The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-04-19
Ny STRANGE PATIENT

,hnu, two years ago there came to
no A tail, handsome fellow, who
,,yo the name of George Grifiths.
aehhad a fearless eye. a cheerful,
sven genial expression. an exception
sI;y well modelled, aquilinc nose, and
splendid mustachc, trimmed and
tended. evidently. with scrupulOUs
carr There is no obvious reason,
certainly, why he should require my
,pryices: there was no possibility OF
making him better looking.
Il hear that you are a specialist
IN dermatology," he began. after l
had srected him with the usual form
atty.
admitted the soft impeachment.
Well" he went On. II want YOU
TO perform a surgical feat or me. I
want nv nose altered"
Expressed my surprise, and as
sured him, that, in my humble
opjnion. his nose was best let alone.
But he disputed this proposition, and
insisted chat he had reasons for being
weary Of the aQuIline. and for crav-
ing a proboscis as unlike as possible
10 that with which nature had ell
lowed him. Seeing my curiosity,
and possibly not wishing to be deemed
A mailman, he proceeded to explain
them to me.
After several years roughing 1t in
Texas he said, 81 have come back
rich, and there is nothing to prevent
my enjoying myself but the Fostering
attentions Of relatives whom l had
hoped 10 have done with forever
when went abroad. But | cannot
escape tnem or their opportunities,
and 50, however eccentric you may
think me, must enlist your services.
presume there is no danger in the
operations
NO danger, | replied accepting
hi, explanation as That Of un eccen-
tric man, whose affairs, after all,
were no business of mine, land very
little pain practically none, in fact
But YOU must keep in doors for a few
days after it is over. When and
where shall | call upon you?"
Gould YOU not operate here, and
now he asked.
impossible. Your journey home
would not be without great risk"
But could | not stay here?"
Could you not accommodate me for
the short time necessary? Doctor, !
could and would pay you literally for
the service. Consider, if l go home,
my identity would be again revealed
10 those from whom | desire to con-
cedl It,"
This speech, one would have
thought, would have aroused my
suspicious, but it did not. The mans
frank ana Of en- expression disarmed
ae entirely, and l could but look
upon him as l had done previously,
SIMPLY as an eccentric Individual. 1t
50 happened thatI had a spare room.
could not regard the question Of
enumeration With Indifference, and
~ 10 cut IA long story short. l con-
,ented.
ror Inc purpose of more convent
entIy operating i suggested, some
"haL tlmldly. the sacrifice of his
beautiful mustache. TO my surprise,
he assented eagerly, and was for the
dpplcation OF the scissors and razor
forthwith. You would scarcely
Iedlt the difference the removal of
'ais artistic hirsuite appendage--
tie crop of many years." as he jOk-
"-sIy described it-made to my pa
ueut 1t displayed what had been
'ouceaIed before, his mouth, and the
,in'ter expression of this was such as
we~uectually nullify the honest gent
any Of his upper face. In fact,
.le removal Of his moustache consti-
e'led' as l promptly told him, sufl-
.Icit disguise to battle any number
ihqulsitive relatives. But he in
n>led on the nasal operation never
|nc!esN His motto was evidently
Thorough"
ven. l performed it, and when,
gay, later, George Grifiths left
nousc with nothing but a rapidly
IWpailhg n almost invisible scar to
"Vniish the straight nose which now
a%orhed his face 1 would have
""seted my case of instruments TO a
I''pellhy penknifc that the most
t'aht of his previous acQuaint-
him. ~
noout i week after my eccentric
:" It.o'iCs departure the particulars,
nar as Iney were known, of a re-
TnTt'HAdpiY brutal murder were made
p@,c The body of a lady named
.i eVI4ently stabbed to death