Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-03-28
The Doctors Adventure.

terval of domestic quiet.
"Only the surgery bell, my dear
Somebody wanting me, suppose"
And went down stairs, secretly Won
dering to myself If, AFTER all, there was
such a very wide difference between
galley slave and q country doctor.
The surgery door stood wide open,
bat nobody was there aud through the
binding darkness without | could just
discern the black outline of close car
riage, and man staining at the horses
head.
Who's what's wanting 2" l
asked, coming to the threshold, and 10.
stinctlvely buttonipg up the oVerceat
had hurriedly thrown on.
You're wanted, doctor" said the man,
speaking indlstinctly behind the mufhing
that surrounded his face.
Eyes; but what for Who wants
ne?"
II am not at liberty to tell"
had already entered the carriage,but
this suspicious answer inspired me with
distrust. I made a step TO descend,
bat was to late. The vehicle was
already in motion.
sit is quite unnecessary to alarm your.
self DOCTOR said q quiet, measured
voice at my side. "Believe me, You are
quite safe; and trust you will not feel
any unessiness when tell YOU that you
must be blindfolded."
And at the same time folded bsndage
was deity slipped over my eyes.
"Hold !" I ti4culated, ut strikes me
that this rather superfuous. The night
Is dark Us Erebus, and you have no
lamp
"Possibly," returned the dry voice
"but it is best to rua no risks
And then ensued silence OF some ten
or fifteen minutes, while the carriage
rolled swiftly along, and the low, meas
ured breathing of my unknown com
paniou kept time to my own uncomtorta-
BILE thoughts.
At length my companion spoke, sgain
in the same SOFT modulated TOMS.
doctor, one more little precaution is
necessary-your promise never to Oh
vulge to human soul word OF this
nights visit,
I hesitated.
81 cannot bind myself by any such
covenant. The relations between physi-
clan and patient are Of course confden-
tial but
The carriage paused abruptly here,
and the door was swung open. At the
same instant something cold touched
nv temples. 1t was the muZZle OF q
pistol. recolled in horror.
"YOu surely would not murder me ?'
"Your promise, doctor y
81 promise | sasped recoiling once
more from the chilling touch OF the cold
steel at my temples.
every well, Gomez
was led up narrow walk, through
q doorway into q room, where the band.
age was removed suddenly from my
eyes.
The spot was very familiar to me-a
ruinous cottage, long since abandoned
to decay, in the very heart OF dense
swsmpy woods. How the carriage had
ever reached it, | was 1T loss TO know
Upon pile of straw, hurriedly thrown
into the coraer Of the mouldering floor,
lay PROSTATE figure, moaning at every
breath. His face WAS concealed by q
handkerchief, and the blood was slowly
dripping from q gunshOt wound Just
above the ankle-a wound that had been
Clumsiy baudaged by some uuskilful
hand. Moreover, there was q dark red
stain upon the straw where his head lay,
aud his light brown hair was matted
with coagnated drops. Two or three
men stood around, with rude masks OF
black cloth drawn over their faces, Ia
which three Sits were cut for the eyes
and mouth, and a female figure knelt be-
hind the heap of straw, yelled closely.
The men silently made way for me as
I advanced i2to the apartment, aud held
their lanterns so that the lurid light
should fall full upon my strange patient.
AS | silently stopped and examined both
wounds
well 2" asked my carriage compan-
ion.
Il can do nothing. The man must
die"
Nonsense A mere bullet through
the leg-what does that amount to 2"
gasped the man.
"Iu itself, not much but the blow on
the skull mnst prove fatal"
A low, half suppressed cry broke from
the woman opposite. She tore the veil
from her face, as if she could not breathe
thu ough Its heavy folds, revealing fea =.
lures as white aud beautiful in their
marble agony as so much sculptured
stone. She did not seem more than
thirty, but afterwards knew that she
was indeed ten years Older. But, in
spite OF her present anguish, how grand
ly beautiful she was Large dsrk eyes
hal, like coiled gold, catching strange
CLEANS from the shifting Iantern-aud a
broad, smooth brOw-it was face Won
see but once In whole lifetime
And yet, in the midst of her distress
she never spoke.
eat least you can do something for
him, doctor q said my interlocutor, i'm
patiently.
AS proceeded 10 my miuistrations
the moaning grew fa'nter and fainter
| the convulsive movements became
scarcely perceptible. A faint CLAM of
hope lighted up the face Of the woman
who kueit vita clasped hands opposite
she looked sppealingly st me.
He is better-he Is surely better
| doctor Z"