Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-04-10


 adverse chances had been wceled cnt, and weedrtl out to thc irreducihe min imam of risk
 His greatest risk, according to Raf .es lay nearest home. Bedridden in valid that he was supposed to he. his nightly terror was of running into TheOhaid's arms in the immediate neighbOrhood of tie flat. But Rallies had characteristic methods of minimiZ- ing even that danger. of which some thing anon. Meanwhile he recounted more than one of his nocturnal auvcn- lures, all. however, of a singularly in- noeent type. and one thing noticed while he talked His room was the first as you entered the fiat; the long inner wall divided the room not merely from the passage. but from the outer landing as well. Thus every step upon the bare stone stairs could be heard by Rallies where he lay, and he would ! never speak while one was ascending until it had passed his door. The aft ernoon brought more than one appli- cant for the post which it was my duty to tell them that had already obtained Between and I. however. 1 Rallies, suddenly looking at his watch. packed me off n hurry to the other end of London for my things. 'I'm afraid you must be furnishing. Bunny. It's fact that I eat very little, and that at odd hours. but 1 ought not to have forgotten you. Get <sI <1y ,fcS.1n hut n square meal if you can resist one. We've got to celebrate this day this aightr'
 "Tonight"' I cried
 "Tonight at II. and Kellner's the place. You may well open your eyes. but we didn't go there much if you r.- member, and the staff seems changed. Anyway we'll risk it for once. was in last night talking like sta ge Amer ican, and supports ordered for il sharp"
 You nade as sure of me us all tlfat.''
 There was no harm in ordering SUD- per. We shall have it in private room, but you may as well dress, if you've got the dutis.
 They're at nay only forgivng rela- tive's.''
 How much will get them out and i square you up and bring you back bag and baggage ill good time" 1 had to calculate
 "A tenner easily"
 Il had one ready for you. Here it ! is, and I wouldn't lose any time if I were you. On the way you might look i up Theobald. tell him you've got it and how long you'll be gone. and that can't be left alone all the time. And by love, yes. You get me a stall for the I.yceum at the nearest agent s- there are two or three in Hig.3 street. and say it was given you when you come in. That young man shall be out of the way tonight found our doctor in minute con- sulting room and his shirt sleeves. q tall tumbler at his elbow. At least caught sight of the tumbler on enter ing. Thereafter he stood in front of it, with a futility that had my sym pathy.
 50 you've got the billet" said Dr. Theobald. well, as l told you before, and as you have since probably discov- cred for yourself, you won't find it exactly a sinecure. My own part of the business is by no means that. 1n- deed, there are those who would throw up the case after the kind of treatment that you have seen for yourself. But professional considerations are not the only ones, and one cannot make too many allowances in such case"
 But what is the case:" I asked him. You said you would tell me if I was successful"
 l Dr. Theobalds shrug was worthy of 1 the profession he seemed destined to adorn; it was not incompatible with any construction which one chose to put upon it. Next moment he had stiffened. suppose I still spoke more or less like gentleman, yet. after all, I was only the male nurse. He seemed to remember this suddenly, and he took occasion to remind me of the fact "Ah," said he, that was before l knew you were altogether without eX- perience, and l must say that l was surprised even at Mir Maturin's engag- ing you after that. But it will depend upon yourself how long l allow him to persist in so curious an experiment. As for what is the matter with him, my good fellow, it is no use my giving you an answer which would be double Dutch to you. Moreover, l have still to test your discretionary powers. l may say, however, that that poor gen tleman presents at once the most com pleX and most troublesome case, which
 is responsibility enough without cer tain features which make it all but in supportable. Beyond this I must re- fuse to discuss my patient for the pres ent, but I shall certainly go up if can find time"
 He went up within five minutes. l found him there on my return at dusk. But he did not refuse my stall at the Lyceum. which Rallies would not al low me to use myself and presented to him offhand without my leave.