Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-07-30
DAILY STORY
A DOCTORS STORY.

q mixture of light and shade though
I admit that the shade greatly pre-
dominates. He will announce to a
family that one of its loved members
is doomed, jump into his buggy and
drive to his next patient to find hap
Ply household getting a couvalescent
out of bed.
The greatest relief 1 have felt in my
professional duties has been in bring
ing n child safely into the world. The
strain over, the mother smiling, the IA
Their taking a "bracer," the nurse put
ting on the baby's first clothes-all
these are as delightful TO the physician
who has borne the responsibility as
TO any member of the family. / had
gone home one night from such
scene as this and, tired out, had
thrown myself on a lounge. 1 was
falling asleep when the clock struck
II, and at the same moment my night
bell rang violently. Rousing myself,
went to the door There stood man
white as a sheet and L noticed blood
on his coat sleeve.
You a surgeonT'
Yes; physician and surgeon"
Come with me, quick. My wife will
die before you can get there"
My man had not finished unha--
Messing my horse. and 1 directed him
10 put him back in the buggy. Then
l asked the stranger to get in and got
in myself. AS we drove off l asked,
rs 1t far:'
About six miles"
six mileSi Did you walk itP
'Yes-no. Whip up your horse. We
shall be too late
There was something uncanny about
this person and 1 began TO feel an in
stinctive dread of him. Though he was
sitting beside me l could neither hear
him breathe nor see any rising or fall
ing of his chest. But l attributed this
10 my own disturbed feelings, for 1 do
not know that could have heard the
one or seen the other. My horse
seemed as uneasy as L and SHE'D ut
every object beside the road. Con-
stantly urged to drive faster, was not
long in making the distance. and on
arrival at q massive dwelling standing
alone in large grounds / was ushered
into parlor. There on lounge lay Il
young woman. Beside her knelt man
about her own age, and another wom-
an who looked younger than the invalid
sat weeping at the foot of the lounge.
Removing an afghan with which the
invalid was covered l saw blood on the
clothing and soon discovered Il large
knife wound In the side. 1t was my
duty to tell those present that the wo-
mans life was ebbing out and that she
could live but few moments. All
made way for the man who had
brought me, and Quivering in every
nerve he leaned over her. l heard her
say, Il forgive you, darling" There
was n fainting, rattle in the throat
and the woman was dead.
l have no recollection of anything
further till in the gray of the morning
1 found myself sitting in my buggy.
my horse tied to n post before the gate
of the house 1 had been in. How |
came there 1 could not conjecture. The
house was closed and not a light was
TO be seen within. Then l noticed that
every shutter was closed and the house
had a dilapidated appearance. 1t was
hard for me to believe l had been in an
inhabited dwelling in which l had
passed through a death scene. My
nerves, or, rather, my brain, seemed top
ping. To pull myself together l en-
deavored to Danish that which was
now n confused picture by calling UP
its predecessor, in which the central
figure was Il newborn child. Again
laid the infant beside it's mother and
saw the heavenly smile with which she
greeted ii, while the father bent over
and gave both Il kiss. This gave me
time to recover, and l turned my at
tention again to the house before me.
AS q wind blew over it, ruStling the
leaves on the trees beside it, there was
a want of response which told me for
the first time that no one was within.
Where had that death group gone?
got out of the buggy and unhitched
my horse with a view to putting dis
lance between me and the grewsome
place as quickly as possible when 1
heard the sound of wheels, and pres
emily q milkman drove by. l hailed
him, and he pulled in his horse.
"Is that house occupiedT' asked.
mo, and it hasn't been in ten years"
singular 1 said musingly.
I'VE was talkin' about 1t last night
1t was jist ten years at midnight that
the Morrison murder took place there.
Mrs. Morrison was confidante in love
affair of her sister that was forbid
den by the girls parents. Her hus-
band didn't know nothin' about it, but
he got on to it and suspected the girls
lover was his wife's lover. The lovers
were married secretly, and Mrs. Nor
rison was harborin' 'em unknown to
Morrison. He came home student one
night and found the new husband
alone with his wife. He made lunge
at the man. Mrs. Morrison jumped
between 'em and got the stab, shoutin'
as she received 1t, He's Dolly's hus-
handr They got a doctor, and as he
came in the woman died. What's the
=. l.