The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-13
HER REVENGE.

.
why do women insist on wing Will
men In the professionsr'' said rich Mrs
Van Bussom three times In succession a
certain afternoon tea while she looked q
Miss Greenleaf, aged IS. Then she obsorves
chs no doubt the new doctor, like man,
another deserving person, had boen cruell,
disappointed and despaired OF anothe
chance. So the tea ended, and the coteri
kissed and disbanded.
1t was late In December that DR.. Pru
denoe Wickham moved into one OF the fash
donabie side streets hard by Gramerc.
park 1t was snowing-snowing 30 furi
ousfy that faces were indistinguishable a
short range. First came furniture van
and when 1t had been emptied handsome
cab dashed down the cobbled pavement
and deposited tall, dignifed woman,
with short, stout attendant, on the side.
walk They hurriedly entered the house,
the door slamming behind them. Then
the van and cab vanished and night and n
bowling blizzard set in.
IL the people of the street were mystified
Chat evening, they were In the very thral
dom Of anxiety the next morning when the
sun, rising majestically, cast its cold,
sianting rays on the FURNISHED sign here
tofore mentioned.
Then the days went by and the solicitor.
neighbors watched and waited But no.
body called DIR. Wickham out. Christmas
came and went a4d the brass sign con
tinucd to glow under tho daily labors Of
the stout servant. But the doctor did not
venture from her solitude
And New Years eve was come again,
and the people Of the neighborhood were
wild with excitement, for tho ringing OF
the chimes in the church. tower was an
event that annually rejuvenated everybody.
Thlther on this bitter night, as the hands
of the old clock assembled to the hour Of IL,
thousands wended their way There were
acres Of fur cloaks and blue noses and the
frozen snow crunched with metallic ring
beneath a myriad of gum shoes. At last
the great bells in the tower pcaled out and
told that another year had been born. And
simultaneously the blaIe OF trumpets,
arising from the crowd, almost shut out
their music.
Suddenly cry went up---a oxy that some
one had swooned. The horns ceased, the
bells rang on, and everybody gathered
around the prostrate form of young Willie
Van Bussom. who lay upon the snow
white and liz less.
"Is there medical man in the crowd?"
some one as. d.
YES. W you kindly allow me to get
hold of his pulses' answered q strong faced
woman as she edged her way through the
ranks 1t was DIR. Prudence Wickham
"Ah, the cold has told on him and his
body is fast becoming rigid" she said.
He must be taken to my ollloe instantly
or he will not survive ten minutes"
Strong arms gladly obeyed and Willie |
Van Bussom was borne away and deposit. |
I'd on lounge In the physician Office |
Then the crowd withdrew, the doorl |
closed, and between her clinched teeth DIR. |
Prudence Wickham, alone with her victim,
muttered:
"At last! At lastls
For time she surveyed the motionless
form before her I'm glad triumph. Then
walking to her surgical case she took out
an assortment of knives. and saws. De
posting them upon q small table near her
patients head, she. took a strong cord from |
a wall closet and bound him hand and foot |
10 the sofa. This accoupljshed, she held a
vial OF ammonia watef' 70 his hose and
shook him Y identity
whats truinpie" he asked az ne yawned |
and opened ,is eyes in a bewildered way.
"Be quie my poor fellow, answered |
DIR. Wickham in assuring though profes. |
sional tones. Then she drew the table
with the Instruments into palmer view |
and locked the door Of the room.
"But where am ~ nc pleaded
"Oh, never mind. You must 20 tn slcer |
now so that 1 may begin the operation
And thercupon DR. Wickham proceeded to |
saturate sponge with chloroform.
What are you going to do to mcy' he |
again demanded, now thoroughly awak.
and excited.
why, don't you know that am about
TO amputate both your legsg I'm awfully
sorry. but
"Amputatc my lcgsv'
'Ycs. 80 prepare for the ordeal" And
she set the chloroform down and took up
the biggest saw on the table
Willie Van Bussom wriggled and
thrashed and plunged, but tn no avail
The cord held him prisoner. When ~ had
finally exhausted all his strength, DIR.
Wickham leaned over him, and with IA
pair of scissors proceeded to divest him OF
the lower portions of his trousers.
won't you have some pityy Can't we
fix it up by arbitrationg 1 don't wish to
lose my legs. And his sobs were loud and
pathetic.
To DIR. Wickham's mature mind it was
plain that the time for action had arrived
SO, arresting her scissors, she looked into
his face and said
What would you do to Sive thcm?'
What would | not dor" I've answered.
II shall inherit great wealth II shall be
yours.
They looked AT one another for n time.
Then DIR. Wickham broke the silence.
III that is all, then off they come" And
she rs,ched for the saw once more.
Hold Hold will, moreover, agree
the words cloggcd in his throat-'I will |
agree TO marry you"
There, that is sufficient" answered |
Ut "ickhnm. And then cutting the thong |
that held his right hand she hadc him |
write his proposal down ON paper
with trembling hand he did 80. and II |
ran as follows:
nv DEAREST DIR. wIcKRAN-You have sar.d |
my hfe and In my gratitude Tor your services. |
i onsr you my hsnd in wcdlock Your slave
WILLIAM VAN Bussou