Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-08-08
DR.. BALCOE'S PATIENT
B Y S z A G o A L .
A Romance Of Mystery.

We were sitting about Harry Blake's
hospitable board on his yacht Sea
Breeze one evening. Harry and the
doctor regaling us with their adven-
lures during the six months cruise
they had just ended. remark OF
Harry's suggesting that the doctor
should reveal the mystery OF The
Fair Northron Of the Golden Locks"
set us to clamoring for the story.
at smacks too much Of the Anthony
Hope story" laughed the doctor. Get
Harry TO spin YOU another yachting
yarn"
But we were not TO be denied. and
Harry Joined vigorously In the clamor.
The thing Harry refers to-" said
the doctor. seems to me remarkable
only because OF the singular way the
person most concerned starts up To
view at various periods of my life and
the curious way In which am brought
into passing relations with her pro-
fessionally.'
The story has its beginning some
years ago. just after l had received
that sheepskin that enabled me To
write NJ. l.. after my name. / had
been taken as an assistant In the office
by an established physician OF large
practice in Brooklyn living In Henry
street. One evening near midnight
! was sitting 10y the Office awaiting
the return OF the doctor from n late
call when the office night bell tangled
furiously. l went 10 the door to find
d foreigner of considerable distinction
..F
much agitated. InQuiring for the doc
tor. without waiting for an answer
20 his question he demanded that ]
should Immediately accompany him to
attend a patient. l made him under
stand that the doctor for whom he had
inquired was not In and that was the
doctors assistant
Are you n certified physicianY he
asked sharply.
Understanding by his term that he
asked II was qualified to practice,
answered that | was. and he demanded
that | should attend him at once
gathered up a medicine and instrument
case and. donning my coat, followed
him into the street, where | found a
carriage awaiting us. The driver was
demeanOr toward the one who so I'M
peratively summoned me. / took to be q
servant held open the door OF the
coach for us 10 enter and when he had
given a few words OF instruction TO
the driver climbed in after us. Our
way took us down Henry street at a
rapid pace. We had gone but n short
distance when the one who had called
me. prefacing his remarks with the as
surance that no harm would be done
me, demanded that i should submit to
be blindfolded- / protested vigorously,
declaring that l would leave them then
and there. Whatever else they were,
these gentlemen were prompt and Wig
OrouS, for before l was aware OF their
purpose I was seized, gagged and blind
folded. Having secured and rendered
me helpless, the first foreigner gravely
and temperately again assured me that
no harm would come to me and that,
having exercised my skill where re-
Quired. l should be returned home safe
ly, but Ii was essential to high inter
ests that / should not know whittier 1
was going. Notwithstanding | was not
little frightened. though not so much
that | did not realize that we were
driving down Henry street. crossing
Fulton and turning up TO the right
But here lost my bearings. though
know we again turned TO the left and.
as l thought. into Main street.
I'm time. however. the coach stopped,
| and | was led across IA narrow pave
ment into a house the odors OF which
did not salute my olfactory nerves
agreeably, up two pair of stairs and
into a room which. Notwithstanding /
was blindfolded, seemed to me to con
tain a number OF people. Here the gag
and blindfold were taken from me. my
cases put into my hands and my atten-
ton directed TO bed in the corner Of
the room. If | had been frightened
before, l was astounded now. Here In
this dingy. I'll savored. barely furnished
attic room were a number Of people.
ali foreigners, most OF whom, men and
women, were not alone fashionably
clad, but I'm most costly raiment. the
furs worn by each being worth a king 8
ransom. Those who were not so clad,
not more than three were quite the
reverse, even filthy. On the bed I'm the
corner lay n young woman AS richly
clad as the others, strikingly beautiful
In form and feature. her abundant
golden hair spread out OH the pillows.
nearly concealing their grlmy and
coarse texture. She was apparently
unconscious.
mot then an experienced physician,
! was confused, fairly stupefied, but In
obedience to the naughty gesture OF an