Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-06-25
onopt thanking me; if YOU ever marry a

doctor, you'll be sure
But Dorothy did not wait for the
rest of her sentence. \ twitch of her
hand had set the bay in motion, and
she was half a dozen yards down the
street. leaving Mrs. Fowler 10 ponder
over the obruptness of her departure.
Once the town was left behind, the
girl lost no time in calling upon her
nag's powers, and away he went as
readily as if he were fresh from his
stable. Mile after mile slipped behind
them. Soon the halfway house joined
the procession to the rear. 1t was
growing dusk now, and the air was
chilly. Her wrists We're beginning
to ache under the pull of the lines, and
the thought came to her that perhaps
she stood in greater need than herh
of a breathing spell. She tried to pull
him in the next rise, but instead of
Stacking his pace he increased 1T. In
vain she tuggcd and sawed at the bit;
the bay was out of her control, and
knew it as well as she did. He was trot-
ting as she had never seen him trot be-
fore, with the blood of dozen genera
tions of picked roadsters coursing hot
il: his veins. Just ahead she made
out the dark mass of wood through
which the road passed. An instant
later she was flying along under the
tunnel-like arch where the boughs OF
the trees met above the travelled way.
In the gloom OF this passage she could
make out little of the road, though
she leaned from the buggy in the effort
TO see what might be her course. Then
the wood was left behind, and about
her was the twilight of the open coun-
trv, seeming almost bright by com
parison with the tangle of shadows
through which she had sped. The bay,
untiring, but with fecks of foam show
ing here and there on his coat, was
trotting with the smooth precision OF
a machine 1t was glorious to watch
him. to hear the sharp beat OF his
hoofs. Powerless as she was, the eX-
hilaration of the race took possession
of her: she caught herself encourag-
ing the animal with her voice; she
forgot the pain in her wrists, the very
real danger in which she was placed.
She thrilled with delight as she flashed
by a wagon whose occupant had pru-
IDENTIFY driven into the ditch to afford
her a clear right of way. He called
out-a warning to her, but, though she
heard his voice, the words were indis-
tinguishable.
At last she was at the summit of the
ridge looking down upon the beach,
and her destination was close at hand.
Again she sawed and tugged at the
lines. Slowly her efforts told; gradual
ly the bays speed decreased, until, as
he neared the farmhouse, she had him
well in hand. Mrs. Weston, one of her
boys, Mrs. Clark and two or three chill
dren were awaiting her at the gate,
all eager to learn the result of her mis-
sion. DIR. Banks and l were close be-
hind them, and, as the horse came to
n stop, we pushed our way to the side
of the buggy.
you've made wsnderful time," L
cried.
"Where's Fowler? Is he following
you?" asked Banks.
He can't be here for six or eight
hours" she said, quietly. "But here
is case of instruments"
Banks and l looked at each other,
appalled, by the news.
"Dr. Fowler is in Trent" the girl
went on. HE is expected home at mid
night. 1t is arranged that if you need
him then, n message shall be sent to
him"
With his sound hand Banks lifted
the case from the buggy.
This is serious, very" he said in my
ear. eve can't wait for him; it's out
of the question. Join me in your Office
as quickly as you can"
nodded and turned to assist Miss
Cray to the ground. Young Weston led
the horse away.
Come" said to the girl, you must
have some supper. BY the looks of the
horse, as we'll as the clock, can see
that you've taken nobody's dust on the
road. You must tell me all about 1t
after awhile"
81 was in BASKERVILLE hardly 40 min
utes ago." said she, with a look at her
watch. "But how is he? Have you
any more hope?"
He is doing as well as anything hu-
man could after such a crushing and
.manglipg, but our opinion is not
changed"
She left me and walked away slowly
and dispiritedly. The reaction after
the excitement of her ride was already
upon her. Almost as depressed in spirit
as she, 1 made my way to the Office.
Banks had opened the case and was
inspecting its contents. The room, in
expectation of Fowler's arrival, had
been prepared for the operation.
at is fortunate she brought these,
Norris" said Banks. I'm afraid my
old tools would have answered poorly.
What a head she must have on her
shoulders to have thought of borrowing
the case! She is a noble woman, Nor
ris, a woman in ten thousand"
Indeed she is"
"Best get to work at once" Banks
added. Come, are you ready?"
A first capital operation! How the
student looks forward to it, how he
pictures in imagination the moment
when the knife enters the flesh, how
he dwells upon the surroundings, the
attendants, the bright, keen blades
flashing back the light, the odor of
the anesthetic, the subject lying there
on the table, MANNED, diseased, his life
dependent upon the skill of the sur
geon's hand and eye! Small wonder
the novice's heart throbs with pride
in the profession he has chosen; small
wonder he thinks 1t the noblest and
best in the choice of man. To cut to
cure, to shed blood to save-to him
1T seems to represent the highest de-
velopment Of the progress of his race.
but when, long afterward, perhaps,
this same student, now a general prac-
titioner, finds himself confronted with
the ordeal-ah, that is different. Be
tween these days and those others when
he hurried to the hospital amphithe-
ater stretch years in which his conf
dence may have waned, his memory of
the scene about the operating table
grown dull. There is no cowardly desire
upon him TO shirk the responsibility
his professional training would count
for little did ii not insure him against
such weakness-but he understands
the extent OF that responsibility. AS
student-spectator he watched the
work of specialists; now, Us an oper-
ator, 1t is his duty to endeavor to ap-
proach their skill as nearly as lies in
his power, though the knife comes
strange and unaccustomed to his hand.
Mind you, l am not speaking of the
hundreds in every thousand of the pro-