Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-06-05
Deliver Us From Evil.

III MT. MtnAlco VPSi
famed. Pending the arrival OF the pa
tient from the anaesthetic room on the
othAr side of the passage, the great
/ surgeon stood washing his hands anu
talking to his dressers.
An enthusiast himself, he always In
Y suired his subordlnates with enthusl-
4 aem, and his daring success as an op-
4 orator made him the envy and admlra-
I tion Of all his juniors.
His fine but stern face relaxed into a
4 smile over the naive remarks OF one OF
the students, and a little laugh even
( broke from his lips. 1t was unusual
for Mr.. Menzies to laugh; he was
known as a grave, silent man, and the
lines OF his face were severe, though
there was great kindness in his
keen. gray eyes, and his rare smile was
particularly charming. The world IN
which he moved knew well enough
what It was that had carved the stern
ness into what had been so pleasant
and bright q face, knew what had
caused the look In bis eyes which never
/ wholly left them.
The world had been loud In Its com
miseration, year before, when Mr.
Menzies' wife had left him and their
three-year-old daughter for another
man, who had been the great surgeons
friend. Equally loud In Its expressed
sympathy but the surgeon had MADE
MI such expression an imposslbility'
TO no living soul had he ever spoken
II the blow which had ruined his hap
plness, and no living soul had even
ventured to touch upon the subject to
him.
He faced life sternly now, instead OF
smiling as before, that was all; and he
dung himself, heart and mind, Into his
profession giving apparently no
thought to anything beyond 1t, except
o his small daughter.
The child went with him everywhere,
| and was even now sitting In the car
\ rage, In the hospital court yard, grave
II and lntently scanning the people
Who passed to and fro In the full sun
shine.
There was a sudden hushing Of the
A Ausy talk in the operating theatre, as
4 NE patient was wheeled in and lifted
/ upon the table, and the surgeon moved
forward.
Patient quite ready, sir" said the
house surgeon, respectfully,
The surgeon did not even glance AZ
I fhe face Of the man upon the table, but
proceeded to examine the seat OF the
Injury, asking a few terse questions as
h ne did so.
N Game in early this morning, you
n sMy?"
n Eyes, sir, only just conscious enough
n 10 tell us he was run over
Poor fellow Well, 1t is quite obvl-
4 Gus what must be done. It Is case OF
|! life or death. The only change OF saw
n Ing him Is to operate at once
A The clear decided voice could I've
heard all over the theatre, the strong
steady hands were watched eagerly
h from every corner as they began their
Il work with no hesitation, with no I'M
L certainty of touch.
/ For a quarter of an hour Mr. Men2les
II worked on in silence, broken only by
/ an occasional short word To the dresser
beside him.
AS usual, he was absorbed in the
task before him, every other thought
for the moment RELOCATED to the back
Of his mind Outside, in the court
yard his little daughter sat In the car
riage, watching the pigeons struttlne
to and fro in the sunshine, and The
people who passed in and out OF thu
treat doors, watched over herself by
the coachman, who adored every hail
Of the curly head, and worshlpped TN
ground that was walked upon by he
tiny feet. There was nothing TIN
small girl enjoyed more than cominl
to the hospital ITO wait for father.
II gave her a delightful sensation 0
being grown up, added to the deligh
Of the long drive sitting beside father
and holding his hand and chatting t
him upon the many and varied Incl
dents on the route.
She glanced up at the windows an
wondered where father was just tina
very minute, and whether he woul
come soon. Then she turned her eye
back again to the pigeons In the sun
shine, strutting boldly up and dow
underneath the feet Of the passers-b!
Upstairs, in the theatre, there wa
breathless silence.
The most critical moment OF the OF
Grafton had been reached when tn
surgeon paused for a moment to glant
TN the table at the face Of the patien
and to ask a question Of the house SUI
geon.
But the question was only half u
tered, his words broke of suddenl
and student, more observant than h
fellows, noticed what curious gra
ness overspread his face.
Something gone wrong over the al
aesthetic" the thought flashed throul
thss students brain, but even as the fla
Of thought came. he saw DR.. Menzi
pull himself together with strane
jerky movement, and heard him "a
quietly:
"patient all right. LettesdaleY'
"Quite right, sir" The house su
seon's voice was brisk and con1der
Tho student wondered idly what h
made the usually calm Mr.. Menzi
break of In that sudden, irreleva
manner, then his wonderings were 70
gDtten in the absorbing interest OF I
opsration.
The surgeon had turned quietly b.
y liz work, and with steady fnge
thnt aevsr faltered Or wayered, va
IL on with Ais task. But his y
NJ IN Z tunult; bic brain was on Il
TIA helpleD nan lying before him
4 II