The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-02-18

terrible suspicion was creeping over me.
was alone, miles away from aid or
rescue, with mailman.
"Ah!' he continued, refectively,
'sYour husband may have mistaken a
tumor for cancer. Allow me to feel
your pulse" he said, rising and bending
over me.
I thought it was the best to humor
him, remembering it was unwise for a
helpless woman to oppose the as yet
harmless freak of lunatic. He took
| ont his watch. shook his head graVely,
laid my hand down gently, then went
| toward the study, where on the table was
an open case of surgical instruments.
s'Do not be alarmed madam" he said
| to me, as / was about to rise and flee and
in another instant he was by my side.
with the case in his possession.
Involuntarily / raised my head and
cried: "Spare me, oh, spare me, I be-
seech you p
Madam p he said sternly, clasping
my wrist with his long, sinewy fingers,
with grip of steel, you behave like 6
child. have no time to parley, for !
have received letter from the Emperor
| of the French, stating that he is desirous
rope Immediately after performing the
| operation on your breast, and, before I
could make the slightest resistance, he
had me in his arms, and was carrying me
into the study, where was 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
| Gently been cut, and with which he Sc
cured me to the table with the skill of an
expert. It 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. I find no necessity for my in
tended operation"
| At this [ gave long-drawn sigh OF
! relief, and prepared to rise.
"But," he continued, IT have made
the discovery that your heart is as large
as that of an OK l will remove 1t SO
that you can see for yourself; reduce il
to its natural size by a curious process oi
my own, unknown to medical science,
and of which / am sole discoverer, then
replace it again"
He began to examine the edge of the
cruel knife, on which I closed my eyes,
while every nerve was in perceptible
| tremor.
1.-The mechanism of the heart is like
q watch" he resumed; ''if it goes toe
fast the great blood vessel that supplies
the force must be stopped, like the lever
| of q watch, and the works must he
cleaned and repaired and regulated. II
may interest you to know that WAS pres
ent at the post mortem examination held
over the remains of the beautiful Louisa
of Prussia, Had I been consulted be-
fore her death, 1 would have saved hel
by taking out her heart and removing
the polypi, in which it was wedged as il
in vice, but was called too late. The
King and 1 had little difference; he
was German, am French. l trust this
is sufficient explanation.
He now bent over me, his long, white
beard brushing my face. l opened my
eyes beseechingly, trying to think Of
some way to save myself. "Oh, sir
give NE an anDsthetic, that may moi
feel the pain. L pleaded.
''Indeed, indeed, madam, I would
would comply with your wish were you
not the wife of a physician-of skillful
surgeon. wish you TO note with what
ease perform this difficult operation, sc
that you may tell your husband of the
great saYant 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
deeting all too fast, and yet an eternity
seemed compressed in every one, / never
e.. Ill n ELL Io,s
like swooning than now, as / summoned
all my presence of mind to delay the
fearful moment, fervently praying in the
meantime for my husbands return.
Doctor said l, with assumed com
posure, ''I have the utmost confidence
in your skill; I would not trust my life
to another but, doctor, you have for
gotten to bring napkin to staunch thu
blood. If you will have the goodness
to ascend to my sleeping chamber at the
right of the hall you will find every
thing you need for that purpose in The
bureau.
''Ah, madam" he said, shaking hi
head sagaciously, "I never, draw bloot
during surgical operation, that is an
other one of my secrets unknown to thu
faculty"
Then placing his hand on my bosom
he added, with horrible espiegleric
"I'll scarcely mark that skin, white
than snow, and smooth as monumental
alabaster'
80 God y I cried, as / felt the colo
steel touch my breast; but with ths
same breath came deliverance.
Quick as thought heavy wooler
piano-cover was thrown over the heat
and person of the mailman, and bounG
tightly aronnd him. AS quickly was
released, and the thongs that bound me
soon held the maniac. My husband
held me in his arms. He had noiselessly
approached, and, taking in the horror O
my situation at glance, had, by thu
only means at hand, secured the mad
man, who was the very patient he hat
been summoned to attend, but who haG
escaped the vigilance of his keeper soo1
after the departure of the messenger
who had now returned with the doctor il
pursuit of him. AS the poor wretch wa.
beng hurried away, he turned to me
and said
Madam, this is plot to rob me oi
my reputation. Your husband is envi
Gus of my great skill Us u surgeon
Adieu !"
l afterward learned that the man was
once al eminent surgeon in Europe, but
much learning had made him mad
When he bound me to the table, my
hair was black as raven, when left it
it was as you see it now-white as full
blown cotton.
Oscar Wilde In Trouble.
On the train between Philadelphia and