The Delawarean., 1900-08-04
ON TEN MILE HILL
By Grace DufRe Boylan.

@@@@@@@.43ss.s,s /. 90 80 : . ,s.,9%.sys
A call from Ten Mile Hill is not re-
ceived with unmiXed delight by the
hedgeling doctors ut Charleston's ia
nous school of medicine oven today,
although the negro cabins. formerly as
close together as cells ola honeycomb,
have been thinned out under the direc-
tion of the police and health commits
sioners and the plague spot made less
dangerous to the city as a whole
But dozen years ago. after quar-
ter of Il century Of freedom. the black
settlement hung like an omnous cloud
over Charleston. The freedmen, with
their occupation gone, huddled togcth-
er, sullenly waiting for the promised
fruits of liberty to fall into their
hands. Any real or imagined infringe
ment of their rights or slight to their
dignity was bitterly resented and re-
venged. 1t was this fact which. caused
the students acting as dispensary ply
sicians to dread the night summons to
the place. But it is the rule that such
services be performed by the advanced
classes of the college. and be it said to
the honor of the school which sent out
to the world such men as DR.. Robert
Kinslock, DR. Marion Sims and DR..
Gaillard Thomas the young generation
has been as unfailing in its attendance
to duty as was the old.
DIR. Chester ran down the steps of
the laboratory and met a boy coming
up from the office.
"There's a hurry call to Ten Mile
Hill, sir" said the lad. zone of the
Lamsons has been hurt again"
"The Lamsons are the ones who
brought the complaint against the dis
pensary doctors for neglect, are they
not?" asked the young man a trine
anxiously.
Eyes, sir. And I'd look out if were
you. They may be trying to get even,
seeing you couldn't give them any sat
isfaction. ! wouldn't 30 into that den
at night for doctors diploma"
"Then l guess you will have to re-
main a telephone bog, my lad. Good
night to you'
The doctor walked rapidly after he
left the street car, but it was almost
midnight when lie entered the squalid
quarters known as Ten Mile Hill.
There was no distinguishing mark to
the cabins. but small boy sitting in
low doorway hailed him as he passed.
''Is yo' de doctah. sah?'
"Yes." The young man halted and
peered within rs this where the sick
man lives? Where is he"
"Dey all-he-says as yo' war to
come up yander.'
He pointed to the ladder stretching
to the loft. The trapdoor above it was
shut, and there was no sound. Dr.
Chester saw with sudden flash of in
tensified consciousness that the boy
crouched in the shadows and that his
eyes were rolling and his teeth chatter
ing as though in mortal terror Some
plot was on foot 70 iniure. maybe iN
the physician. and he realized it as he
stood there. He grasprd the boy hy
the shoulder and pointed to candle
sputtering dimly in the corner Of the
floor.
"Take that light and go ahead of
me-" he ordered.
"1-I"-the boy gasped piteously-'I
dass'n. Ise lame an KANT walk no.
how. Ise"-
He lifted him to his feet.
go on!' he said, and the boy obeyed
tremblingly, taking the candle in his
hand and ascending the rude steps
with the doctor behind him. At the
top he paused and looked back, whim-
pering.
"Open" called the physician, and in
second the door was slid back, and
revolver in the hand of burly negro
above was pressed against the fore
head of the black boy.
The arm of the young man struck out
like a catapult and sent the pistol
whirling as it was discharged The
negro, taken by surprise, slammed
down the trapdoor, and the boy tum-
bled to the floor unhurt. There was a
sound above of number of feet, but
the doctor did not wait to count them.
he was down the ladder, out of the
hut into the street and away toward
the college at full speed. Stealthy feet
followed him for awhile, but the sound
of their long leaps ceased as he reach
ed the lighted thoroughfare and he
was for the nonce perfectly willing to
go on alone, leaving his "sick" unmin-
istered to.
The authorities of Charleston made
some attempts at an investigation, but
beyond determining that the attempt
to murder the young doctor was made
from motives Of revenge against the
dispensary physicians for some fancied
neglect nothing was done. Dr. Chester
could not tell which cabin he had visit
ed, and no mark distinguished one
from another. Nor was there trem-
bling black boy waiting with his flick
ering candle to guide him when next
he tried to find 'the Lamsons" on Ten
Mile Hill.-Detroit News.
Room For Praise.