The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-06-27
9tletttd Sristtllanp.
A DOCTORS sTCRY.

interval Of domestic quiet
"Only the surgery bell, my dear
Somebody wanting me l suppose"
And l went down stairs, secretly
wondering to myself if, after all, there
was such a wide difference between Q
galley slave and country doctor.
The surgery door stood wide open
but no one was theie, and through tho
blinding darkness without, l could dis
tinguish the dark outline of a close car
riage and a man standing at the horse:
head.
" Who's there what's wanted |? "
asked, coming to the threshold and In
stinctively buttoning up the overcoa'
1 had hurriedly thrown on.
{" You're wanted, DOCTOR" said the
mar speaking indistinctively from be-
hind the mufflings that surrounded his
taee,
eyes, but what for ? who wants me I -
"I am not at liberty to tell"
I had already entered the carriage,
but this suspicious answer inspired me
with distlust. made step to de-
scend, but 1 was too late. The vehicle
was already in motion.
alt is quite unnecessary to alarm
yourself DOCTOR" said quiet measur.
ed voice at my side. Believe me,
you are quite safe, and trust you will
fell no uneasiness when [ tell you that
YOU must be blindfolded"
And at The same instant a folded
bandage was deftly slipped over my
eyes.
Z" Hold !"I calculated. 1t strikes
me that this is rather superfuous.-
The night is dark as Erebus, and you
have no lamp"
Possibly" returned the dry voice,
Hbut 1t is better to run no risks"
And then ensued silence of some
ten or fifteen minutes, while the car
riage rolled swiftly along, and the low
measured breathing of my unknown
companion kept time to my own un-
comfortable thoughts.
At length my companion spoke,
again in the same soft, modulated
tones.
Doctor, one moro little precaution
is necessary-your promise never to
divulge to human soul word of this
nights visit"
| hesitated. I" I cannot bind myself
to any such covenant. The relations
between physician and patient are of
course confidential but"
The carriage paused abruptly here,
and the door was swung open. AT the
same instant something cold touched
my temple. 1t was the muzzle of a
pistol l Irecoiled in horror.
You surely would not murder me ?"
You promise, doctor 2"
al promise !" gaspcd, recoiling
once more from the chilling touch of
the cold stee. at my temple.
Very we'll come
was led up narrow walk, through
a doorway, into room, where :he
bandagc was removed from my eyes
The spot was very familiar to me-a
runious cottage, long since abandoned
to decay, in the very heart of dense,
swampy woods. How the carriage
had ever reached it l was at loss to
know. Upon pile Of straw, hurriedly
thrown into corner of the moulder-
ing floor, lay PROSTATE figure, moan
ing at every breath. His face was con-
cealed by handkerchief, and the blood
was slowly dripping from a gun shot
wound Just above the ankle, wound
which had been clumsily bandaged BY
some unskillful hand. Moreover, there
was dark red stain on the straw where
his head lay, and his light brown hair
was matted with coagulated drops.
Two or three men stood around, with
rude masks of black cloth drawn over
their faces, in which three Sits were
cut for the eyes and mouth ; and fe
male figure knelt behind the heap of
straw, veiled closely. The men sileut'
ly made way fer me as l advanced in
to the apartment, and held their Ian.
terms so that the lurid light should fall
full upon my strange patient. l 81
lently stopped and examined both
wounds.
"Wel ?" asked my carriage com.
panion.
can do nothing, the man must
die"
Nonsense !. a mere bullet through
the leg-what does that amount to 2"
hurriedly gasped the man.
In itself, not much but that blow
upon the skull must prove fatal"
A low, half suppressed cry broke
from the woman opposite. She tore
the veil from her face as if she could
not breath through its heavy folds re,
vealing features as white and beautiful
in their marble agony as so much sculp.
tured stone (! She did not seem more
than thirty, but l afterwards knew that
she was indeed more that ten years
older. But in spite Of her present an
guish, how grandly beautiful she was
Large dalk eyes, hair like coiled gold,
catching stranua o,InoyoS from, tbo nb;G.