The wageworker., 1910-05-27
II
Surgeons
Story
He Saw the First Part Of a Drama
and Was an Actor In the
Second Part.
By BEVERLY WORTHINGTON.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association
By BEVERLY woRTHINGrol
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.


not possess the talent necessary to
make an artist. Having fallen In love
with this delightful city. l remained.
hanging out my shingle as a surgeon.
One night l attended ball at the
Pitti palace. 1t was my first appear
ance among the aristocracy Of Flor
ence, and l was much interested in
watching the people there. few of
whom l had ever seen. A young girl
with a gentleman attendant on each
side Of her walked by me. The ap-
pearance Of the three told a story.
The man on her left was young, hand
some, in every way attractive. He on
her right was past middle age and
disagreeable looking as the other was
engaging. AS they passed me he gave
the younger man a malignant look.
The girl appeared to be much troubled.
1t was plain that her heart was with
the man on her left, that she was con-
strained to choose the man on her
right and that the two men hated each
other on her account.
Everywhere" l remarked to my
self. 1.-The stream of life is troubled.
To be rich. to be prominent. does not
render one immune from that which is
disagreeable. Happy love has evident
ly come to this young girl. to be inter-
fered with by one who. judging from
her expression. has some claim upon
her. How l should like to know the
storyv
As l thought the last words little
n rr@{% -,
climax would come in the drama be-
ing enacted by these three persons
and that l would come upon the stage
for a, minor part. When l left the
palace / went directly to my rooms
and to bed. An hour later l was
awakened from sound sleep by
violent knocking. I arose. slipped on
gown and opened the door. Two
gentlemen in evening dress stepped
into the room.
"You are the American surgeon. l
believer said one.
eat your service" l replied.
"You are wanted to attend man
dangerously wounded" said the other.
"You are chosen partly on account OF
your standing in your profession. but
principally because you are not one of
our circle. We do not like our affairs
to be known. l must ask you to per-
NIT me to blindfold you"
/ objected to this. but one of the
men put his hand to his hip pocket and
drew forth a small pistol with mother
of-pearl mountings, while the other
produced a stiletto picked up my
I,11 80 o,,d
to tie handkerchief about my eyes.
They led me out to the sidewalk. told
me to raise my foot. and l stepped into
a carriage.
"Drive a roundabout way" ) heard
one of the gentlemen say.
''No." interposed the other. 'fRe may
bleed to death. We must go as quick
" as possible"
There was no need to make turns.
for I had no idea where they were
taking me. In what l supposed to be
ten minutes the carriage stopped. l
was helped out and soon by the tn
creased warmth of the air felt myself
to be in building. Then l mounted
steps. and at last rhe bandage was
taken of my eyes. I was standing
beside a bed on which lay-mfrabile
dictu-the young man i had seen walk
ing ON the left Of the girl at the Pfttf.
knew too well the danger OF show
fng any sign Of recognition
"Senore Dottori'- be said with fee
Bile voice. II have been stabbed on the
left sfde-here." uneowering. ut is near
the heart"
1t was near the heart. but had for
tunately just escaped that organ. After
an examination / assured the patient
that If he kept perfectly quiet till the
wound should heal he would recover
But ] thought that. considering it's
close proximity to vital organ. sur
geon should remain with him until a
healing should be established.
"Then." said one of the men who had
brought me. lyon must remain. We
do not care that two surgeons should
be introduced here just now
But my practice-my patients?"
IAN damages TO your practice shall
be literally paid for"
I made virtue of necessity and as
sented.
Meanwhile had bandaged the cut
and when ! had finished turned and
looked about me- was in one Of
those old palaces as they are called
in Florence. belonging to some infiu-
entail family. The furniture. at least
some Of it. must have been several
hundred years old. The bed on which
the wounded man lay was canopied.
On the walls were paintings. some of
which l recognized as masterpieces of
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
There was no one in the room except
the two men who brought me and the
patient directed that a large lounge
Of antique pattern should be made
comfortable for me to sleep on. as it
would be best for me to be very near
the patient Then the men who had