The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-08
The Wrong Eye.


Stephen Godstone was one Of the clever
est surgeons we ever turned est OF our
hospital, and that IS eaytuz q good daal,
| and there Is no knowing 20 what height
in the profession he might not have riEen
had IT not been for womaa and wine. CT
10 speak more correctly. woman snd
whisky.
| He was engaged to a charming girl
| whose people lived in KsnSIngton, and
who, Ike many othsr girls, both before
ana since, was so proui o. her power ever
| clever man that she could not resist
the temptation to exhibit Il occasionally.
Godstone was a sensible fellow, and, as
rule, he made allowances FOR this ami
| able weakness on me part of his lady
| fair" and yielded with a good grace 20
| hcr pretty tyrannieS
But day came when the Fatcs were
| adverse-I never heard the full facts Of
the case, but, as we'll as / could make
out, Godstone had called at Kensington
! on his way to the hospital, where he was
TO perform an important operation, and
his hancee, who had two or three girl
friends spending the day with her, asked
| him TO accompany them somewhere In the
afternoon.
Godstone pleaded his duties. the maiden
persisted, he explained, she insisted he
reluctantly refused her command, and f.
nally the naughty damsel said, eff you go
away now you can stay away forever"
or words to that effect, and Godstone left
the house a broken-hearted man.
The ruin of all his hopes. that's the
usual way Of putting 1t, I believe, mace
the poor fellow feel so Ill that on his
way into town he had to stop two or
three times and absorb little whisky 10
revive his tagging spirits, so that what
With one thing and what with another,
by the time he reached the hospital ne
was in tolerably confused condition.
However. he made his way to the the
alter, and in due course performed his op-
GRAFTON, l forget now what Il was, with
all his usual skill and delicacy.
All might have gone well but for one Of
those accidents which AFFECT alike the fate
OF men and nations.
A well-known man, who was expected
that afternoon TO operate on a poor fellow
who was doomed to have an eye extract
ed. missed his train and telegraphed to
Godstone, asking him to attend to the Job
for him.
OF course he consented, and when his
turn came the patient was brought In and
placed in position, and after a few re-
marks concerning the nature Of the dis
ease and the necessity OF removing the
Ieye. he was placed under ether.
Without mounts delay Godstone set
to work, one twist of the wrist and the
could say Jack Robinson" the opera
ton was over.
Godstone was Just walking away in q
dazed, dreamy fashion from the table
when one of the other surgeons uttered
a loud exclamation.
"Eh. what?'' said Godstone, stopping
short.
You have extracted the wrong eye."
cried the other, land the man will be
blind for life.''
Though it was true, It was a brutal
thing to say, but he had always been jeai-
Gus OF Godstone's success, and now he
had his chance, / suppose he thought he
would make the most of IL.
I shall never forget Godstone's express
sion. If live for hundred years. Such
a mingling of grief, horror, pain. and de-
spair is impossible to describe.
Just then the patient regained conscious
ness from the ether, and his lamentations
on discovering what had been done form
ed the last straw for the camel's back,
and without word Godstone walked out
of the theater.
went round to meet him. and when he
saw me he said: You are Just the man
I want, Sam You know Miss Townsend.
I believer"
She was the girl he was engaged to
be married %. SO I nodded. and be. con-
tinued: "a 4, 49, 81
IT want you to. go to- her at once and
give her this photo. which. Ike 3 fool.
I have always carried next mysheart TEE
her that her capricious .behaviot haa been
the cause Of all this misery. and say good
by to her for me. Goat once. and lose
no time" 81 q q. Ssss.,tgsssS..
1 started on. but fadF NOT taken half
dozen steps when.I heard the, sound OF
a pistol shot: -rsishedE back. bat II was l
too late: Godstone had shot himself !
Z brourh tho tampIe Ally Sloner