Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-12-03


ways present the image of Foster, with
his pale, cynical face and pitiless eyes.
With this was the perpetual remem-
brance that a subtle malady, beyond the
reach of our skill, was slowly eating away
his life. The man abhorred; but the
sufferer, mysteriously linked with the
memories which clung about my mother,
aroused my most urgent, instructive COM
passion. Only once before had watched
the conflict between disease and its REM
edy with SO intense an interest.
= 1t was day or two after a consulta-
tion that came accidentally upon the
little note book which / had kept in
Guernsey-a private note Sook, accessi-
BILE only to myself 1t was night; Jack,
as usual, was gone out, and was alone.
I turned over the leaves merely for list
less want of occupation. All at once l
came upon an entry, made in connection
with my mothers illness, which recalled
to me the discovery l believed l had
made of a remedy for her disease, had it
only been applied in its earlier stages.
1t had slipped out of my mind, but now
my memory leaped upon it with irresisti-
bit force.
l must tell the whole truth, however
terrible and humiliating 1t may be.
Whether 1 had been true or false to my
self up to that moment cannot say. l
had taken upon myself the care and, II
possible, the cure of this man, who was
my enemy, if had an enemy in the
world. His life and mine could not run
parallel without great grief and hurt to
me, and to one dearer than myself. Now,
that better chance was thrust upon me
in his favor, l shrank from seizing it with
unutterable reluctance. l turned heart
sick at the thought of it.
Yes, wished him to die. Conscience
flashed the answer across the inner
depths of my soul, as glare of lightning
over the sharp crags and cruel waves of
our island in midnight storm. 1 saw
with terrible distinctness that there had
been lurking within sure sense of satis-
faction in the certainty that he must die.
l took up my note book, and went away
to my room, lest Jack should come in sud-
denly and read my secret on my face.
thrust the book into drawer in my
desk, and locked it away, out of my
sight.
1t seemed cruel that this power should
come to me from my mothers death. II
she were living STILL; or if she had died
from any other cause, the discovery Of
this remedy would never have been made
by me. And I was to take it as a sort
Of miraculous gift, purchased by her
| pangs, and bestow it upon the only man
hated. For I hated him; I said SO to
myself.
But it could not rest at that. fought
battle with myself all through the quiet
night, motionless and in silence, lest Jack
should become aware that | was not
sleeping. How should 1 ever face him,
| or grasp his hearty hand again, with such
a secret weight upon my soul? Yet how
could resolve to save Foster at the cost
of booming Olivia to a lifelong bondage
should he discover where she was, or to
lifelong poverty should she remain con-
cealed? IF I were only sure that she
was alive! 1t was for her sake merely
that hesitated.
The morning dawned before could de-
eide. The decision, when made, brought
no feeling of relief or triumph to me.
| As soon as it was probable that DR..
Senior could see me, was at his house
at Fulhan; and in rapid, almost incoher-
| ent words laid what I believed to be my
! important discovery before him. HAsat
thinking for some time, running over in
| his own mind such cases as had come
under his own observation. After a
| while a gleam of pleasure passed over
I his face, and his eyes frightened as he
looked at me.
II congratulate you, Martin" he said,
"though wish Jack had hit upon this
believe it will prove a real benefit to
our science. Let me turn it over a little
/ longer, and consult some of my col
leagues about it. But / think you are
1 right. You are about to try it on poor
Foster?"
'sYes," answered, with chilly sensa.
tion in my veins.
st can do him no harm,'' he said, .'afld
in my opinion it will prolong his life te
/ old age, if he is careful of himself. ]
/ will write paper on the subject for the
Lancet, If you will allow me-
/ with all my heart" I said sadly.
The old physician regarded me for a
| minute with his keen eyes, which had
looked through the window of disease
into many human soul. shrank from
the scrutiny, but I need not have done
so. He grasped my hand firmly and
| closely.
"God bless you. Martini p he said, "God
| bless your'
I went straight from Fulham to Bell
ringer street. A healthy impulse to full.
/ fill all my duty, however difficult, was in
! its first fervid moment of action. New
| erthelessl there was a subtle hope within
me founded upon one chance that was
| left-it was just possible that Foster
might refuse to be made the subject OF
an experiment; for an experiment it was
sat down beside him, and told him
/ what / believed to be his chance of life
not concealing from him that proposed
to try, If he gave his consent, mode OF
i treatment which bad never been practic.
ed before. His eye, keen and sharp as
that of a lynx, seemed to read my
/ thoughts as DR.. Seniors had done.
Martin Dobree," he said, in voice sc
different from his ordinary caustic tone
i that it almost startled me, 81 can trus
/ you. put myself with implicit conf
dence into your hands"
4 The last chanee-dare say the las,
! hope?--was gone. stood pledged on my
honor as physician, to employ this dis
coyery, which had been laid open to me
by my mothers fatal illness, for the ben
i eft of the man whose life was mos
harmful to Olivia and myself. fell
suffoeated, stifed. opened the win
dow for minute or two, and leaned
through it to catch the fresh breath Of
the outer air.
Il must tell you" I said, when drew
my head in again, shat you must no
expect to regain your health and strength
so completely as to be able to return t
your old dissipations. But if you are