Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-01-25
MY STRANGE PATIENT.
A SURGEONS STORY.

About two years ago there came
to me tall, handsome fellow, who
gave the name of Mr.. George
Grifithe. He had fearless eye,
a cheerful, even genial expression,
an exceptionally well-naoulded
aquiline nose, and splendid mus
tache, trimmed and tended, evil
IDENTIFY, with scrupulous care.
There was no obvions reason, GER
tainly, who he should require my
services; there was no possibility
of making him better looking.
II hear that you are a specialist
in dermatology,' he t>gan, after I
had greuted him with the usual
formality.
I admitted the soft impeach-
ment.
SWELL" he went on, 81 want you
to perform surgical feat on me.
I want my nose altered"
Iexpressed surprise, and assured
him that, in my humble opinion,
his nose was best let alone. But
he disputed this proposition, and
insisted that he had reasons for
being weary of the aqulline and for
craving a probrscis as unlike as
possible to that with which nature
had endowed him. Seeing my Gu
riosity, and possibly not wishing
to be deemed madman, he pro-
ceeded to explain them to me.
AFTER several years roughing it
in Texas he said, "I have come
back rich, and there is nothing to
prevent my enjoying myself but
the pestering attentions of rela-
tives whom had hoped to have
done with forever when I went
abroad. But I cannot escape them
or their opportunities, and SO,
however eccentric you may think
me, I must enlist your services. l
presume there is no danger in the
operation?"
mo danger" I replied, accept
ing his explanation as that of an
eccentric man, whose affairs, after
all, were no business of mine,
"and very little practically
none, in fact. But you must keep
Indoors rsa#few days after i 1t : is is
over. When and where shall I call
for you?"
"Could you not operate here. and
now?" he asked.
"Impossible. Your journey home
would not be without great risk"
"But could I not stay here?
Could you not accommodate me
for the short time necessary? Doc
tor, I could and would pay you
literally for the service. Consider,
if I 60 home, my identity would
be again revealed to those from
whom I desire to conceal it."
This speech, one would have
thought, would have aroused my
suspicion, but it did not. The
mans frank and open expression
disarmed me entirely, and could
but look upon him as l had done
previously, simply as an eccentric
individual. 1t SO happened had
a spare room. I could not regard
the question of remuneration with
indifference, and so, to cut long
story short, I consented.
For the purpose of more con-
veniently operating, suggested,
somewhat timidly, the sacrifice Of
his beautiful moustacLe. TO my
surprise. he assented eagerly, and
was for the application of scissors
and razor forthwith. You would
scarcely credit the difference the
removal of this artistic hirsute ap-
pendage-"the crop of many
years." as he joklngly described
it-made to my patient. 1t dis
played what had been concealed
before, his mouth, and the sinister
expression of this was such as to
effectually nullify the honest
geniality of his upper face. In
fact, the removal of his moustache
constituted, as l promptly told
him, a sufficient disguise to battle
any number of inquisitive rela-
tives. But he insisted on the nasal
operation nevertheless. His motto
was evidently "thorough.''
Well, I performed it, and when
ak days later, Mr.. George Griffiths
left my house, with nothing but
rapidly healing and almost invisi-
BILE scar to blemish the straight
nose which now adorned his face,