The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-15
A LUCKY HUNT.

/ chair with q ride of fifty miles yet before
/ him, and nothing 10 occupy his attention
but his own thoughts, the runbling Of
| the wheels and an occasional note Of
warning from the engine. Thoughts came
/ fast at such times, and SO il was with
Ralph Holmes The events of the four
! years since he was thrown upon his own
resources passed him in review as 2
/ panorama.
! On the long. tedious runs he had often
! been absorbed in q reverie OF this sort.
/ but IN this instance there were new and
| Derplexing problems confronting him. He
| had always found much that was graft
| flying in one Of these quiet invoices OF his
! few successes in life, and. while he felt
| none the less pleasure on this occasion
| than on others, he found little in remin-
iscence to encourage him in certain of his
I desire.
1 In all of these communions with his own
| thoughts there was one central figure
and that dear, little woman, patient
and loving. her hair made silvery and
I her form bent by the seventy years of
worldly struggle. II was Ralph Holmes
mother, and well he remembered the night
of his graduation from high school when
she came tottering to the stage when the
exercises were over. threw her arms
about his neck and wept tears Of JOY. 1t
was a glad event for Ralph for he had
closed his school career with honors, but
| ii was of vastly more moment to the lit
| tie old woman who proudly embraced him.
for the JOY which the diploma brought
both of them represented years OF toll
and sacrifice on her part. Ralph was
sensible youth and not unmindful of the
aid his mother had given him, often at
the expense Of her own health and COM
fort. He, too, recalled on this night. as
often before, the assuring words he gave
his mother before leaving home somc
months after his graduation
You have given me a start, mommer."
he had said. that many a boy in better
circumstances nigh. be glad to have. and
] hope you'll live to see me prove that I
deserved a fair start"
Then. as the train sped on. Ralph re-
called his entrance to one of the great
medical schools Of the city and the diff
1culties he encountered during the first
year because of his limited means.
Though he had been forced to study from
the books of classmates and wait on the
table at restaurant for his own board
his letters TO the little mother at home
were always cheerful and full of hone
containing as little as possible Of the
darker side of his college life. Then dur
ing the summer vacation. he had by
rare stroke of good fortune, secured the
position of express messenger. RaIDh con-
n
happier day than when he made his first
run, for, if he could but hold the place
II would relieve him of the anxiety that
the expense of his medical education
education caused him.
But all this was in the past. This mar
tcular night found him a senior. and
within a few weeks of his graduation
me elimination of his own great effort.
In these closing DAYS of his college career
however y .av
sion Of him. He had felt call to arms
IN the fierce war which involves all the
medical schools at the close of the year
the relentless, uncompromising STRUGGLE
for hospitai interneships
True he was not counted among the son
lors Of his own school as a candidate for
hospital honors. This. he knew was not
because of poor class record. for in this
respect he stood well in the front ranks
but his duties outside Of school had 49,,
1t impossible for him to take the "o1Iizz
class the review Of the work of the
Whole school course. which occupies dur
ing the last year the major norton Of
the attention of those who expect to take
the competitive examinations for the in
terneships- This formality Ralph argued
with himself, need not prevent him from
entering the comnetttion when the time
came. He too. had done a great deal
of reviewing in a quiet wav and feIt
fairly well prepared for anv ordinary
questions which might arise in the course
OF the examinations. But Of "catch" o,las
uons he stood in awe. But who could
tell2 Some would get the places and
others would fail. He had made ali the
nreparation possible. considering his con
dition. and why not take chances with the
rest 1t might happen that he would be
among the lucky ones
n
press car door early the next morning and
went TO his gloomy quarters in the Pail
road hotel. it was with the determination
TO take the first hospital examination that /
came along. which would be on the fol- /
lowing Saturday and enc of the DAVIS that
he would be in the city.
Tired though he was, Ralph did not 90 |
TO bed a once. The new excitement kent /
him awake Sitting down at the table he !
picked up the first book that met his /
gaze Why he did it he did not know. bur |
IN DONG so he followed definite impulse /
"a MUNICH. as he was accustomed 70 /
say Running over its pages in an aim /
less sort Of way. and having no thought /
or studying any particular subject. he /
SUMMED, as II We're, upon a chapter /
hitherto unknown TO him ''Tumors Of /
the Adrenal Capsule" is read.
We'll. that's a new one on me" he I
murmured as he glanced casually over the /
pages lnasmuch as the subject had never 4
been assigned for study nor. to his |
knowledge. had any reference beer. made |
to It In class. he thought it might prove /
interesting reading.
1t must be a useless lot of stufY he
murmured again. as he started TO read. I
or we would have heard something /
about il Nothing else in particular to /
90, though, so guess III just glace over /
it, Might come handy some time"
When Saturday came and students from /
various schools gathered for the hoSpital /
examination. Ralph Holmes was among /
the number He dropped into one OF the
rear seats in a careless sort Of way. hut /
his presence caused no little comment {
among the members CT his own class. who
expected to sec him in the comuetit;on
least Of all others.
WHAT are you doing here2' inquired
"Oh. just happened in to see what's
going on, was Rslph's Indifferent rerf,-
But when he provided himself with papar
and made ready 70 write the others were
convinced that he was more than mere
looker-on.
Then came a breatfless silence as the
questions were being written upou tha
board. There was one on anatomy. then
q query in chemistry, another on ply
siology. then histology. mataria rnedica
and half dozen other branches OF med
lea isCience. Fourteen Questions had been
given and had been net with suppressed
Eroaus. smiles or whispers as easy or
pudding a. they found The various
CONTESTANTS prepared or wanting IN knoul-
edge. Through it ali Ral0h had main I
tained a counteuance as cold and express
sfouIess q S steel. He felt satisfied that -, /
fer he was able 70 thu test. but resolved