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Show l( 1 "Solomon's 1 I Judgment" I I SS Br if ETTA BARRY BIGGS ;i $ Si ' (Copyright. ISIS, by W. G. Chapman.) Dr. Alvin Ross passed down the street greeted by pleasant words and faces, love for all. humanity In his heart. Dr. Juneau Lysle on the other side of the thoroughfare, head down, a scowl on his handsome face, curtly nodded when addressed, hatred and suspicion in his heart. "Don't speak, eh?" remarked an ob-Bervant ob-Bervant storekeeper to a passer-by. Thought they were like brothers when they first came here." "Business rivalry, I suppose," was - the careless response. "You see, when they came here they sort of divided the town; Lysle took the west end, among the fashionables. Ross chose the larger but poorer section. I suppose sup-pose a. sort of professional jealousy has resulted. Anyhow, they're at daggers' dag-gers' points." The speaker had the situation fifty per cent wrong. The two young phy-siolans phy-siolans had been close chums at college. col-lege. They had selected Blairsville as their future field of operations. Everything Every-thing had been harmonious. It was by preference that Doctor Ross selected a field where the poor and lowly lived. For another reason he had little capital, capi-tal, while Lysle did have aome. It would cost money to build up an aristocratic aris-tocratic clientele and Lysle was best equipped to provide it. Now it chanced that within a week after coming to the village Lyslo met Vashtl Merriam. She was a member of an exclusive family residing in a enow country place a fw miles from town. He was very much in love with her and Vashti seemed impressed. Twice Ross accompanied him in his calls. Then one evening the servant announced to Lysle when he called that Miss Merriam was indisposed. The next day he heard that she had Bent for Ross to attend her. This his suspicious nature accepted as a direct elap in the face. Ross had no right to invade his professional territory, he hotly reasoned. To make it worse, he was further advised later in the week that although al-though Miss Merriam was entirely ."The Mean, Disloyal Sneak!" Fumed Lysle. convalescent, Ross was a constant visitor vis-itor at her home. This infuriated ihim. ' "The mean, disloyal sneak!" fumed jLysle. "He has poisoned her mind against me probably, and has usurped bmy rightful place as a lover." So, when the two doctors met one May, Lysle turned with a sneer from khe outstretched hand of his former Criend. ' "You ever speak to me again," he piissed, all that was bad in his impetuous impetu-ous nature to the front, "and I'll break jyour head!" : Poor Ross was astonished. He wrote a note to Lysle. It was returned, un opened. He sent a mutual friend to (attempt an explanation. The intermediary inter-mediary was insulted. Then a month rwent by. Lysle kept track of Ross. It mightily gratified him when he learned tbat Ross was doing so much free Kvork for his poor patients, that he pad run behind on 'his bills and had to jborrow a few hundred dollars, mortgaging mort-gaging his oflice furniture as security. One day Judge Bishop, the leading lawyer of the town, sent for Lysle. CVhen he was seated the attorney icked up a narrow slip of paper. "Mr. Lysle," he said, "I have some Important news for you. Do you remember re-member when you and Doctor Ross came here?" "I do not wish my name coupled with his!" scowled Lysle. "It is necessary,'' proceeded the lawyer, law-yer, "for you are mutually interested. Both of you attended and saved the life of Mr. John Parkins, a millionaire, who was nearly killed In an automobile automo-bile crash. Poor man! He did not fully recover. But be appreciated your dual skill. He died last week. In recognition of your services and kindness, he ordered the lawyer be fore his death to send a certified check for $10,000 to Dr. Juneau Lysle and Dr. Alvin Ross. There it is," and the judge flipped the narrow slip of paper pa-per across the desk towards his visitor. vis-itor. For a moment Lysle sat spellbound. Ten thousand dollars was a fortune! Then a sudden flame flashed into his eyes. He compressed his Hps, a cruel satirical smile wreathed them. "As you see, Doctor Ross has indorsed in-dorsed his name on the back," pursued the lawyer. "If you will add yours, the bank here will cash the check and, you fortunate two can divide the money." ' The somber expression deepened on the face of the misguided Lysle. A, sinister triumph was in his face as he wrote his name on the back of the. check, but at the end directly remote from that of his brother practitioner. "As I understand it," he spoke in a hot hissing tone, "one-half of this check is mine?" "Certainly." "To do as I like with it?" pressed Lysle darkly. "Why, of course." "Then Solomon's Judgment!" cried Lysle, with a harsh grating laugh. "Give Ross his half. I'll keep mine." Snip! In a flash Lysle had snatched up a pair of shears lying on the lawyer's law-yer's desk, with one rapid movement he snipped the precious check directly direct-ly in two, and arising coolly placed the half he had indorsed in his pocket. "My dear sir!" expostulated the dumfounded lawyer. "Just give his half to Ross," jeered Lysle. "1 hope it will help him in paying pay-ing his debts!" He was out of the office before the judge could detain him. . A fierce, wicked hatred in his heart, he fancied he had gained his revenge against the man he believed to have wronged him. "Not a dollar of it shall he have!" railed Lysle. "I'll see him starve, but I'll break him, even if I have to starve myself!" He waited for some legal move on the part of his fancied enemy, but none was made. Alvin Ross meekly, sweetly accepted the hard blow the hand of a once trusted friend had dealt him. The hatred surging in the heart of Lysle poisoned his life. Money he depended on failed him. He became ill. One night he reeled into insensibility insensi-bility and for two weeks Jay prostrated pros-trated with a devouring fever. It was the second day after regaining regain-ing consciousness, that he stirred up as he heard the nurse in the next room conversing confidentially with a visiting friend. "And, oh, my dear, what do you think? The bank failed that the check was drawn on and poor Doctor Ross is robbed of his $5,000. And he took it all with a smile, and when Doctor Doc-tor Lysle got sick here has paid his nursing, and all his bills, and has kept up his practice for him. He's got a reward for his goodness, though." "How is that?" came inquisitively. "The sweetest girl in the world for a promised bride." "You mean Miss Merriam?" "Oh, dear! no all the time Doctor Ross was in love with her cousin, Ernestine an heiress, too! And say isn't it a strange romance? All the time Vashti Merriam thought the world of Doctor Lysle, and because, naturally, she didn't send for him as her doctor, he fancied all kinds of things, and " Juneau Lysle sank back with a groan. Oh, the folly of it all! Oh, the wretched curse of a suspicious, world ly nature! "Can you ever forgive me the awful wrong I have done you!" he moaned when he had sent for Doctor Ross. "How can I make it all up to you?" "By getting well and going, to see Vashti, who is waiting to welcome you," replied Ross brightly "by becoming be-coming my partner and working together to-gether like what we were brothers!" And amid the sweet calm that followed fol-lowed all his senseless error, Doctor Doc-tor Juneau Lysle redeemed himself. |