The evening Republican., 1902-08-02
THE SURGEONS
LOVE STORY.

hEI SllSi 3oIC III q Hl'duuOs az .sou
might say, like u soft filling; leaving
only an aching cavity where it had
once bool1ed. But If l did not love
Miss Baker | was interested IN Fer
as l n-ver had been in Il patient be.
fore, Interested professionally. You
do net know her? No, perhaps it is
better you should not. for your own
peace Of mind. Wait minute and |
will show you something
DR.. Tucker disappeared In tho
little workshop adjoining his operat'
ing room. and pt esent|y returned
with Triumphant smile and a set
Of false teeth.
81 want you to look at this he
SAID as he pushed me gently back in
the chair and again gagged me with
the rubber apron. "You see. Of
course, what it is, but. OF course.
only pvofes 'iolal man can fully ar-
preciate its beauty.
There they lie like gems in a
casket, thirty-two OF them. and
every one of them fawless. Now,
you will hardly believe ne, but |
must ask you to take my word for
it, when | say that these teeth,
made by the best artists Ia the
world, are not a bit finer, stronger,
more regular or better formed than
the glorious set with which nature
has endowed Miss Baker, and
when 1t Comes TO beauty. sIoss aud
what you would call expression,
bless you, they are nowhere beside
the the simple handiwork Of nature.
1t is marvellous what nature can do
when she sets about it. Well, YOU
may guess what joy it was tonne
to be called upon once or twice 4
month 10 20 over these teeth Of Miss
Baker IS one by one, lingering Iona.
ly over each, watching anxlously
lest there might be the first sytnp-
toms OF decay, rejoicing when |
ever found ,hem sound aud brilliant
and spotIess as pearls. There was
time alter my second sad be-
reavemcnt, Il period OF ten days,
during which never once catered
my studio. When at last did re
turn found mole from Miss Baker
asking me to give her an appoint
ment as she did not like. she SAID.
TO go 10 stranger.
What di,l it mean! | asked my
self with beating heart. At least it
meant | was not IL stranger to her.
| was not foolish enough to misun-
derstand her request. 1t was strict
iy professional, yet | could not help
a wild hope that 4 time might come
whcn-and could wait. The world
was all before us and Miss Baker
wits in the prime of her youthful
beauty.
Il wrote appointing the following
Thur dav, tit was then Friday for
her visit. l had hope--but, alas not
the confidence to hasten the day
that should decide my fate for good
or i'll forever.
The day came and 50 dill she. |
had studied how lshould press my
suit delicately, eloQuently, but
frankly and openly, as had always
done in such cases.
But who cuu foresee even an
hour ahead: When Miss Baker came
at the appointed time 2.25 p N. her
beautiful face was muttird in a
handkerchief, what was visible be-
ing drawn with anguish.
I,,,tr,,n,l ~, ,t hi,t anvil cir
the question Of which my instincts
too truly anticipate the answer.
She had a toothacle. A brief OK
animation confirmed the terrible
announcement. 1t was the little
rift within the lutte, the INV il the
diamond. the eperk on the rips fruit
And yet, So strange IS the heart OF
man, ! almost rrjplcel to know that
even that peerless set was subject
TO mortal decay. 1t would hence
forth be my melancholy pleasure to
he its amt her colupaniun against
the insiliOus enemy, to guard the
pearly portals of her beauty against
the ravages Of decay.
ITO my unbounded surprise she
refused all my offers to save the
stricken tooth it was the second
mulur in the lower jaw, noble
specimen, barely touchel by the
frost of disease. | told her how
easy would be work, how almost
painless the process how fatal the
mistake of removing it. She was
intlexible, deaf to all prayers, al
most chlltllishly unnervel by the
pain which she had endured and
was enduring.
~ hate it, she said, for it hurts
me, and l want it pulled out at
once, do You understand. At once.
Take it out and burn it, J. never
want to see OF feel it again
This, Of course, was irrltiolal
and ridiculous, but when she tiuaIly
declared that If did not obey her
orders she would 60 to somebody who
would, | simply had to comply.
"She would take neither either
nor gas. She said she MAS not afraid
and that WAS cnpugl l then eX-
p!ained TO her the method OF delden-
euing the pain by the use OF cocaine
locally applied. She seemed pleased
with the idea, and prepared for
the painful duty with suc!i feelings
as IN artist might have If ordered
to destroy the picture which has cost
the work Of year, to paint. For
loved Miss Bakers teeth, everyone
Of them. perhaps more than l dil
myself.
"She sat in the chair where you
now sit, while arranged " it'll trem-
bling hands for the cruel sacri1lcc.
At last all was ready. But when the
came lslmply could not do
it. gazed at the doomed molar and
never before had | seen Il tooth which