The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-04-17

The next morning / addressed him

The next morning ] addressed him
thus:
Before 1 answer you as to whether
you would be justified before God under
the impulse you have told me of, in tax
ing your life to save that of another, you
must answer me several questions
Go on, he said.
"'When you consulted those doctors,
did you tell them all you have told me?'
No, did not dare. 1 said that l
had horrible thoughts and cravings, but
without entering into details as to what
they were. Once l went so far as to say
that I feared was becoming dangerous,
and the fool smiled
"'Good. Did you ever speak of search
sng for that ball?'
"'Yes; they said it might be the cause
of my sufferings, supposing it had lodg-
ed near the brain, but that no one would
take the responsibility of searching for
it-so to speak-in the dark"
"The operation might kill you, and
lu6 JAIL IlOt DC lOullu dAlCE all
"'He looked up, and the dnll, defect
ed look that had become habitual passed
from his face.
"'And even if it were found went
on, its extraction might cause your
death all the same
"He had his hand on my arm and
tried to speak, but he could not.
"'Still it would give you a chance,
just a chance of more than life His
grasp frightened. l could feel his heart
beating. And submitting to such an
operation, almost hopeless though it be
would not be quite suicide
"He fell on his knees and sobbed like
child. You'll do it?' he cried; God AL
mighty bless you! You'll do it?'
"Well, said my friend, lighting a
fresh cigar, ''to make my story short, l
did it with the assistance of young sur
geon, whose nerve ] could trust. We
found that miserable piece of lead near
where l had suspected it to be. 1t was
Just case of touch and go. Had my
| knife wavered twice the breadth of its
own edge-had the assistant been un-
steady with the forceps-it would have
been fatal | don't want to appear vain
of my successs--so I'll say no more than
this-he recovered"
"And hasn't killed any ybody?"
"No, and doesn't want to-"
"By Jove! l wouldn't be too sure of
that And so the girl he wanted to muir
der married the Major?"
"She did"
Then, if were her husband, I'd take
precious good care that your interesting
patient didn't come into the same State
with her"
my dear fellow, if you were her hus-
band you'd do exactly as her husband
does"
"Does he know"
"None better"
"And doesn't care?"
"Not bit"
"Then he's a brute"
you'd better tell him so; here he
comes"
"Does she know?'
"She does"
"And she's not afraid?"
"No."
"One other question. Does your in
/ IL ,r
try?"
'He does"
''In what State?"
"This State"
"Near here?"
Every near"
'Then, with all possible Difference fol
our friend, the Major, think he is very
foolish. Were 1 in his place I should
say, "My good sir, admit that the ball
from which you suffered so long cannot
go back into your brain, but am by nc
means sure that the ideas it engendered
may not return. At any rate, youl
presence near my wife is likely to make
her nervous, and I appeal to you as {
gentleman to locate yourself in some
some other part of the country. Ifyor
do so 1 shall have the highest respect fol
you; if you do not, and ever have the
misfortune to pass within a mile of my
house, the interior of your skull will be
come more intimately acquainted thai
ever with lead in the usual FORM
every neatly put" said the doctor
"but our friend does not think of com
mitting suscide now"
"Mercy, DOCTOR" I cried, "you don
mean to say the man who wanted to mur
der the Majors wife isis"
"The Major himself? Yes, sir"