, 1880-08-02
The Doctors story.

The Doctors story.
/ had Just returned from late visit
70 patient, and Was glancing over q
note left ia my absence, when the
night bell rang.
It was past eleven O'Clock, and the
odlee-boy being gone. tossed aside
the note and went to the door, where l
found a dark featured man who wishsd
me 10 20 to the bedside of . wounded
friend.
took down ny surgical case, and
Tue latter called u hack from the
next corner.
"It's long way to walk, he ex-
planned, and the moments are pre-
ciOns."
As took my seat inside, he gave the
driver his instructions which L failed
to overhear, and then took his place
at my side.
- .rust you will pardon me-" he
said, when We had gone Lit. 10 distan ce !;
1T Is through no dlstruss l offer the
suggestion, tut it may reiie,e you
from answering embarrassing questions
in the iuture If you will suffer your
eyes to be bandsged till We reach our
destination. You need have NO fears,
! assure YOU
l hes,tated for an instant, but the
mans manner from the fist had im-
pressed me with his good faith. and l
yielded to the proposal.
After tying his handkerchief securely
over my eyes, my companion relapsed
into silence, and neither uf MS spoke
till, at the end of twenty minutes, tk e
driver stopped.
"Let us alight here" said the
stranger; and opening the door he took
my arm and assisted me out.
After short walk we ascended some
steps. A door opened and closed again
behind us, and then we passed up "a
flight of stairs and halted.
Ny guide tapped twice at the door,
which could hear unlock cautiously,
after which / was led into a lighted
apartment, as l was able to discover in
spite of the bandage.
A deep moaning, as of one suffering
intense pain, met my ears; and the
handkerchief being at once removed, l
saw stretched on couch the form of a
man from whose parted lips a bloody
foam e1uded, while his upturned, CLASSY
eyes and rigid features betokened that
his last hour was near.
On his right breast, which was ex
posed, small red spot was visible, of
which it needed no second glance OF a
practiced eye to divine that the man
was dying from pistol shot.
The scene before me, and the precau
tons taken in my introduction to it,
awoke the suspicion that what l saw
wasth sequel to startling crime.
My startled locks doubtless betrayed
my thoughts, for man who had been
keeping watch at the sufferers side, as
he rose to give me place. said, hur
1iedly:
1T was duel, sir, between two gen
Nemen who had been close friends.
The quarrel was sudden, and they
fought here in this room. One, as you
see, lies wounded there, and the other
has fed, for you know tho laws sever
ity in such cases towards all concerned,
principals and seconds, which last pO-
sition was filled by this gentleman and
myself"
A brief inspection of the patient suf-
feed to determine that his case was
hopeless. The ball had entered the
chest and penetrated the lungs, whose
action was well-nigh choked by inter-
nal hemor,hage.
There was nothing to be done but
ailay. as far as practicable, the suffer-
er's pain; and apprising his friends of
this, and prescribing an snodyne with
directions how to administer it, rose
to depart.
"By accident. said one Of the men,
I've are without money; but if you
small silver watch apparently Of no
great value. it may serve as some
Compensation for your trouble"
/ took the watch more as q souvenir
Of the nights adventure than for its
- value, and. after being again bliudfold.