The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-08-19

he comes out alive in the hands OF
another surgeon, shall be very much
surprised"
Two hours later letter was placed
in Chesney's hand. It had been
brought by boy messenger, and ran
thus
Herbert has just come home, and
has told me everything He is furi-
GUS with you, and insists on going to
another man for the operation. | i'm
plore you to forgive him and to per-
form it after all He does not know
l am writing this. Wilfred, dear Will
fred, he has not been good to me. but
cannot forget that he is my hus-
band still 7 am too miserable to
write more-Your broken-hearted
| friend, Clare"
For one instant Chesney hesitated.
Then he took up telegraph form and
wrote these words
ITO Herbert Bassett, 27x, Park
Lane. Am willing to perform opera
ton in spite of what has happened, if
you will allow me.-Chesney."
The message was dispatched. An
hour later the reply came. This is
what it said
Thank you for nothing.
Chesney dropped the message into
the fire. "That ends it," he said 1--WE
done my best, and can do no more"
But he was wrong. One last sacri-
flee remained for this man, who al
ready had sacrificed his pride and his
self-respect for the sake of the wo-
man he worshipped For two days
later, as he was sitting at luncheon,
a motor dashed up to the door of
his house and letter was handed to
him signed by Talbot Graham, a
brother surgeon. Tearing open the
envelope, Chesney read the follow
ing:
Dear Chesney: Please come at
once. / have just operated on a
patient named Bassett, and things
seem rather queer am only tyro
at this special operation, which you
have made your speciality, and you are
the one man in London who can prob
ably save him if you come immediate
ly. My car will bring you. For Heav-
ems sake, come. In great haste,
yours, Talbot Graham"
1 Chesney's heart seemed to stop
beating. So the work had been done,
and Bassett was on the brink of the
ferry; but even now he might be
saved if he, Chesney, chose to stretch
out hand and aid in his salvation.
What was he to do? The brute had
insulted him, had refused his aid, had
thrown vile aspersions on himself and
on Glare. The memory of that inter
, view two days since still stung Ches.
ney to the heart, and he set his
teeth.
LET him die!" he told himself SIT
is what he, deserves. | won't CO."
The servant was waiting. us there
any answer, sir?" he asked.
wait" muttered Chesney. Wal
II"
: Outside the engine of the great mo
! tor painted ominously. A fantastic lis
tener might have fancied that thai
> stertorous noise symbolized the last
agonized breaths of him who lay g
i mile distant, very close to death
For die he must, unless the man who
sat in that chair chose to intervene
: and save him.
At times of great mental stress the
brain recalls irrelevant things. From
. the depths of his brain there foatet
. up to Chesney's ears some words h
had heard long, long ago. Perhap!
), he had read them; perhaps he hat
heard them from the lips of the moth
). ). er whom he had loved as sons rarel.
= love their mothers; but these the.
) were:
: Greater is he that conquereth him
= self than he that taketh a city!"
Yes, that was the real conquest
y the greater victory, the triumph owe
y self. Self said to him: Remain
where you are and let this man die,
e but something nobler than self spok
y louder still, and in that supreme me
- ment Wilfred Chesney hearkened II
u the nobler voice
He rose and went to the door
u you need not wait" he said t
- the servant. "Pll take the answe
Is myself"
c Throughout the brief journe
through the London streets the brail
le of Wilfred Chesney worked convu
g sively, recalling the events of tn
e past days. He recalled how he ha
u twice offered to perform the opera
IL ton, and twice had been repulsed
8 .. coarsely, brutally. Yet here he wa
: at last, ready and willing to make
final effort-and doing it all to saw
u the man who stood between him an
e the woman he loved. Fate had pu
- him to the great test, and, than
le Heaven, he had stood that test like
- man.
10 The motor drew up at DR. Graham
~ door. Chesney leaped out and raj
u up the steps. He pressed the electri
le bell and waited, wondering what wa
passing in the room where the patien