Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-09-28

Rulte IlSuI, SIT. Inc mouse sur
geon's voice was brisk and confident
The student wondered idly what had
made the usually calm Mr.. Menz es
break off in that sudden, irrelevant
manner, then his wonderings were for
gotten in the absorbing interest of the
operation.
The surgeon had turned quietly back
to his work, and, with steady fingers
that never faltered or wavered. was
going on with his task. But his soul
was in tumult; his brain was on fire.
The helpless man lying before him-the
man whose life lay in his hands-was
the friend who one short year before
had stolen from him his wife and his
happiness, the friend who had been
worse than an open enemy. Some long
forgotten words swung through his
brain as his fingers moved mechanical
ly in their work.
IF it had been an open enemy that
lad done me this diShonor, | could have
borne it. But it was even thou, mine
own familiar friend
Mine own familiar friendr A queer
look flashed into the gray eyes: he
raised them suddenly and glanced
again at the patients white face. 1t
was so very white that, except for the
taint breathing that was just audible,
you might have supposed that the one
lying upon the table was dead. Dead?
the word sprung into Mr.. Menzies
MIND, following quickly upon those
words, Mine own familiar friend"
Dead-well if the patient were dead
there would be one villain less in the
world; the wrong would have been re-
venged-if-if the patient who lay so
stlll and white were still forever in
death.
The surgeons eyes went back to their
work; his steady fingers never relaxed
their task; there was no outward sign
of the tumult within his soul, save
certain tightening of his lips.
"Dead!' The word surged to and fro
in his brain, until he could see it actual
ly dancing before his eyes. The man
whom he had cursed so bitterly-the
man who had vanished from his life
year ago-was helpess in his hands,
absolutely at his mercy, and, if the
knife slipped, ever so little, by the frac-
ton of a hairs breadth, the faint
breathing would cease-and-the life
that had ruined his ife's happiness
would go down into silence.
was so easy, too-so absurdly easy!
The operation was one of extreme
delicacy. If it failed, no one would
ever blame the surgeon, Few men be-
sides himself would even have under
taken it, still fewer would have been
able to carry it to a successful termna-
ton.
TO fail meant such tiny, tiny shift |
ing of the instrument he handled with
such skill and care. The most critical
moment of the whole operation was ap-
There was breathless 81 |
lence in the theater, and across it the
whisper of one student to another was
audible.
by Jove, he has got tough job
there"
Then the stiffness became almost tan
gible again as the steady fingers went
on with their work.
AS though it had been yesterday. in
stead of year ago, there rose before
Mr. MenZies' eyes IL sudden vision of
the last day on which he and the pa
tient had met. He saw his wife's draw
ing-room, flooded with the sunshine.
and his wife smiling up into his face,
with laughing eyes. The fragrance of
roses pervaded everything; she had
always loved roses; and vivid recol-
lection came to him of great roses upon
the tables. A mass of gorgeous red I
ones had caught the flashing sunlight |
and shone blood-red in its CLEANS. She
had had u big pink one at her belt; and !
she had held out to him dainty
bud. For your button
hole, dear" she had said softly
Beside her stood the man who now
lay unconscious under his hands. and |
their two laughing faces rose up and
him with their falsenesS.
Such little slip of the hand. so easily
and tie life of tne man be.
fore him would slip forever into s.4ence,
aud revenge was sweet
His lips tightened, his eyes grew
hard
Wrong? absurd" There was no
wrong in avenging your honor. Heav-
IN had thrown this man in his way, the !
was meant to be- 1t was
ridiculous to draw back now,
when the game was in his hands.
His lips had tightened till they looked
ike thin mand of STEEL his eyes were
for the moment devilish.
For what seemed to him like a CEN
tury, but what was in reality quarter
Of second, his hand stayed 1t work,
and the patients life hung in the bal
lnce. Then all at once the tense look
on his face relaxed his hand moved