The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-07-21

D
paused beside me.
Porter sick?" he inquired, taking in
with a professional eye the porter's
horror-struck face, my own excite
ment and the slightly gaping curtains
OF lower ten. He reached for the
darky's pulse and pulled out an old
fashioned gold watch.
Hin! Only fifty! What's the mat
ter? Had a shock?" he asked
shrewdly.
YES" | answered for the porter.
We've both had one. II you are a
doctor, I wish you would look at the
man in the berth across, lower ten.
I'm afraid it's too late, but I'm not ex.
perienced in such matters"
Together we opened the curtains.
and the doctor, bending down. gave a
comprehensive glance that took in the
rolling head, the relaxed Jaw, the ugly
stain on the sheet The examination
needed only a moment Death was
written in the clear white of the nos.
trils, the colorless lips, the smooth
ing away Of the sinister lines of the
night before. With it's new dignity
the face was not unhandsome: the
gray hair was still plentiful, the feat
ures strong and well cut.
The doctor Strengthened himself and
turned to me Dead for some time.
he said, running professional finger
over the stains. These are dry and
darkened, you see, and rigor morris
is well established A friend OF
yours?"
Il don't know him at ALL" replied.
Never saw him but once before"
Then you don't know If he is trav-
cling slone?"
NO, he was not-that is, 1 don't
know anything about him. I correct
ed myself. 1t was my first blunder;
the doctor glanced up at me quickly
and then turned his attention again to
the body. Like flash there had come
to me the vision of the woman with
the bronze hair and the tragic face,
whom I had surprised in the Yesti-
bule between the cars. somewhere in
the small hours of the morning. I had
acted on my first impuIse-the mascu-
line one of shielding a woman.
The doctor had unfastened the coat
OF the striped paiamas and exposed
the dead mans chest On the left
side was a small punctured wound OF
Insignificant size
Very neatly done" the doctor said
with appreciation. Couldn't have
done 1t better myself. Right through
the intercostal space; no time even
to grunt"
Isn't the heart around there some
where?" l asked. The medical man
turned toward me and smiled au-
sterely.
That's where it belongs, Just under
that puncture, when it isn't gadding
around in a mans throat or his boots"
had a new respect for the doctor.
for any one indeed who could crack
even a feeble joke under such circum-
stances, or who could run an imper-
sOnal finger over that wound and
those stains Odd how a healthy, nor.
nal man holds the medical profession
in half contemptuous regard until he
gets sick. or an emergency like this
arises, and then turns meekly to the
man who knows the ms and outs of
his mortal tenement, takes his pills
or his patronage. ties to him like a
rudderless ship in a gale.
Suicide. is ii, doctor?" 1 asked.
He stood erect, after drawing the
oed-clothing over the face. and. ia
king on his glasses, he wiped them
slowly.
NO. 1t is not suicide" he announced
decisively. 1T is murder"
. OF course, 1 had expected that, but
the word itself brought a SILVER. n
was just a bit dizzy. Curious faces
through the car were turned toward
US, and could hear the porter behind
me breathing audibly. 4 stout wom-
an in negligee came down the aisle
and querulously confronted the por-
ter. She wore a pink dressing jacket
and carried portions OF her clothing.
Porter" she began, in the voice of
the lady who had "dangled." is there
a rule Of this company that will al
low a woman to occupy the dressing
room for one hour and curl her hair
with an alcohol lamp while respect /
able people haven't a place where |
they can hook their"
She stopped suddenly and stared in /
to lower ten. Her shining pink cheeks /!
grew pasty, her jaw fell. I remember /
trying to think of something to say. /
and OF saying nothing at all Then 4.
she had buried her eyes in the non /
iescTipt garments that hung from her (
arm and tottered hack the way she /
had come. Slowly little knot of men
gathered around US, silent for the most /
part The doctor was making 4
search of the berth when the conduct.
" eItowed his way through. followed
by the inQuisitive man, who had evil
ieRtly summoned him. had lost
sight. for 8 time, of the girl in blue
DO it himselfY' the conductor
lueried after business-like glance at
he body.
NO, he didn't" the doctor assert.