The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1910-07-16

enough to pay for a in a garrett
and one or two cheap meals a day.
Surgery Why. there never was but
ono surgical ease In the town
zone day my old friend George Phil
Inns came through the town and looked
me M. We had been at the medical
school together and had a lot to talk
over George invited me to do the
talking In a restaurant. and we spent
a whole evening there eating and
/ drinking after 10 o'clock mostly
drinking. l was an abstemious young
man and couldn't stand the liquor ]
took In on that one occasion. George.
who was more used to it, took me to
mv room and left me while he ran to
catch a midnight train.
81 tried to get OF my clothes, but
couldn't. I remember taking on my
coat and trying to hang 1t on a bed
most when II came round TO me. for
everything in the room was circling
While / was vainly trying to find the
~shoestring Of my boot / heard a yio-
lent ring at the doorbell below, and
presently my landlady came up In a
wrapper and said something which
startled though II didn't sober me.
John Overaker. the only rich man In
the town. had been taken violently III
and I was waited Immediately.
Here was a terrible situation. My
first chance had come and | was hope
Iessly drunk. / caught at my coat
when 1t came round. managed to get II
on, accidentally jammed my hand
against my hat, got 1t on and stag
gered downstairs I succeeded In get
ting to the Overakers, rang the bell
and was admitted by the only member
Of his family. his daughter Ethel.
"'Oh. DOCTOR she said wildly. !
didn't hear what she said. | learned
II afterward. 4 fear It is apoplexy.
Mother died Of apoplexy. and / know
1t by the snoring. Father was brought
home by two friends, who put him In
his room and left him l sent for our
regular physician, bot be is out Of
town, so / sent for you
while she was giving me this In
formation I held on to the wall with
one hand and looked at her without
speaking. When she had finished she
led me upstairs. / knew enough to
get her out Of the room, and to do so
looked at her and put my hand on the
door. She understood and left me.
Overaker was snoring heavily. / sat
down in a chair to try to steady my
self, and-fell asleep. When / awoke
the patient was still snoring. l re-
member leaving the room and by a
careful hanging ON t the banister get
ting downstairs. / was met by Miss
Overaker.
"'Oh, doctor, Is there any hopper
81 nodded my head affirmatively and
pressed her hand without speaking.
She understood by this how deeply ]
felt and my sympathy for her.
"fYou will call very early in the
mornipgY
again l nodded aflrmatively and
went out into the street.
1.-The next morning | was In bed
grooming over a bad headache, a worse
conscience and the knowledge that /
had ruined my career at the start. ]
wondered II Overaker was dead. There
was n comfort-nothing can be done
In a case Of apoplexy. l had prom
ised to call early, SO I got up and by
a great effort dressed myself. I was
going downstairs when / saw In the
hall below, mirabile dictu. my patient.
He saw me coming and smiled at me.
When ! reached him he grasped my
hand warmly.
Thanks, my boy he said. You
didn't say a word. did you? My daugh-
ter is as innocent as a baby. If she
knew her father was drunk last night
she would die of modification. Give
me a man who can keep his tongue in
his head. My OWE doctor would have
botched the whole business. Here's a
check for your fee.'
"Now, If I had been sober I should
certainly have ruined my career by
telling the truth. AS 1t was, l became
John O%veraker's physician, married his
daughter and, backed by my father-in-
law, came here to go into surgery.
Don't think, my boy, that this story Is
to excuse my having been drunk; 1t Is
simply to show the power of luck.
Indeed. so impressed was l with the
fact that on another occasion drink
would ruin me that I never have
touched alcohol from tina day to this