The Dickinson press., 1883-08-18
A SINISTER INCIDENT
A Fragmentary story Without End
or Moral

wax lights.
Young De Haas conversation had be-
come somewhat aimless in tone, besides
Icing briefly but frequently punctuated
with fits of doing. Rice was singing a
song atthree or four gentlemen, whose
enthusiasm was now but Slightly aroused
by the singers toast, "The ladies.m
Drumaway sat overlooking the SCENE.
He was quite alone at that end of the
table, his immediate nsighbors. having
gone. home or. fallen asleep, which
amounted to much the same thing.
Drumway' saw everything double and
he slipped his wine now in smiling ap.
proval of the uproarious efforts of Mr.,
Rice, again as though to remove from
his palate a flavor Of staleness.
Mr.. Drumway's singuIarity, or rather
plurality, of vision was not occasioned
by the wine. A, better understanding
nft night be given by the statement
that there were two Of. him. His old
self had lost his heart and lost the lady
she married Reginald Riversi in 1871.
lost ambition, and, to some extent per-
haps, pride. 1t was this old self that
approved of Mr. Rice's song and the
empty bottles upon the floor and the
illogical gentlemen at the other end of
the table and the advanced hour to
which the clock de%corously pointed.
His new self had gradually acquired
some interest in the business and peo-
pie of the Eastern land, some philoso-
ply wherewith to shield him from the
assaults of circumstance and a tempta-
tion:.to excess, and sufficient cheerful
ness to render life not altogether un-
pleasant In spite of its undertone of sad
ness. 1t was the new self. that looked
Upon his present, surroundings. with q
which has been before remarked. -"
.Drumway's old self had kept him all
night at the ::club; the new self sum-
m1oned his philosophy-which; was, per-
haps, no tardier than most. peoples
home. Mr.. Rice had given over sing
ing, a. fact that in his particular case i'm
piled a total absence of any n to lis
ten. -.
The sober New Years dawn: faded the
-aftifctaf light to a sickly hue, and
seemed;to scatter ashes upon!the Young
face of De Haas as he slept with his
head upon the table.
Excuse me, gentlemen" said DR..
Spooner, looking in at the door, 81
should like"
"Happy New Yeer! 'S3, and the Ia
dies! !" reared Rice.
eyes, yes. So it is. The same to you,"
returned the doctor ~abstractedly, as he
advanced to the table and cast around it
aglance o thorough acquaintance with
every liver n the company. "Happy
New Year to you, Mr.. Drumway. Thank
you I will swallow a glass of wine, but I
can't stay. The fact is, I've bad case
OH hand. Poor devil from some ship, I
take it, been knocked down and stabbed
in the thigh, and what with drunken
ness and lying about in the streets SO
lon lontg r the oa an; leg gr has g got to to COME of !
Drumway, would you mind holding that
q moment"
Doctor Spooner flleda wine glass until
the liquid trembled above the brim.
Drumway took the glass carefully from
the table, held it up for a few seconds,
and set it down. Not . drop was
spilled.
"Good!" said the doctor. "Neryes
firm. You don't mind the sight of blood,
l suppose7 Some people are peculiar
about that: Perhaps you wouldn't object
to render me a little assistance in the
operation? 1t will not take long,"
"Not in the least" said Drumway.
Young De Haas, with the gray light of
the morning upon him, would not have
looked whittier had he been dead. Rice
was red and loud. He poured a few
temple, and drank the remainder Of the
glass to the exceeding good health of
spooner's patients and to "The ladies,
the dears!"
Walking through the raw morning air,
and keeping pace with the speedy but
unhurried steps of the doctor, Drumway
felt as though he had been shaken awake
by the reality of life.
The room which they entered seemed
to pc waiting. It waited for the doctor
when he excused himself and went into
an adjoining chamber waited for the
dull, tagging day, and for the future
scenes of pain and danger: A long Ia
BILE stood whiting for its next burden
Drumway wondered what had been its
OF instruments and a bottle labelled
"ether"-both expectant. A signii-
cant scufiing of feet dissipated most of
these impressions, and they were quite
put TO flight by the appearance of the
doctor, experimenting movements of
two coolies who carried a faccid bun
die which they laid upon the table as
Spooner directed. The bundle was
dirty and wretched, yet the room and
the table and the instruments seemed
to be satisfied now they had got it. The
doctor laid out the instruments to his
mind, and unwound the bandages from
the sufferers leg.
There" said he, dipping the ether
bottle upon a sponge, and dividing the
remark between Drumway and himself.
ono time to be lost here l take It,"
The meaning odor of tn Q ether bottle
filled the room.
"What-what are you going to do?"
asked the patient in a stupid, half
frightened tone, and trying to keep the
doctor in sight.
ITO ave your life-I think"
mo! mol" exclaimed the man, as the
sponge was placed over his mouth and
nostrils. "Not thatl I'd rather"
"Hold him!" said Spooner, with quiet
aarnestness: "2e's astonishingly
strong get"