St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-06-23


negligee robe, that you were expect
ing me-
sstge doctor has said nothing to me
ABOUT a visitor at this hour of the
night"
.Ah! he wished to spare you, n
doubt, a disagreeable apprehensioa,"
he returned, advancing and taking q
seat on. the sofa opposite ne, where sori
few moments he sat and eyed ne from
head to foot With strange, glitteriBs
light in his eyes that mysteriousiy i'm
pressed me- sfYou have c. rema Tkab1y
fine physiqts, madam" he observed,
quietlys *Hor1a that might deceive ghe
eyes OF the most skilled and practiced
physician. Do you suffer much patn.?"
Ussslble 10 speak, shook Ray head.
terrible suspicion was creeping sover
me. was alone, miles away from aid
or rescue, with a madman~ 4
~tAh,' he continued, rs8e6tively,
~vogtf Husband may have mistaken a
tumor for a cancer. Allow me to feel
your pulse, he said, RISING and bend
/ i1Ygt6ver me-
/ thought it best to hunor him, re
| me1nbeJing it was unwise for a help
less. woman, to oppose theaas yet harm
less freak Of a 7unat1c. iHe took out his
reh, shook his head, graveiy, laid ay
hand down sentlF, and then went TO-
ward the study, where on the table was
AN open case of surgical instruments.
Involun tarily ] raised my head and
Irctieds spare me! oh. spare me, be-
sech you..'
MADAM hesaid,, steEnly, 'elasping
my wrist with his long, sinewy fingers
| with grip of steel, you behave Like a
fchil3. / have no time to FcarIey, for Z
| have received a letter from the 'emper-
| or of the French, stating that he issese-
sirous 'ef my attendance ImUst start
for Europe I'M 3nediately after perform
| ing the operats,El on your breast, - and,
| before I could make the slightest re-
sistagrce, he shad me in his arms, and
was carrying sule into the study, where
! was "a long surgical table, covered With
/ green baize. s0n this he lard me, and
/ holding me Gown with one hand, with
| the strengtfhof DaaEiac, he brought
4 foTTh>severaIfong leather straps, which
1 bore evidence of having recently been
| cut. with which he1secuTed me 10 the
1 table with the skill OF an expert. It
was but the work Of moznent 20 un-
i loose my 1Hobe ard ssaTe my bosom.
Then, after. carefully examining my
/ aefft breast. he said:
MADAM, your husband has made a
mistake. I find NO necessity ior my
intended operation"
At this I gave long-drawn sigh of
relief, and prepared to rise.
.But,,' TIE continued, 81 have 1nade-the
A discovery that {your heart IS as large as
that >of: an OK! I VIE renovei it, so that
/ YOU, ,canssee for yourself, reduce 1T. to its
natural size by curious process Of my
4 'oHvn unknown to medical SCIENCE anc
1 5f which am sole d5scoverer, then ve-
place 1t again"
He began to examine ffsa edgesofrth
/ sr1uel knife. on which I closed my eyes,
while every nerve z7as IN perceytible
| trempr.
Henov bent over zae, his long, white
| beard brushing my face. opened my
eyes Reseeching1y, trying TO think OF
SEINE way to save myself. '4Oh, sir,sgiye
me an anaesthetie. fasat may not feel
j the pain" I pleaded.
@sfntieed, indeed, madam, I would
the wife of a physEian-of a skil1ful
surgeon. I wish you It's note with what
ease I perform this difficult operation,
SO THAT you may ste71 your husband OF
4 the great sayant whose services he $se-
cured, fortunately III season.
Il rs he,said this he nlaa5e the final test
! Of The knife on his thumb. Flow pHe-
scriioas were the moments now! They
were 41eeting all too fast, and yet am
eternity seemed compressed in every
one. Tneyer tainted in my life, and Z
never TTeft less like sywoo1irg than now,
gas#T summoned all my presence OF mind
to delay the fearful raoneat, feraently
| praying in the meautiGre for my hus-
! bands return.
tDoe1or... said +. With assumed GoEi-
posure, .tsI have the utmost, confidence
| in your skiil; would not trust my life
| tc another; but, doctor, you have for
gottensf TO bring a napkin to s6anch the
| blood. If you will have the goodness
to ascend to nay sleeping chamber, at
the right OF the hall, you viii fiEd
! everything gon need for that purpose
in the bureau
"Ah. 41ladGrna,'' he said. shaking his
head sagacfeusly, Il never draw blood
during surgical operation: that is
another one If my secrets unknown to
the faculty
Then, placing his hand on my bosom,
he added, with horrible espieglerie:
''I'll scarcely mark that skin white-
than snow. and smooth as monumental
a1abaster..''
| 80 God.'' cried, as I felt the cold
steel 4teuch my breast; but with the
same breath came defiserance.
Quick as thouah& d, heavy WOODEN
piano-eever was thrown over the head
and person of the rlssdman, and bound
tightly around him. AS quickly was
I released, and the thongs that bound
me soon held the maniac. Ny husband
held me5in his arms He had noiseless-
" approached, and, taking in the hor-
rorof my situation at a glance, had, by
the only means at hand. secured the
madman, who was the very patient he
had been summoned to attend, but
who had escaped the vigilance of his
keeper soon after the departure of the
messenger, who had now returned
L. II IL