The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-10

a. the hell interrupted our brief interval OF
domestic quiet.
"Only the surgery bell, my dear. Some
BODY wanting me, suppose"
And went down stairs, secretly wonder
| inc "a myself if, after all, there was such
very wide difference between gahey
slave and country doctor.
THO surgery door stood wide open, but
nohodv was there, and through the blind
inu darkness without I could inst discern
the black outlines OF close carriage, ana
q man standing OF the horses head.
Who's there-what's wantingY" asked,
coming to the threshold, and instinctively
buttoniug up the overcoat / had hurriedly
thrown on.
"You're wanted, Doctor" said the man,
speaking iudistinctIy behind the mufiing
that surrounded his face. =,
eyes; but what fori Who wants me y
81 am not at liberty to tell"
| I had already entered the carriage, but
this suspicious answer inspired me with
distrust. made step to descend, but
was too late. The vehicle was already In
motion.
alt is quite unnecessary to alarm your
self DOCTOR" said quiet, measured 'o.ce
Al mv side. Believe me, you are quite
safe and trust you will not feel any un,
easiness when tell you that you must ''
blindfolded." c-,,oa hand
ace was deity slipped over my eyes.
% Hold y, | calculated. cit strikes me
tho, i il rather superGuous. The n'ght IS
dark as Erebus, md you have no lamp.
Possibly" returned the dry voice.
q lint il is best to run no risks.
And then ensued a silence OF some zen
or fifteep minutes, while the carriage rolieo
swiftly along, and the low, murlhulea
i;ncs of nv unknown companion kept
time 10 nv own uncomfortable thoughts.
At length my companion spoke again IN
the same soft, modulated tones.
"Doctor, once more little precautloh
il pecessary-your promise never 10 ai-
vilge to human soul word OF TINS high' >
visit"
a. cannot bind myself by any such
covenant. The relations between physi-
c;an 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 tenn
pies. Ii was the muzzle of pistol. re-
coied in horror. -,
. You surely would not murder me ?"
"You promise, doctor :"
al promise ~ / gasped, recoiling once
more from the chilling touch OF the cold
steel at my temples.
every well. Come"
was led up narrow walk, through
doorway, into room, where my oandage
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, swampy
woods. How the carriage had ever reached
It / was at loss to know. Upon pile OF
straw, hurriedly thrown into the corner OF
the Wondering floor, lay PROSTATE figure,
moaning at every breath. His face was
concealed by handkerchief, and the
blood was slowly dripping from gunshot
wound Just above the anklc-a wound that
had been clumsily bandaged by some IN
skilrul hand. Moreover, there was dark
red stain upon 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 their eyes ana
mouth and a female figure knelt behind
| the heap OF straw, yelled closely. =
The men silently made way for me as |
advanced into the apartment, and held
their lanterns so that The lurid light should
fall full upon my strange patient, as silent
" stopped and examined both wounds.
Wcll?" asked my carriage companion.
al can do nothing. The man must
die"
"Nonsense A mere bullet through
the lcg-what does that amount toy" hur-
riedly gasped the man.
"In itself, not much but that blow upon
the skull must prove fatal"
A low, hali-suppressed cry broke from
the woman opposite. She tore the veil
from her face, as if she could not breathe
through its heavy folds, revealing features
as white and beautiful in their marble
agony AS so much sculptured stone. She
did not seem more than thirty, but after
wards knew that she was indeed ten years
older. But, in spite of her present an
guish, how grandly beautiful she was
Large dark eycs-hair like coiled gold,
catching strange CLEANS from the SHINING
lanterns-and broad, smooth brow-lt
was face you see but once il whole
lifetime.
And yet, in the midst of her distress,
she never spoke.
CAT least YOU can do something for him,
Doctor ~ said my interlOcutor, impatient
! ly. "Don't let us waste time here"
As proceeded in my ministrations, the
moaning grew fainter and fainter, the con
yulsive movements became scarcely per-
ceptible. A faint CLEAN of hope lighted
ND the face of the woman who knclt with
clasped hands opposite she looked appeal
iDgly at me.
Gle will be better soon," / answered
moved to pity in spite OF myself. He
cannot live half an hour longer"
The horror of that sepulchral silence
that fell upon us as my accents died away
shall ever forget it And five minutes
afterwards the breathing, spasmodic and
painful to hear, died into eternal stiffness
The woman lifted the corner of the hand.
kerchief and gazed into the CHASTITY face
1t was that OF young man OF about two
and twenty, and who had evidently beer
marvellously good-looking.
"Oh, heavens. he is dead :"
"Her clear, agonized voice was ringing
in my ears as they led me back into the
darkness Of the night. / felt bank note
pressed into my hand as / entered the
carriage once more.
doctor, you have done your best; it il
not your fault that your efforts have MOI
been more successful. Remember, you
are pledged to secrecy"
The next moment was whirling swiftly
through the November midnight, with tn.