The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-08-05
VERY UNUSUAL CASE.
My dear! I've the loveliest joke to tell

involved In that joke SomeWnere-Maud,
who is the bright and shining star in our
constellation, and before whose superior
wisdom Nell and l are invariably "no-
where" Publicly we are duly proud of our
presentable sister; privately we revel in the
rare mischances that bring her to our level.
well, you know, it's Maud" Nell began,
as anticipated she would do, looking down.
ward at the same time to make quite certain
no stately presence was likely to approach
unhcard. Ever since she distinguished her
self at those ambulance classes she had been
regularly dying for a case It's a wonder
ahe never took to laying down banana peels
Il advised her to-and to-day, what do you
think ?-an accident really happened!
81 think it was the tram myself, though
look round there was a crowd, and the
man"
What MANI"
''The man, of course, was in the thick
of It, lying on the ground looking as if
he could not help himself. Well, Maud just
walked through everybody as if she owned
the street-you know she says calmness and
'elf-possession are everything in ambulance
work-and down she knelt on the pavement.
They'd carried him there, of course, and in
half a minute she was examining her victim
as if he'd been post. He looked pretty
cheap, | can tell you"
However, this gentleman is suffering
from a slight conclusion of the BRAIN she
went on, and, either from force of habit or
else to convince us that she spoke as one
having authority, she continued, the pa
tient will be very pale, lying with his eyes
shut; if spoken to will answer properly, and
then relapse into partial insensbility
of that little black book of hers, you know.
I knew the patient had to go onto sofa
| next move, and after that hot water and
! ilannels come in.
'Well, anyway, in a little while that
| young mans conclusion seemed to ease off
| bit, and he said, quite blandly: IF you will
excuse me, madam, l fancy the seat of in
jury lies in the tibia'-what we would call
shin bone, you know-I can answer for the
| pain. If you will kindly observe whether
there is any swelling or distortion we might
next look for crepitus.'
well, you should have seen Maud. She
| tried to carry off the situation, but if it
| hadn't been for that poor fellows broken
leg and his pluck in bearing it all would
have had to laugh. You know, there is a
difference between conclusion of the brain
| and broken leg-even we fools could have
| told that!"
Next morning at breakfast it was suggest
| ed by my volatile sister that it would do no
harm to call in on the way to my office and
| ask how Mr.. Hamilton-the object of Maud's
| attentions-was getting on. | found him
| without much difficulty, and just coming out
of his rooms l met Dr. Bennett.
| Not SO we'll as he might be-" he said, in
reply to my inquiries "Your sister did him
| 4 good turn with the splints, but knocking
about like that in weather like this is risky,
| to say the least of it."
| 1t was pretty bad case, and the next time
Maud and DR.. Bennet met-Dr. Bennett, by
the way, had conducted the ambulance class
there was suggestion of birthstone in the
air as they discussed the signs and tokens
Of conclusion.
"If he is bad you have only got yourself to
blame" Maud asserted. Whereat the doctor,
as astonished as indignant, naturally in
quired how she succeeded in making that
out.
Didn't you say" Maud continued, in tones
such as would have reduced most people on
the spot, that in street accidents, if the
patient was unconscious, the injury was
probably in the head"
"Of course did," the doctor replied, his
professional blindness scattered to the four
winds of heaven, "but ! never said that the
victim was likely to have nothing but o
head"
AT last it was evident that the young man
was fit to travel, so it did not surprise me
much when Maud, one morning at breakfast,
| announced in tones as casual az she could
make them
'Mr. Hamilton is going to leave to-mor.
row."
"For a broken heart take the three-cor-
nered bandage, fasten firmly round the neck,
increase. the pressure till circulation is
stopped, and then tie firmly with a reef
knott"
1t was pretty brutal of Nell, to say the
least of it, and at the first opportunity
saw fit to tell her what l thought of it.
IWhereupon she called me hathead in such
unequivocal terms that did not resume the
conversation.
A couple of evenings later Nell and were
out in the garden. 1t was lovely evening,
and Maud's voice reached us from the draw
ing-room, where she was singing. Presently
the music stopped suddenly. l knew some
one had joined Maud and suggested that we
should go
Where we aren't wanted" snapped Nell,
and | subsided. suppose was still musing
on my troubles when l heard footsteps ap-
preaching, and in the moonlight recognized
DR.. Bennet.
"Why, what on earth are you here for?"
I exclaimed, with more directness than po-
hteness
We'll, I've come about your fraternal
blessing" he observed, at length, and what
came next is beyond me to recall. In any
case, Maud and Dir. Bennett were house hunt
ing in affable concert within ten days
They naturally left Nell and me a good
deal to our own devices, and as we did not
want to be out of future altogether, we
fell to discussing great jaunt we were to
have when the wedding should be thing Of
the past.
81 know" exclaimed suddenly one even
ing, when Maud and DIR. Bennett were a mere
suggestion on the dim veranda, and we had
had no particular subject under discussion
for hours. 1--WE will just have driving
tour!'
docs the-concern hold-three?"
| turned and looked at that young person
In blank astonishment, and TO my utter con-
sternation saw she was bhshing
Elizabeth" demanded, explain your
self"
But Elizabeth had vanished. Hereupon I
sought Maud, who for once was not house
hunting.
"What on earth is the matter with Nell?"
, inquired.
Maud simply looked at me with finest scorn
depicted on her handsome countenance.
MY dear, can't you guess2" she replied,
much as ii were child of nine, adding, So
verely: Have you men no eyes?"
Hamilton! Nell!" gasped, looking at