08 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



April 



"But Low did you discover you were 

 in possession of this striking disease?" 

 eaid Dr. Rudgwick in a state of ecstasy. 



"Well, I have had suspicions for a 

 long time," I replied, "that sotuethiug 

 was wrong, but I kept the opinion to 

 myself. A few days ago, however, I 

 tried to insure iny life, and the medical 

 officers of half a dozen companies reject- 

 ed me. I then went to a first class man, 

 was thoroughly overhauled, told exactly 

 what was the matter with me and in- 

 formed that I was one of the most ex- 

 traordinary cases that had evt'r come 

 under his notice. He gives me only six 

 Inonths. " 



"Ah ! The symptoms are most remark- 

 able. I have not been so in::fcre.sted for a 

 long time. It is certainly a vet y curious 

 case, unprecedented in its complexity. " 



"Do you really think it is sof.ericjs?" 



"Oh, I hope so. I think I ix\\.\y safely 

 assert that the man you 1j*vo coj'.sulred 

 is absolutely correct in his dia;^uoi;i'^, if 

 the symptoms are as you say. " 



"Do you think I shall survive it?" 



"Not unless you allow the course of 

 the disorder to be interfered w"th by 

 those sentimental quacks who i:inder the 

 advance of pathological scieica by sock- 

 ing cures. ' ' 



"But six months is very short, " I said 

 despondently. 



"Not at all. With care, the thing may 

 be induced to run its course even more 

 quickly. Drugs and a low diet may be 

 made t'? do a cood deal in accelerating 

 matters. " 



"What would you advise? Should 1 

 consult Sir John" — 



"No, no, no ! Don't consult anybody. 

 Don t meddle with it, or vou may spoil 

 all." 



"But perhaps a cure" — 



"Cure, sir! Don't talk such sickly 

 nonsense, or I shall begin to think it 

 possible that you could do such a mean 

 and dishonorable thing as to rob medical 

 science of one of the most instructive, 

 beautiful and striking cases that have 

 ever enriched the literature of pathol- 

 ogy- " 



"What, then, is the use of pathology 

 if doctors are not to cure?" 



"Pathology, sir, treats of diseases, 

 their causes, elfects and symptoms. It 

 is a branch of knowledge, an imeiestiug 

 abstract study, a recreation. It has 

 nothing to do with treatment, cures and 



Buch like quackeries." 



"But v/hat may be sport to you is 

 death to us. " 



"Why, we must all die, and what 

 could be nobler than to die in the cause 

 of science? By the way, you were speak- 

 ing to me about mv daughter the other 

 day." 



I shook my head in a melancholy 

 manner. 



"Well, I have been thinking I spoke 

 hastily. She is yours. I shall be proud 

 to have you as a son-in-law. To watch 

 the course of your complaint will be a 

 jDrivilege and a delight. Marry as soon 

 as ever you like. I think you will find 

 r>ora somewhere about the house. See 

 her and fix the matter up. " 



But Dora was not to be seen that day. 

 She had gone to her room indisposed. 



When I called the next morning, the 

 housekeeper told me that Miss Rudg- 

 wick had gone on a visit to friends at 

 Brighton, but had left a note for me. I 

 opened it and read as follow-s: 



"I overheard your talk with papa, 

 and am so very, very sorry for you. I 

 do 60 hope that your state is not so bad 

 as you fear, and that you will not lose 

 courage and will soon get well. 



"Of course everything must now be 

 at an end between us. It would be mad- 

 ness to talk of marriage. I shall always 

 think of you as a very dear friend, and 

 I want you to believe that you will have 

 my most sincere sympathy." 



I put the letter in my pocket and 

 went home. What a mess I had made of 

 it ! First I had gained the consent of 

 Dora and failed to obtain that of her 

 father. Now I had obtained the doc- 

 tor's consent and lost the daughter's. 

 Fancy her overhearing all that I said 

 and thinking I was speaking the truth 

 about the diseased state of my body 1 

 And yet, why should she have supposed 

 I was lying? 



One thing was certain. I must find 

 her out and explain all. Dr. Rudgwick 

 knew the name of the friends whom 

 Dora had gone to, but he could not tell 

 me thsaddress. He had been accustomed 

 to allow her to go and come pretty much 

 as she pleased. 



A week passed, several days of which 

 I had spent at Brighton, without any- 

 thing being heard of her. One morning 

 I strolled round to Dr. Rudgwick's to 

 learn whether his daughter had written. 



