The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 80: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

262 ’ to go away,” replied Bowyer in faltering tones. “What did you think I would tell you?” asked the physician sarcastically. “Did you expect me to assure you that you are the picture of health? Did you expect me to insist upon your continuing your present mode of existence?” “But I lead merely the normal life,” protested Harvey, pulling nervously at his mustache. Fleming threw him a cold glance. “You call Wall Street, clubs, theaters, all night entertainments a normal life?”’ he asked. | “Why, what else could a fellow do?” helplessly inquired the other. Fleming looked in despair at the second man. “Tf you were of the same physique as your brother here,” he said, after a mo- ment’s hesitation, “ things might be dif- ferent.” “T don’t do any more than James does,” persisted Harvey. “Yes, but can’t you see, man, that your brother James is an entirely different proposition from yourself physically?” Harvey shook his head. ‘Why, James and I have always gone te clubs and all the rest of it,” he an- swered. ‘“ James can stand it. You can’t, that’s all.” The doctor was beginning to lose patience. ‘“ But I can’t go away just now,” con- tinued Harvey. ‘I don’t want to.” “Ah! That’s it,” exclaimed the doc- tor in triumph. ‘ You ‘ don’t want to.’ That’s the secret. It isn’t so much that you can’t, but it doesn’t please you to do so. When will you millionaires learn that you can’t always do exactly as you please —not when the Creator takes a hand?”’ Dr. Fleming had become almost a mil- lionaire himself. From a poor, unknown boy he had worked his way into success. He possessed no awe of the wealthy classes, and so was able frequently to speak in terms which would not have been tolerated from another physician. THE ARGOSY. He now moved toward the door. “You're not going, doctor?” asked Harvey. ‘IT have no time to waste,” briefly re- plied the physician. “If you don’t go to Hot Springs, as I have ordered, you will be a dead man in less than six months. Look at your eyes, your sunken cheeks, your wasted form. You think it quite the thing, I suppose, to look thin and miserable now since that seems to be the style. And you won’t seek health be- cause ‘ you don’t want to,’ ”’ he concluded. ‘Bah! I have no patience with you!” ‘‘ My brother prefers to remain at home because he feels that he should manage affairs himself. He is the elder and by rights should be the head of the house,” explained James, who had been a quiet listener to the conversation. “But you attended to all that before, didn’t you?” asked the doctor. “Yes,” he replied, ‘ until Harvey de- cided he would take a hand and run things.”’ : “He’s been running them badly enough,” remarked the doctor. “If he continues as he has begun he will run both himself and his business into the grave.” ‘Why, doctor—” began Harvey. “Oh, I know what they say in Wall Street,” continued the physician. ‘“ You are about as competent a manager as— as—well, never mind what. You would have done well to let your brother here continue as manager. He was making a success of things.”’ Once more he started toward the door. “Good day, gentlemen,” he said. ‘When next you send an urgent call for me I'll take my own time about respond- ing.” . The two brothers looked at each other. ‘“ But, really, doctor, he can’t leave just now,” said James. The doctor looked keenly at him. ‘““No, I can’t,” added Harvey. James’s face brightened. “You see,” he said with a half smile, “we can’t spare Harvey. That’s the COMICHOOOkKs (C@