“Looking for a chance to guy me, eh?” I replied. “Really, old fellow, time does not mellow you a bit. Well, guy away. I am not prepared to give you a critical dissertation on this particular skull. This much I will say, however--it has more of the ear marks of the degenerate than any I have seen for some time. The party who originally owned the skull should have been a desperado, or a hold-up man, although he may have passed the hat in church for aught I know--which may be a distinction without a difference.” Dr. Fairweather laughed heartily. “Well, I don’t know but that I ought to resent your criticisms of the skull. I can forgive your slam at the church, but it is my duty to inform you that the gentleman of whom that skull is a relic was a very particular friend of mine.” “Oh, then you are keeping the skull as a memento of your friend. There’s no accounting for tastes, you know,” I said, watching the doctor suspiciously out of the corner of my eye and recalling that he had as strong a predilection for practical jokes as I had for skulls. “Yes, that is precisely it,” replied the doctor seriously. “I have two mementos of my dead friend; one--post mortem--you hold in your hand; the other--ante mortem--is here,” and he threw back from his forehead the long, wavy, dark hair in which threads of silver were beginning to show and pointed to a long, livid, jagged scar that traversed his left temple. I looked at the doctor in surprise. Although I had known him for many years, I had never noticed his disfigurement. “I don’t think I ever told you the story, did I?” continued the doctor. I replied in the negative, assuring my friend that nothing could please me better than to hear him tell it. “Well, I’m through with patients for to-day, and if you will do me the honor of dining with me at the club, I shall be most happy to relate it to you.” * * * * * “You will remember that I was formerly engaged in general practice in the little town of R---- in Northern Minnesota. My field was an arduous one and I could not select my patients--on the contrary, I was mighty glad when they condescended to select me. It’s quite different now; I can be ‘in’ or ‘out,’ as I may elect, when patients ring my bell. Better than all, I can ask an old friend to dine with me at the club. There _is_ a club, thank heaven, and there is also the wherewithal nowadays.” “I was fortunate enough, early in my practice, to receive an appointment as the local surgeon of the St. Paul road for our little town.