Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-01-02

in the adjoining buildings.
"Old Kenesaw is dying"
The attending physician, summoned
hastily by the alarming symptoms, had
stopped but a moment to hand his
snow covered cap and ulster to the re
ceivlng nurse. A glance into the con-
torted, agcnized face of the venerable
patient, a touch Of the pulse, the brief
est study Of the paroxysms that were
but the surface Indications Of the ter
rible torture within, and the doctor
turned away with a look of utter de
spair and helplessness.
mo hope, doctor" The head nurse
had witnessed other death struggles,
and il is said that nurses become. inur-
ed to such scenes. But the girls inter
probation of the doctors manner left
her presenting a picture Of abject mis-
cry. 'Oh. dear, dear, to think that
kind Old Kenesaw must suffer sor'
Through her wet eres she looked at
the poor, wasted old body writhing and
twisting upon the cot. "Oh, doctor, If
you are quite sure he cannot recover,
is there no way-can't you make the
end less painfulT
DIR. Blank had turned away from the
scene and was looking vacantly out Of
the window. If he made no immediate
response to the nurses appeal, it was
because he was revolving the same per-
picking problem in his own mind. Al
though he had grown gray In the hos
pital service, DR.. Blank was for the
first time face to face with most vio-
lent ease Of angina pectoris, but he
recognized it as hopeless beyond all
human means.
What could be done to ease Old
Kenesaw In a losing struggle with
death? The battle could end but one
way, and it was tearing the very
heart from the victim and subjecting
him to the worst torture man can ex-
perIence.
Aside from the means Of the dying
man the little room was quiet. The few
seconds that the doctor stood there
ponderlng seemed an age to the nurses
and the internes, who first glanced In
sadness and terror at the patient, then
in appeal to the silent man at the win
dow. Presently the doctors dark,
hopeless countenance changed, and
hope was discerned in his quick COM
mand:
Send for Ainsley. Take my horse
and buggy and get him here quickly
as possible"
Then, as IN inferno hastened through
the hall to carry out these Instructions,
the sad news spread over the great
buildings, whispered by nurse to nurse,
by patient TO his neIghbor in the next
cot
"Old Kenesaw Is dyingw
Never was n man more truly loved
Many years before he had come to the
hospital Suffering from old age and the
ailments contracted in the southern
swamps during four years service in
the civil war. Broken In health, with
out home or relative, depending upon
his scanty pension to hold strong soul
md shattered body together, he drift
ed into the free clinic and asked for
treatment. AS mo. IA" he had first be-
come known to the nurses and in
ternes, but after he had related his
war experiences to them and had told
and retold with glistening eyes of his
greatest battle his title was changed
to Old Kenesaw Mountain and In time
to Old Kenesaw.
When Old Kenesaw enlisted with
the army Of patients, It was thought
he would eventually be relieved and
After two months of good
care the old warrior was again fairly
but he eyinced no desire
TO depart from the hospital, and, In
fact, no one wanted him to 20. He
had become n sort of general factotum,
and his services were regarded as
well worth his bed and board.
Old patients and new internes.
nurses, medical students, the entire
hospital star and even the visitors at
the institution came to know him IA
His slow, shuflilng step and
the CHEEKY click OF his cane on the
floors were 6s familiar as
The scheduled visits Of the nurses and
always as welcome. II not more so.
Old Kenesaw had access to every
nook and corner of the hospital. The
patients drew inspiration from his
kindly old face, and his stories OF
camp ana battle served as a tonic.
To the children In the hospital Ken
es9w was the incarnation OF all that
was good, kind and helpful. He was
their chum, their never failing friend.
IF~ would creep to the cots Of the lit
tie sufferers, chase away thoughts OF
pain and bring smiles to their wan
faces with his inexhaustible fund OF
stories.
Once when n child, scaling the dizzy
heights between life and death, had
crled for some goldenrod It was OF
record that Old Kenesaw had trudg-
ed eight miles to find a large bunch OF
the flaming yellow flowers and placed
them where the child could see them.
He lured the little patients to sleep
with his quaint old lullables when
nurHes' words and doctors opiates had
failed. Small wonder they all loved
Old Kenesaw, the friend, the COM
forter aud the confidant,
The shadow that had fallen over the
hospital when his fatal Illness was
announced was nOmentarily lifted.
There was unusual activity in the
halls. An attendant had driven DR..
Blanks horse to the entrance almost
at gallop. A tall man with coal black
hair and piercing black eyes jumped
out and hastened into the building A
nurse was waiting to show him to the
patients side.
Just outside the door of Old Kene'
saws room DR.. Blank met the new ar
rival, John Wilbcrt Ainsley, the cele-
bratcd hypnotlst. There was hasty
conversation In whispers, n brief his
tory OF the life OF the patient, and Pro-
fessor Ainslcy knew what was expect
ed Of him. 1--WE must hurry" said DR..
Blank, "and, for Gods sake, Ainsley,
don't fail"
The hypnotst nodded his head, and
the two men nOlselcssly entered tho
room. The great specialist recognized
In this supreme test Of his skill and
resolved that his brilliant record should
not suffer. lie stepped briskly to the
bedside and took the wrlnkled hand OF
the patient In his own. Then, without