The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-17
As Death Drew Near
Phil Mays Winter Annual.

Phil Mays Winter Annual
| well, DOCTOR" said the man on the
couch, what is the verdict7'
''Frankly?"
| Frankly, I've strong nerves, Dale, as
you know of old; L can bear it, whatever
! it is. Is 1.-THE Beyond?"
Why, no, Inderwick I trust not; 1
| trust not. But Sir James agrees with me
that only an operation on the brain can
! save your reason, perhaps your life"
And you doubt If it will do either?
Come, Dale, old fellow, be honest with
me. We've known each other since we
were boys, and you never knew me TO
! funk the risk. whatever it was"
MY dear Gilbert, the fact Is 1 don't
think there is more than about one
chance In thousand that you'll pull
through. MACPHERSON says the odds are
a great deal more in your favor; but you
| know what Sir James is. You are
case to him, and though 1 don't doubt
| that he honestly thinks he believes what
| he says I've stiM less doubt that the op-
| portunity Of performing such an opera
| ton gives an unconscious bias to his
| Judgment"
| 81 see," said Capt. Inderwfck; This
| optimism is bred Of the opportunity Of
| demonstrating his skill. Well, suppose
we abandon the operation; what then?'
Dr. Dale was silent.
Dale, do you want me to still further
| imperil my already threatened existence
by throwing the sofa pillow at your
Gilbert, old chap" said Dale, 1.-The
| one circumstance in your case about
which there is no doubt whatever is that
| il the tumor is not removed nothing on
| earth can possibly save your reason
And if it is removed have about one
chance in a thousand of surviving it?'
yes. may be wrong and Mac may
| be right; but you asked me for my frank
| and honest opinion, and I've given It,"
Thanks, old man. That's what I
wanted. It's rather hard lines, perhaps,
but'--and he held out his hand, which
the other man grasped a.Tectonately,
and they both lapsed into silence
Hard lines? Yes How old was he?
thirty three-thirty-four Well, say be-
tween the two
Invalided home from the war before 1t
had We'll begun, by reason of this con-
founded tumor, or whatever it was,
which had suddenly manifested itself in
his brain; cheated out of the glory he
might have won during the campaign.
and cheated, too, perhaps, out of the
great joy of his life, his union with Mar
garet Orme, which if all went well was
to have taken place in the early summer,
or at any rate, as soon as possible after
the trouble in South Africa was over
And now? What highwaymen these
doctors were: 'fYour reason Or your
Iife!'
And there was one chance in a thou
sand that he would recover; none what
ever that he would retain his sanity I'M
less he took that greater risk
He had lost his reason once already,
and although the sea voyage had helped
him back to mental health again he
knew well enough that this respite would
not last.
Better be dead than mad-what? Much
! better; much better. Margaret would
sorrow over him dead; mad, he would be
a haunting nightmare to her. a constant,
CHASTITY grief.
Better, much better dead Perhaps, in
the Beyond-who could tell? He might
see her, watch over her, wait for her.
All, we'll!
when can it be done, Dale2" he said
suddenly.
"You have decided, then, Gilbert?"
"Oh, yes; there's nothing else for it.,
of course
ct could be done on Friday. but you
would have to come up to the hospital
for it,
':Well, old chap, arrange it for me, VIII
you? In the meantime I'll put my af-
fairs in order in case that one small
change of mine does not come off"
Capt. Inderwick had not said more than
the truth when he reminded his old
friend DR.. Dale that he had strong
nerves.
When he arrived at the hospital he