The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-11-08
MY PATIENT.

naked feet and legs up to the knee, rag
ged trousers, thin cotton shirt, open
at the chest, a ragged coat and no hat.
He was grewsomely dirty, but his thin,
almost delicate fingers told me at once
that he was pickpocket
81 want DR.. Prebble," he said in a
hoarse voice.
''Well, you've got him, answered.
'Bill's fell down and hurt 'isself, :"
he said slowly.
"Who is Bill?'' I asked.
A shade of disappointment passed
over his face. had evidently fallen in
his opinion. My not knowing Bill proved
conclusively that 1 had not mixed in
the choicest society.
'E's our ledger, I" he said cautious
ly, IAN I amt a-goin to tell you no
more.
why didn't he go to hospital?''
81 Dunno" he said. "'E was at
work, and fell off of somefng. So %
come 'ome. That's all. "
Luckily a medical man is safe in al
most any neighborhood Moreover, /
was well known, and as 1 went along /
heard the gossips saying:
There goes the doctor. He's come
to see after Bill -
Clearly Bill was a celebrity.
AT last my guide stopped at house,
and, nodding to woman who stepped
on one side to let us enter, said, cts
all right, old gal. "
l found out subsequently that the
"old gal" addressed was the young gen
tleman's mother Respect for parents is
not leading feature i'll that neighbor-
hood
Without wasting a minute knelt on
the floor to examine Bills injuries. 1
found they were serious-a dislocated
shoulder, two ribs broken and internal
injuries which might prove more seri-
GUS still.
On his fingers were the marks of oak
UNI picking, which showed that Bill
was an ex-jailbird, and in the corner Of
the room stood suspicious looking bag,
out of which peered a jimmy. 1t was
then fairly safe to assume that Bill had
met with an accident while engaged in
his professional duties as housebreak-
or. He was educated. One could see
that at once by the development of his
brow. In his face, too, there were some
lingering traces of refinement.
l looked up at the boy, who was
watching me carefully, and, have no
doubt reading my thoughts
'You amt a-goin to tell no tales,
gov 'nor?'
''My business is to cure him if 1
CAM said briefly. CHOW, 1 want
your help"
With some difficulty I managed to
get his shoulder back into position.
Then set his ribs. Beyond that could
do nothing until be recovered sufficient
ly to answer few questions.
1t was necessary to find a nurse. The
man ought to have been in a hospital,
but it was impossible to move him. In
deed, it was almost miracle that he
had ever reached home in such man.
gled condition.
Not far from my dispensary there
was nursing institution, supported by
some ladies, who devoted their time
and money to nursing the poor in their
own houses The matron was SPLEEN
did woman, who never stopped to in
quire whether a case was deserving
The fact that man or woman was i'll
was all that she cared about Their
crimes and shortcomings she left to
other people.
Miss Shepherd listened to my story
with her usual sympathy.
There is only one young lady can
send, !" she said thoughtfully, land she
has not had much experience. However,
we must do something. I'll introduce
her to you and see what you think. :"
1t is a curious thing that on first see
ing that girl she did not strike me as at
all good looking. Since then 1 have
learned to know her well, and think
her one of the most beautiful women in
the world.
| In these years of work among the
poorest of the poor met no woman of
such a radiant, glorious nature as the
pale faced girl whom / saw for the first
time that Saturday evening.
To my great disappointment on reach
ing the siokroom her composure quite
gave way. had hoped she would be
strong enough to maintain her self con-
troll, instead of which she trembled and
turned deadly white, looking almost in
clined to burst into tears
Come, come, Miss Clintonp' l said
'You must get accustomed to scenes Of
distress If you break down, you won t
be able to help me at all. "
Il beg your pardon, DR.. Prebble, :"
she stammered hastily. st was only
the first shock Everything is so horri-
bic You may depend on my doing
what you require. :"
Then l explained the case to her care
fully and taught her the duties of q
Nurse as we'll as could in such short
fine
Miss Clinton must have nursed her
patient better than l expected she
would, for he passed fairly good night,
and when l saw him at II o'clock on
Sunday morning the fever had abated
somewhat, leaving him, of course, very
weak and in more or less precarious
condition
The nurse whom Miss Shepherd had
sent to take charge of the case during
the day was highly experienced wom-
an, whom 1 knew we'll.
"It's bad case, doctor" she said.
will you pull him through"
81 cam t say yet, " answered. "Ask
me tomorrow morning. What time did
you relieve Miss Clinton?'
"At o'clock She didn't like to go
away, but insisted on her having a
rest l can't help thinking that Miss
Clinton takes something of personal
interest in the case, said the day nurse
Have you read the mornings paper?'
"Not yet Is there anything in it?'
She produced a Sunday paper and
pointed to a paragraph headed Daring
Attempted Burglary. The burglars
had entered window on the first floor
by means of a ladder, but they were
disturbed at their work and had been
forced to escape hurriedly, leaving the
booty behind them 1t struck me at
once that in all probability Bill was one
of the burglars. In making his escape
he had no doubt fallen from the ladder.
But there was another feature in the
case which was more striking still The
owner of the house which had been en-
tered was named Clinton.
On first seeing the sick man Miss
Clinton had lost her composure to an
extent that surprised me. What was the
link that bound these three people to
gether-a wealthy city merchant. 9