Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26

Island Hospital sat in Swainley's room dis
crssing the eccentricities of Peterman. re-
terman was a thick-nosed. intense-eyeo
student in whom men saw much or nothing.
according to the point of view. He posses
ed little OF that sense of offhand comrade-
ship which counts for so much in govern
mental Institutions, yet his colleagues al
ways treated him with consideration In
certain expectant way. They were con-
stantly on the lookout for his latent slngu-
larlties. and they talked much Of him be-
hind his back.
He was always So" said Jameson. 81
knew him in college He used to sit on the
lowest bench at clinic. staring into the
den,onstrator's face in that cocksure way
of his. He fairly queered the junior in
structors.'
"Peterman has the faculty of getting
himself talked about, at any rate, said
Renley. why. some of those ethical Is
sues he brought up in the medical Journals
caused more talk than cholera scare.
He has a new fad now" said SWallliey'
who once had roomed with Peterman.
What is it?' asked Baxter.
Idiots. Talks of ameliorating their con-
dition. and all that sort of thing. o,,
How can you amellorate an idiot!
II know of one way that would benefit
science, Oul l. dlll INC
stand for IT.. Now, in Berlin
Good heavens. man. exclaimed Jameson
with a Mortified stare. You do not reaiiy
mean" .r,,
the idiots couldn't be worse off IMAM theg
are now. / notice you don't seem VlVluIy
glad TO have your attendance week coilo
around especially when there Is qIa In In
tine on That time Central Park ana Ed
Gle Apple had scarlet fever ana you
thought you had it and we bundled you OH
together in a tent-you got enough OF iuiolS'
for awhile. l guess.
COURTEOUS idea of the superintendent of
charity naming them for the places where
they are found observed Renley
"Oh, WELL" said Baxter who was gazing
through the window at the twinklns nghts
of a sound steamer coming out of Hell Gate.
'It sometimes leads to identificato when
the sponsors want TO identify. But let
change the subject Hanged II 1t doesn
sfcken me. l hate the thought of the cursed
old shed. When L first came here L used TO
tie up my bell In rags regularly every
night SO they couldn't summon me over to
the"
He was interrupted by knock on the
door and stopped talking as it opened and
man entered. He was one of the outside
night watchmen.
the rest. was anything the matther wi
Docther Peterman, l dunno?'
Not that l know of, Patrick. Why?
We'll. sor, before he left the institooshun
little while ago, he
What's that? Has Peterman gone away.
When did he go?"
About an hour ago. He whit on the
steamer.
Why, the steamer doesn't run al night!
well yes l know, but this special
ordher he had from the charities depart
ment. 1t seems. sor. there was some of
the idtlts wanted at the Goth street dock
He took them away with him
What 1t came like a yell as the men
In the room bounded 70 their feet. The
Waterman. startled. stepped backward two
or three PAGES.
claimed Swainley. Great heavens! What
for?"
Il dunno" replied the Waterman, uneasily.
But it was quite regular, sor He said IL
wasn't necessary to report ii to the cap
tain OF the foOrce. and he gave me let
ther-thats why l come-which he told me
10 give 10 you in the mOrnin'."
Why, good God. man, why didn't you
give il to me at once?" He snatched it
from the watchman's hand, tore 1t open and
read aloud
Dear DR.. Swainley:
I'VE have talked many times Of the
necessity for ameliorating the condition of
the idiot that you Will understand me per
fectly when l say an opportunity Tor carry
ing out one of my projects has unexpected
" arrived. l have succeeded In conveying
the greater portion of our patients to the
steamboat and by the time you get this they
will be disposed of In what L think is the
OILY rational way. PROBABLY 1 Slldll
escape the consequences of the deed, so you
will not hear from me again. You Will I'M
derstand-time Is very precious. 1 might
add that neither the pilot nor the engineer
anything of the plan. / sent one to the city
on an errand for NE; the other had already
asked leave TO go to town and was away
Farewell. In the cause of humanity
HERMAN PETERMAN.'
A tumble of EXPLANATIONS and whistling
broke forth from the group. Swainley was
the most agitated.
land to implicate me in the business in this
dastardly wayi But must stop him."
and he dashed from the room. pursued
down the long stairs by the vc'ce of Jane
son. who called sweetiy as they all fol-
lowed:
II say. Swain. old man. Petey seems to
doesn't hep"
The idiot male" dormitory, known To-
cally as Pavilion F." doomed dark and sin
lister against the half light of the early
evening. 1t Is an oblong, superstructured
shed. with gallery piazzas extending around
Il at every floor. and outside stairways
leading up at the corners. The floors are
undivided. Privacy is not necessary to the
inmates. They would not appreciate ii. A
never-ending bench extends completely
around the walls of the ground floor room
beneath the high windows. Two rail-
way stoves, encircled by wire screen
stand near each end OF the room
are usually surrounded, almost con-
cealed, by a mass of swaying humanity,
but when Swalnley burst through the one
door of the room he found only few poor.
detected creatures. boys and men. sitting
on the benches and grouped about the
stoves. Not an attendant was IN sight. He
ran out again and over TO the neighboring
building 10 the female wards. and found
with relief the usual complement Of girls
IN the usual attitudes and conditions. The
women attendants were there. too. Evil
IDENTIFY Peterman had taken away only the
male patients
We'll" said Renley. as Swainley came
up. The got away with all but the sick and
helpless-took every one that could walk
alone"
But" said Jameson, how could he man.
age TO get sixty idiots all the way from f"
down to the wharf without being seen?'
"Aisy enough" volunteered the watch
man. They marched down the 'sunken
road II ladies' straight from F. between
the corn fields past the jail. It'd been q
mericle II they'd been Seen"
They went over 10 the superintendent
house. That gentleman smiled incredu-
sSOSSSSSSNSSO~
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