis because this 

 arbitrary functionary will not allow 

 this lawyer-love to see the young 

 lady for the present, or even per- 

 mit the communication to her of 

 the fact that Henry Mays is in Chi- 

 cago, or even on earth. 



Today, however, a week later, 

 the embargo is removed, for in the 

 meantime the young lady is close 

 to entire recovery. Besides, a 

 scheme has been developed. It is 

 11 the doctor's ingenuity. A lovea- 

 lorn lawer. nor thus afflicted disci- 

 ple of any other profession, or call- 

 ing, never had plain, common sense, 

 much less ingenuity, in matters 

 pertaining to a crossed- love case. 



The doctor has told the young 

 lady that she is very much in dan- 

 ger of acute tuberculosis in lay 

 parlance, quick consumption if 

 she doesn't hurry to the warmth 

 and care of her southern home, as 

 soon as convalescence and a Pull- 

 man car can collaborate to that end. 



Now Kate is at home, and Henry 

 Mays was her devoted attendant 

 and cavalier servente. Happily, the 



