The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-04-10


al to his patient, by setting forth, ID
addition to the professional bond be-
tween them, the brotherhood engendered
by common membership of sacred or
der. Either fact furnished, to his mind,
both a reason and an excuse for conduct
which. he s1pilingiy admitted, might
strike a superficial observer as uncom-
monty Ike oficiousness.
'.ITs fortunate that I'm occasionally
justified by professional and other con-
siderations, he pursued, as he made his
patient comfortable, ..for I'm born In
termeddler. Other men are satisfied
with pohng finger or two into neigh
boring pasties. grab the dish"
"a good thing for the original dish
holder too, sometimes" the patient re-
sponded, weak enough to feel the relief
Of divided responsibility. I've lone
some sort of conviction that my pasty
will turn out a sodden failure without
pretty vigorous stirring from an outside
spoon The fact Is, I'm IN an uncom-
monty deep hole, and shall be thankful
for friendly hand to pull me out. You
must not let me interfere with your own
plans, however 1t seems I've got TO rest
temporarily or else eternally; but that's
no reason you should be inconven-
fenced
That's all right" Royal declared.
Don't vex your mind on my score. I'm
holiday making, and my time is at my
/ own disposal. There's nothing TO pre-
! vent my stopping over week If [ want
| to. Then I don't mind telling you that
/ I'm interested in your case-would like
! TO watch it bit, IN short. Force of
| habit, you see; there's nothing like it,
| Ell, doctor? You know how it is your
! self
/ He talked cheerily, kind words over
lying a kind intention, and both carry
! ing soothing to the sick man, as he
meant that they should. The rules of
! the order enjoined assistance in cases
! like the present, and he was, moreover,
! in a mood for being helpful, or, as he
might have dubbed it, ofhciOus. Since
the partial examination to which he had
! subjected the patient his interest and
sympathy had deepened. The outlook
was more serious than he had supposed
]
! of continuation Of the journey must be
] put aside. As he talked, DIR. Royal
turned over in his mind the ACCESSIBILITY
! of summoning the sick mans friends
/ without loss of time. and only awaited
an opening to request the necessary in
formation concerning them casually, az
it were.
A clear coal fire burned in the CRATE,
night was drawing IN, and outside It was
cold and dark. The flames danced up
and down. violet where the fuel was
! only half ignited, and pale yellow down
IN the hollows where the heat was great
/ est; l.1.,Z-s-T5 Tl2ve5 o. the walls and
the sic1i mans bea, i0r there was nc
light IN the room save that given by the
fire. The face on the pillow was well
nigh invisible, save when the flames
! hared up, when it would start out, dis
tinct and prominent, the eyes wide open
and watchful.
Doctor, viii you make ighf"'
Royal started. He had thought the
patient asleep. As he complied with
the request he remarked, quite care
] lessly:
by the way, friend, won't your peo-
pie be expecting you? It may bother
them, not understanding about the de-
/ Law, YOU know. Women ALWAYS put
themselves in fret. If you'll give me
the address before you go to sleep III
wire for you
The answer was irrelevant:
''What time IS it,
DR.. Royal gave the desired informa-
ton.
.'Hal-past 6, the sick man repeated
'.And the train leaves at 4:30 a. N. Near
! ly eight hours to rest and pull myself to-
! geIher. No; 1t won't be worth while to
telegraph, thank you. They couldn' t
get it IN time TO make new arrange
ments. There's no telegraph Office at
! their station, and message would 90
past and have to be sent back by mail
It would reach them too late to do any
good. I'll just rest bit and go ON by
that 4:50 train. It's the only way
He spoke slowly, as one who figures
out situation.
Royal faced round to the bed.
'.Are you aware Of your condition.
he demanded gravely.
Perfectly" the other replied. I've
watched the case from the beginning
It seemed mdeous, this turning of ones
science upon ones self; but neither man
appeared TO find it so. The one doctor
made the statement and the other re-
ceived it quite as a matter of course.
''You know, them" Royal proceeded,
speaking plainly because Of the urgency
of the case, ''just what your chance is
worth, even with all the help you can
get from rest and quiet. To continue
this journey VIII be suicide"
The eyes on the pillow met his reso-
lutely, and the jaw squared itself.
! Il know that I'm to be married before
IL o'clock tomorrow, and that I've got
to be on hand, dead or alive"
/ Here was an unlocked for complica-
ton. Royals brows swept together IN
perpleIty. It was an awkward situa-
ton, he was wiling to admit; but with
him the professional instinct was dozni-
/ nant.
t'It can't be done,'' he announced de-
i cidedly. your life won't be worth an
instanfs purchase if you quit that bed.
t. I