Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-10-19
A STRANGE. COMPACT.
How tho Surgeon Saved lis Pa
tent From Death.

1t was q dreary night in the winter
of IL. Outside n heavy fog filed the
narrow, ~unsavory streets of the me-
tropolis, and the lungs and eyes ofsuch
unfortunates as CHANGED 10 be abroad.
1t even invaded the small wooden
sanctums of the night-watchmen, in
terfering with slumbers to which the
inmates were both by age and office
entitled. Across the river, in the
dingy, ill-paved lanes Of the borough,
the fog seemed at its worst, a light,
warmish haze being the only indica-
ton of the presence OF those shops
which still remained open, and round
which small, ill-clad urchins. with the
most uumistakable intentions, persist
emily lowered.
"A sweet night for foot-pads," NUT
tered young DR.. Mostyn, as he olsen
gagged himself from a chance ~rencontre
with a post and felt his way along by
tapping with his stout stick at the
house-walls, a proceeding by which he
had already damaged the legs OF three
of his suffering fellow-creatures, and
poked a large hole in the kitchen win
dow of a fourth. ''And now" he con-
tinued, talking to himself for the sake
of company, "for home and supper and
a fire. All, and a patient or two, per-
haps. Who knows?'
At this cheering prospect his spirits
rose, and he banged nightly at the
wall with his stick in consequence,
until at length, coming to a small
street on his right, he turned smartly
down, and having made sure of his
W door, knocked briskly at it.
"Who's therew cried a shrill female
voice in response.
ats l, Bet,"said her master. "Open
the door, my goca girl"
Not il | knows it," was the cheer
ing reply. You take yourself off,
young man, whoever you are. There's
two bulldogs and three men with load
ed guns standing by me, to say moth
ing"
"Open the door, Bet" roared her
master through the keyhole. Don't
you know me?"
as it nine o'clock, or is it elevenp"
propounded the damsel; ~''because. If
it's eleven o'clock, my eyes deceive me;
and if it's nine o'clock, your voice de-
ceives me; for the doctor said he'd be
home at eleven and not before; and
considering the fog, l should say a
good deal AFTER"
''Open the door," said the surgeon,
sharply. "l'm back already because
my patients dead. Come; open at
once!'
There was a creaking and shooting
of bolts as he finished speaking; and
the door being cautiously opened, dis
covered ar angular woman of some
iive-and-thirty years. whose nervous
face cleared directly she saw her
master.
I'm asking your pardon for keeping
you so long, sir" said she; ''but ole
never knows who's who; and judging
by the noises and r~unnings, there's
boon rare doings round the corner to-
night"
"Any body been. Bet?" asked the
surgeon, as, ten minutes later, he sat
down to u carefully grilled chop.
mot a SOUL" replied his hand
maiden.
And o nice person you would be to
rived d." IL P" accident had ar.
'Oh, l should have
once" said Bet. with a decision. e a,
rectly they used the word adj.
dent ! should have opened it All
CHANGED it."
Her master, smiling at her devo
ton. drew his chair to the fire, an,
having carefully filled a long ella,
pipe, fell to smoking with an air o
great enjoyment and content. Then
thinking it extremely unlikely that h,
would be disturbed at that late hour
he dismissed his retainer to her quar-
tiers in a n%eighboring house, and bein,
left to himself, lapsed into a brown
study.
1t might have been the fog, or |
might have been the unexpected dealt
OF his patient; whatever the cause, hi
thoughts took a very gloomy directioI
indeed, and he shook his head despond
ingly as no thought OF his future pros
poets. His mood was not made NOR
cheerful by the room, which was larg
and dark, and paneled with oak. an,
ornamented with battered oil-portrait
OF dead and gone worthless, with whor
he claimed some kinship more or les
remote. who seemed to stare at hir
tonight in a particularly ghostly no
to say wooden manner. Besides al
this. he was Ia love; and he had n
sooner built a magnificent castle--i
the air-and placed her in 1t. than a
amy thing but airy landlord called 70
the rent. and the dream was spoiled
II - 49, -fal-- %