The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-07
TIE EVENING STORY
Thrane,s Emergency can.

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turned indifferently to the instrument.
Yes, this is DR.. Thrane. Automo-
bile accident? Call Dr. Gates. I am
very busy"
Thrane loved his profession and the
lie about being busy was his first act of
disloyalty. Although a young man of
thirty, he was considered the leading
surgeon, certainly the most successful
one, in the city.
| On this particular evening he was
not disposed to help humanity, for the
world had gone wrong and the bitter
ness of his first sorrow had made him
the beautiful Eileen Hunt three
months before, had made him SUI
premely happy. She seemed possessed
of the tact and democratic attitude
toward the masses that go to make a
successful and helpful wife for a pro-
fessional man. The quarrel had oc-
CURED two days before, yet he was
still ignorant of the cause.
They had gone to the country club
for dinner and he had thought to him
self at the table that the girl had been
blessed with every feminine attraction
of beauty and charm. And now within
two months of their wedding day, they
had quarreled. Over what? DR..
Thrane closed his eyes and for the
hundredth time tried to recall the ex-
act conversation.
They had been discussing love. The
topic was natural, for there had been
a full moon shining on the river before
the clubhouse and the soft strains of
the waltz from SalOme had reached
them from the ballroom
What was it he had said Some
thing about the moon making a man
say foolish things, he remembered
Then she had grown strangely quiet
and when he tried to penetrate her
silence and learn the cause, she had
told him that probably he had been
foolish when he proposed to her; it
was moonlight then, she reminded him
coolly. All his protestations to the
contrary proved vain and useless. He
had made the remark because he be-
lieved it to be a true statement and
she had fortunately been clever enough
and quick enough to see that he hoped
it would be taken as a personal init
nation of his attitude toward her.
Argument was plainly useless and in
great and overwhelming silence they
motored home at high speed, ignoring
the beauty of the night and the voice
less things that breathed of love
through the fragrant darkness.
Two days had passed slowly. He
was too proud to make advances when
he had been innocent of her charge
against him. He had proven his love
in every kno,.n way and he concluded
that she was evidently grasping at any
petty reason as an excuse for breaking
her engagement to him.
Again the telephone rang sharply
and DR. Thrane answered.
yes, this is DR.. Thrane.
Who wants me? The people
hurt in the automobile accident?
Who are they? 1 will
be there in five minutes"
Somebody at the Hunts had been
hurt. He summoned his sleepy chauf-
feur and was soon on the way a fear
GROWING in his earl that If irb O
Eileen. How would she receive him
Would she speak A dozen questions
presented themselves as he hurried on
to his patient. 1t was more than prob
able that er brother Bob had been in
jured.
He hurried up the steps and found
Mr.. Hunt holding open the door. His
worst fears we're confirmed when the
older man said. "Come in, Marshall.
Eileen was thrown from a car. She
tainted, but 1 think they have brought
her aroun
EILEEN wanted us to send for Dr.
Gates, but of course we didn't want to
take any chances, for We didn't know
telephoned for you, Marshall"
''This is time for personal feel
ing" said the young surgeon sternly
his heart aching at sight of the girls
white face and twitching hands. Some
hot water, please"
the girl.
All right, I'll make you comfort
able in few minutes" he assured her
as he dropped q tablet into tiny glass
of hot water. "Close your eyes" he
ordered as he sat down beside her and
pushed back the sleeve from her round
white arm.
1T will stay with her for a while,
Mrs. Hunt. Go and get some rest"
he told her mother when he had bound
RI Ill =
her forget her pain.
While Eileen slept Thrane idly pick
ed up a magazine on a table near him.
It fell open where a telegram had been
thrust in. The words on the yellow
slip seemed to leap into the mind of
the man against his will. It was ad-
dressed to Eileen Hunt. Expect to
sail for Japan the first Can you go
with me? Wire at once. Tom"
Thrane looked at the girl, then back
again at the telltale slip of paper. She
had precipitated their quarrel because
it was necessary to find some excuse
for breaking her engagement to him.
Who was Tom
At the same time that Eileen wax
ened. her mother came in thanking
Thrane profusely for allowing her a
few hours of sleep. The young sur
geon was merely professionally cour-
teous when he declared that it was
nothing more than he should have
done under the circumstances. He
hoped that his patient would rest we'll
and he would look in on her some time
during the day, he said. and picking
up his bag, without a word to the girl,
left the room.
His quiet acceptance of changed
conditions hurt the girls pride. She
had had a sufficient amount of time in
which to regret her folly and she was
ready for Thrane to pave a pleasant
way for her confession, but the young
surgeon came and went daily, coolly,
i'm personally professional.
It was late Sunday afternoon when
Thrane came in to see Eileen. It had |