The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-02-09
A Drop Of Blood*
= \
= BY MAURUS JOHAI.

7 The doctor would not listen to this. and
! refused to accept the LOCO form note but
| just as little was the stranger willing to
take it back. So they finally agreed upon it
| that the doctor should present the sum to
some hospital.
Al the doctors request the patient re-
manned in the city for few days until the
wound was almost healed. During this
| time the doctor arrived at the conclusion
that he had 10 do with man of vast
| Knowledge with thinker holding very
positive views of life. He very wealthy
! and filled an honorable office with the gov
! ernment AS soon the healing of the
wound had sufficiently progressed he re-
| turned To his countr2 seat.
About three ~eeks might have elapsed
J when the stranger was again announced to
| the doctor. Again he carried his arm in a
| sling; the muscles of his face twiched and
! Were distorted by pain. Without waiting
| for the doctors invitation he dropped into
! u chair, and, Incapable OF uttering d word,
! held out his hand to the doctor with a
deep groa1.
What has happened?" DR.. X asked in
dismay.
We have not cut deep enough" came
! the grooming answer 1t burns worse than
ever before. l canot stand it any longer
| did not want to trouble you again and
have borne it until now, hoping the nvis-
ible Inflammation would extend either to
nay head or to my heart ahd put an end to
my wretched existence; but it did NOT
/ The pain remained in the same spot Look
at me, doctor, and you will realize what I
am suffering >
The complexion of the man was like
wax; cold perspiration stood on his
| forehead.
| The doctor removed the bandage. The
place operated upon was perfectly healed
| and nothing abnormal could be distin-
guished
This, indeed. borders upon the marvel
ous.' exclaimed the doctor, greatly per-
picked. "A case like this has never yet
occurred in all my practice
1T IS marvellous, doctor, a frightful
marvel. But don't ponder over it's cause,
but deliver me from this torment Take
| your knife and cut deeper and wider; this
| alone can save me-
| The doctor felt himself forced to comply
! with this supplication and to cut deeper
now, and again as the first time, the
! features of the sufferer manifested an I'M
! speakable relief at the sight of the flowing
! blood. When the hand was bandagcd the
! patient expressed his thanks with a sad
| smile.
| Il thank You, doctor. Once more The
! pain has left me- Within few days the
wound viii be healed. But don't be sur
| prised at seeing ne again in a couple of
| weeks"
| My dear sir, you must dismiss such a
! thought from your mind"
| The doctor discussed this abnormal case
with many Of his colleagues. Every one of
| lIlSIn expressed q inherent opinion, none OF
! which, however, appeared tenabe.
| Toward the end of the month the doctor
! looked anXiously forward to his patients
| cVenttul return, but a month passed by and
several weeks over, and the patient had not
appeared. Instead of the patient there ar
! rived a closely written letter from him,
| which seemed to the doctor to prove that
| the writer's hand was not in a bad cOndi-
| ton, since otherwise 1t would have been
| very difficult for him TO handle the pen.
| The letter read:
| Dear Doctor: l can no longer allow you
| or medical science to remain in doubt as to
| the nature OF the mysterious aiment that
| Will soon bring me to the grave. L there
! fore will tell you briefly its origin. Last
! week it REQUIRED for the third time and l
! do not mean to bear against it any longer.
! To make it possible for me to write had to
! put a plaster of burning cinders upon the
! diseased spot. While the cinders are burn
! ing my skin | do not feel the other pain
| compared to which the momentary pang
| of burning is a mere triHe.
SIX months ago | was still a happy man,
! free from cares and possessing everything
that makes life attractive. A year previous
| | had marred-for love-a beautiful young
! lady of excellent qualities Of mind and h, art
| She had been goVcrness in the house of a
| countess, my ne:ghbOr, and was not only
attached to me. but she devoted to me
with pure, childlke tenderness, to me who
was is years her elder. Six months elapsed,
| during which every day appeared to me
more hlisStui than the preceding. When oc-
| casionaly l had to go to Pesth for day on
! official business my wife, at home, did not
| find a moments rest, and often came a
| mile Of the road to meet me- and when
| had to remain away to late hour she had
| a sleepess night. Had l not prevailed upon
her to call at times at the house of her
former mistress, who had always shown
! her great friendship, no power in the world
would have brought her to stay away from
| the house for half day.
Her love for me went far that she
! gave up dancing so as not to allow
| stranger to touch her, and nothing was more
disagreeable to her than when attentions
| were paid to her. In one word 1 had for
a wife an innocent girl whose every
thought was conferred in ne and who con-
fCssed to me her dreams crimes if they
happened not to relate to me.
Il do not know what demon one Gay
suggested to me the thought If all this
were but mere semblance?' Men, you knew,
are mad enough to seek for suffering in
tue midst OF the greater happiness.
My wife had work table whose drawer
she was always careful to lock. | mad re-
marked this on various occasions. She
never EFF, it open, nor did she ever forget
II take GU. the key. s:hat m5 mt
ton pursued me cons -a1tiy. The innocence
of her ace, the purity Of her looks, her
tenderness, her Kisses e:erythng row
appeared 10 ne IN Il doubtful light. What
IL dll tnlS were were make-De-
lieve?
ON the birthday of the Countess she
could not refrain from driving to her
friends country seat that lay several miles
distant.
Hardly had the carriage driven out of
the gate when l tried all the KEYS of the
house to the drawer referred to- One of
them opened the lock. 1 seemed to myself
like criminal who is about to commit
his first misdeed. My hands trembled as 1
NV
in the drawer, so that no disorder would he
tray the intrusion Of a meddling hand NV
heart leaped up to my throat 1 felt as
though were suffOcating. All of a sudden