Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-08-22

pito zone me this 0tShOnOE, could have
borne it. But 1t was even thou, mine
own familiar friend"
Mine own familiar friendp' A queer
look flashed into the gray eyes: he
raised them suddenly and glanced
again at the patients white face. 1t
was 30 very white that. except for the
faint breathing that was just audible.
you might have supposed that the one
lying upon the table was dead Deadl
the word sprung into Mr.. Aensies'
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 %
sttll 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.
"Deadw The word surged to and fro
in his brain, until he could see 1t actual
ly dancing. before his eyes. The man
whom he had cursed so bitterly-the
man who had vanished from his life q
year ago-was helpess in his hands.
absolutely at his mercy. and, II the
knife slipped, ever 30 little, by the frac-
ton of a hairs breadth, the faint
breathing would cease-and-the life
that had ruined his life's happiness
would go down into silence.
l was SO easy, tOo-sO absurdly easy!
The operation was one Of extreme
delicscy. II 1t 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 1t to a successful termina-
tlon.
To fail meant such a tiny, tiny shift
ing Of the instrument he handled with
such skill and care. The most critical
moment of the whole operation was ap-
preaching. There was a breathless 81
lence in the theater, and across 1t the
whisper Of one student to another was
distinctly audible.
by Jove, he has got a tough job
therev
Then the stiffness became almost tan
glble again as the steady fingers went
on with their work.
As though it had been yesterday, in
stead Of a year ago, there rose before
Mr.. Menzies' eyes a 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
lection came to him Of great roses upon
the tables A mass of gorgeous red
ones had caught the flashing sunlight
and shone blood red in its CLEANS. She
had had big pink one Mt her belt; and
she had held out to him a dainty
orange -colored 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
Knocked him with their falseness.
Such little slip Of the hand, SO easily
compassed, ald the life Of the man be-
fore him would slip forever into silence.
and revenge was sweet.
His lips frightened. his eyes grew
hard.
Wrong? absurdv There was no
wrong In avenging your honor. Heav-
en- had thrown this man In his way, the
vengeance was meant to be. 1t was
childish. ridiculous. to draw back now.
when the game was In his hands.
His lips had frightened till they looked
like a thin mand Of steel, his eyes were
for the moment devillsh.
For what seemed to him like q cen.
tury, but what was in reality q quarter
Of a second. his hand stayed 1t work
and the patients life hung In the bal.
ance. Then all at once the tense look
on his face relaxed, his hand moved
ON steadily. firmly, surely and only that
again one student more observant thar
the rest, noticed that he was white te
the very lips.
Strain too much for him." was the
thought In the young mans mind; nc
wonder he feels bad; that was a nasty
moment, q slip Of a hairs breadth, and
l,ood-by to the patient"
Never saw anything like it," an
other student murmured; 1.-The finest
bit of operating anybody could wisf
to see. That fellow ought to be CRATE
full to Menzies."
Perhaps there was little surprise II
the minds Of all those In the theatel
that day, that Mr.. Menzies did not i'm
prove the occasion by a lecture upor
the case. Indeed he uttered no syllable
during the remainder Of the operation
and never once again did he raise hi
eyes to the face Of the patient.
"Get Mr. Stiles to see the case now,
he said briefly: IL shall not be abl'
to come down tomorrow"
Outside, in the June sunshine, hi!
little daughter awaited him as he cam'
down the hospital steps. and as h'
stepped into his carriage she slipped
her hand into his.
"Are you tired, daddy dear" sh'
said; you are ever SO white"
Very tired, my darling" he said
+, mechanically, and his voice shook.
And you're cold" the child went on
Il felt you shiver. though the sun is al
hOt-as hot-!!'
Another shiver ran through the sur
geOn's frame.
Yes, think 1 am cold" he said
Perhaps"
He broke OF abruptly. II have-hat
! a hard Time" he finished after a pause
Poor daddy" the child whispered
Her soft hand held his more closely
and her little forehead puckered itsell
into anxious lines as she looked int
her fathers white face and tired eyes
Loving little soul! All the way homt
she wondered what could have made
her father SO terribly unlike himself
| that afternoon: all the eveninf