The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-25

Ito submit to the operation The whole
matter, however, rests with the Vienna
doctor"
Seeing that it was hopeless to reason
with him / changed the conversation, but
with feeling of pity for the deluded
lyoChg man.
| / met him again nine months later He
was sitting at table in front of the Cafe
ldc la Paix. Paris, and hailed me as l was
ipassing by. He rose to receive me
approached and offered his hand, which j
took with a hearty grasp; but no sooner
lhad l done so that / dropped it as 1 would
a poisonous snake. i was staggered. 1t
was his right hand. Yes, in place of the
lstump there was an arm-not an artificial
larm, but one of flesh and blood
/ stood gazing in utter establishment at
the restored member until the sound of
his voice brought me back to my senses.
Perhaps you are not aware" he said.
lfrcwning, that you are making a scene
in public place. A German officer re-
quires no extra attraction to make his
lpresence known in Paris. Pray, be seated
and compose yourself"
/ Heartily ashamed of my weakness,
stammered some sort of apology, and
sank confusedly into a chair.
II am enjoying glass of absinthe be-
fore dining" he said, slowly resuming his
own seat; will you JOIN me?'
1 asked for sherry cobbler. Then 1
,ncticed for the first time that there We're
Other changes besides that of the restored
ann. His face was pale and haggard,
and his eyes wore a look of uneasiness
anc distrust. In truth, he was so altered
that, We're IL not for the purple scar Which
had grown more conspicuous by contrast
with the pallor of his face, / might have
doubted that he was the same individual.
What did it all mean? L wondered. Could
lit be that the had any connection
with these changes?
You see / have captured the goose,
he presently began, with bitter smile;
but, all the same, you were right when
'yol said IL was fools errand. / was
: fool, and. God knows, have paid dear
ly for my folly. Look at me now and re-
member what 1 was nine months ago.
, The cause of IL all is this hellsh arm,
[ ,wh!ch-but / must restrain my feelings:
( have no one to blame for the rash act
4 but myself
! He seemed to reflect for a moment;
: then, locking nervously at his arm, and
1 Struggling his shoulders. went on: Il pre-
sumo you are anxious to know all about
{ lit? l had half determined not to tell you
for to me it is subject that is painful
l to dwell upon; but / have not forgotten
that fate, or whatever it was, early as
[ sigred to you a part in my young life's
[ drama and 1 suppose 1t is imperative that
! you should play that part to the end. You
2 remember, when we met for the first
{ time, that / was on my way to consult
e tiat eminent anatomist, Prof. Billroth Of
2 Vienna? Well, / paid my respects to that
gentleman, and stated the nature of my
e ,errand. His advice was delphic in its
n character, but / was able TO draw enough
= from IL to convince me that the operation
5 though extremely hazardous, would moi
/. necessarily be fatal. This fact alone was
: sufficiently encouraging to who wa:
t willing to grasp at straw; but it was
ivanity and egotism that fixed my deter
e 'm.nation, when the learned doctor re-
marked that the operation would be
l. great benefit TO science.
Il Il was young, ambitious and fond Of
q horrors. i had suffered frightful wounds
r had defed death for the sake of my
e country, and for these 1 had been recog.
It nized by my Emperor, and applauded by
e my countrymen. Here, / reasoned wa:
n an opportunity for fresh honors. Even Il
d the operation should be failure should
o not suffer in vain. / should be a here
r. once more, and receive the plaudits of
= scientific world. / determined to risk tn,
r. operation.
! The doctors. after hearing my report
= and with my hearty consent, began a
IS orce to prepare for the event of theiI
o lives But at the very outset they wer,
e met by difficulty which threatened fol-
j. a time TO defeat the object they had in
l. view. They were unable to procure z
: second subject for the operation. Mer
n who were willing to sacrifice a right arm
n Tor money, for glory. or for anything else
IS for that matter, were hard to find Thi.
IS delay greatly irritated the doctors On,
n ne ment they would rail at man for hi.
II jseihshness, and the next bemoan him fo
u his cowardice. And so it was when, on,
norning, DIR. Walter dashed into my
i room, and. very much agitated
" announced that he had at last pro
/ cd th.
l. Nan on the following morning. His nam.
l. was Frederick Snyder. He was tall
Is Wen made, and, perhaps. y years of age
IF Ills manner was refined. but | was in
~ istinctvely impressed with the notion tina
lie his face was the face of a scamp. Ras
r. cal, II seemed to me, was written in hi
i. lie, In his eyes, and about his mouth.
pt As there was no assurance that tn,
lie fellow might not reconsider his step an,
r. Withdraw, L thought 1t best not to della,
le the operation a moment longer and So
III at my suggestion, We started at once 70
inc military hospital at Metz where, sool
n after our arrival. / was made uncon
4 scious. and placed at the mercy of tn
~ %doctors. OF course. to me the operatio,
J. was complete blank. Having recovered
from the effects of the anaesthetic. / dis
id covered that l was lying on a comfortab l
cot in small room, and that the tw
n doctors were bending over me with an ex
y. preston of intense anxiety on their faces
l. rapid succession of shooting pains. al
tended by a drawing-down sensation 4
TX the region of my right shoulder. brough
Ia me fully to my senses. Then 1 remem
IT bered why / was there. Slightly elevat
s ing my head / observed that the stumr
m now throbbing and swelling as if
a would burst, was confined in splints an
~ ibandages, and that protiuding at the ex
iy tremity of these there was a ghastl
Sc hand and wrist. The corpse-like appear
IN ance of the appended flesh sickened m,
at and l turned away from the gruesom
~ sight with a shudder. The doctors SCENE
I'd to have anticipated this reyulsion {
Id into a sound, but refreshing slumber
at For nearly two months / was unde
tie the constant care of one or the other q
s. the two doctors, and when they wer
Of through with me i had this arm which.
IN he said, closing the hand and bending tn
10 elbow after the manner of one display
& linG his muscle, lis perfect arm-as per
v feet, l assure you, as its neighbor on tn
10 left"
l. Positively marvellous" / gasped 81
lie absolutely borders upon the miraculous,
81 Yes" he answered; but that is no
all. Now comes the strangest part of m