The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-02

NO" / found voice to stammer, "the
doctor has said nothing to me about a
visitor at this hour of the night"
"Ah! he wished to spare you, no
doubt, disagreeable apprehension" he
returned, advancing and taking seat on
the sofa opposite me, where for few
moments he sat and eyed me from head
to foot with strange glittering light in
his eyes that mysteriously impressed me.
"You have remarkably fine physique,
madam" he observed quietly-"one
that might deceive the eyes of a most
skilled and practiced physician. Do you
suffer much pain?"
Unable to speak, I shook my head. A
terrible suspicion was creeping over me.
l was alone, miles away from aid or
rescue, with mailman.
"Ahr be continued, rehectively,
"Your husband may have mistaken a
tumor for cancer. Allow me to feel
yonr pulse" he said, rising and bending
over me.
/ thought it was the best to humor
him. remembering it was unwlse for
helpless woman 70 oppose the as yet
harmless freak Of Innate. He took
ont his watch. shook his head eravely,
laid my hand down gently, then vent
toward the study, where on the table was
an open case of surgical instruments.
"Do not be alarmed madam" he said
to me, as was about to rise and hee,a and
in another instant he was by my side.
with the case in his possession.
Involuntarily L raised my head and
cried: "Spare me, oh, spare me, l be-
seech you y
"Madam ~ he said sternly, clasping
nv wrist with his long, sinewy fingers,
with grip of steel, "you behave like a
child. I have no time to parley, for l
have received letter from the Emperor
of the French, stating that he is DESTROYS
of my attendance. I must start for Eu-
rope Immediately after performing the
operation on your breast" and, before 1
could make the slightest resistance, he
had me in his arms and was carrying me
into the study, where was a long surgical
table covered with green baize. On this
he laid me, and holding me down with
one hand, with the strength of a maniac,
he brought forth several long leather
straps. which bore evidence of having re-
Gently been cut, and with which he Sc
cured me to the table with the skill of an
expert. 1t was but the work of mo-
ment to unloose my robes and bare my
bosom. Then, after carefully examining
my left breast, he said:
MADAM, your husband has made a
mistake. 1 find no necessity for my in
tended operation"
At this 1 gave a long-drawn sigh of
relief, and prepared to rise.
But" he continued, 81 have made
the discovery that your heart is as large
as that of an OK I will remove 1t so
that YOU can see for yourself; reduce it
to its natural size by curious process Of
my own, unknown to medical science,
and of which | am sole discoverer, then
roplace it again.
He began to examine the edge of the
cruel knife, on which I closed my eyes,
while every nerve was in a perceptible
| tremor.
1.-The mechanism of the heart is like
watch" he resumed; IF it goes too
fast the great blood vessel that supplies
the force must be stopped, like the lever
of watch, and the works must be
cleaned and repaired and regulated. 1t
may interest you to know that was pres
ent at the post norton examination held
over the remains of the beautiful Louisa
of Prussia, Had / been consulted be-
fore her death, would have saved her
by taking out her heart and removing
the polypi, in which it was wedged as if
in a vice, but l was called too late. The
King and 1 had little difference; he
was German, am French. trust this
is sufficient explanation"
He now bent over me, his long, white
beard brushing my face. I opened my
eyes beseechingly, trying to think of
some way to save myself. "Oh, sir,
give ne an ap@sthetic, that may not
feel the pain" pleaded.
Indeed, indeed, madam, would
would comply with your wish we're you
not the wife of physician-of skillful
surgeon. wish you to note with what
ease I perform this difficult operation, so
that you may tell your husband of the
great savant whose services he secured
fortunately in season."
AS he said this. he made the final test
of the knife on his thumb. How prec-
ious were the moments now They were
feeting all too fast, and yet an eternity
seemed compressed in every one, never
tainted in my life, and / never felt less
like swooning than now, as l summoned
all my presence of mind to delay the
fearful moment, fervently praying in the
meantime for my husbands return.
Doctor" said 1, with assumed COM
,,o,ura sT bova tho y,+vpocf oopf 1opca