The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-09-12

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fingers the superficial vessels of the
temples, the forearms, the wrists, the
knees, he counted the pulse; and he
looked long at the old mans finger
nails When he paused, the colonel
! said
"Well?"
Doctor Foerder had retreated from
the bedside and was writing his d.
rectionA precisely, logically, as an Of
hclal draws up report, beginning
each paragraph with a Roman numer-
al. He did not answer the colonel.
Foerder briefly consulted with
Lambert, that is, repeated TIE direc-
lions he had already written out, and
began to buckle his big valise.
"And as to nurse?" asked Doctor
Lambert
I'll send one of my own" said
Foerder, hastily lighting a Russian
cigarette. He could not remain long
in one place. He had patients to see
and lecture to deliver over at Rush
Medical college and his man was
waiting with his high-hooded phaeton
down in Jackson boulevard.
The nurse, diffusing faint odor of
antiseptics. came from Doctor Foer-
der's private hospital, laid aside her
bonnet and veil and pausing an in
slant to give a woman's touch to her
hair, quietly and deity set the room
in order.
All that afternoon the colonel lay
in his darkened bedroom, fighting the
battle of his life. He lay so still the
nurse almost fancied him asleep, SO
regular was his breathing Once he
broke the silence by asking the time.
Twenty minutes after three the
nurse responded, glancing at her lit
tie watch.
Some of the conventions, them"
the colonel said, ARE over. l Won
der why they don't send me word"
The nurse did not notice his speech,
and he added:
Pardon me, you doubtless are not
interested in politics"
The talking brought on spasm of
! dyspnoea, and the colonel struggled
so painfully for his breath that the
nurse had to prop him up with pillows
in a sitting posture, as those who are
afflicted with asthma pass their
nights, finding it easier thus to
breathe. The colonel begged the
nurses pardon, as if he had commit
ted some indelicacy.
About this time news was brought
from the Fifth district convention in
! Arlington hall and from the Sixth in
lungs hall, that the Warren men had
carried both districts. The colonel,
hearing the hoarse, whispering be-
! tween the messengers and Mosely in
the room outside, demanded informa-
ton, and Doctor Lambert had to tell
him. The colonel wished to see Nose
ly, he had some new plan for the
West Side to offset their loss; and he
saw Mosely and the plan was put in
execution. Then the colonel seemed
once more to sleep. When he opened
his eyes he asked if he could not have
a cigar-"seegar," he pronounced it
assuring the nurse that he felt much
better, but she said, as one might
say to the within of child to whom
explanations are not vouchsafed:
Not just now" .---..-- 81. 5- ..
And there was silence again, and
! the ticking of the nurses little watch.
By o'clock the colonel became
restless once more, and asked II
there were any news. When the nurse
| said no, he insisted that there must
| be some message, some letter, some
telegram. He did not know that his
| followers, indicating all history, were
now standing afar off. He worried
and grew incoherent. He seemed to
confuse Carroll with the boy who was
! sleeping under the stars far away in
Arizona.
Doctor Foerder returned at 4
o'clock. He had not been expected be-
fore evening, but he was interested
in the case. He had mentioned it in
his lecture that day. He had COM
mented on the wonderful display of
vitality on the patients part, and
| spoken of the value in such cases
of moral treatment, of encouraging
words and a confident manner. He
read the nurses chart, counted the
colonels pulse for fifteen seconds and
calculated the rate of multiplication,
drew down the old mans eyelids, not
ing the senile arc that was whitening
! the periphery of the cornea, and he ex-
amined the finger-nails; then the per-
| cussion and the auscultation. When
! he raised his black head, the colonel
said:
ANY news?"
| You're doing we'll"
"Aw!" said the colonel impatiently,
81 don't mean that-any news from
the conventions?" .-
Foerder hesitated, as if half re-
luctant to display interest in anything
so human, but said:
Eyes" ......r
WHAT" said the colslel eagerly,
! his eyes frightening with a light
| that alarmed the doctor.
They say you've carried some dis
! :riuts on the North Side
Which ones?" asked the colonel.
Don't remember"
Anything else?"
We'll, they say Warner has carried
some North Side districts. too-and
some West Side districts
Warner"
We'll, whatever his name is"
Then Foerder was silent, and the
colonel lay long time thinking.
Did you learn how it's going in the
! Ninth, or the Second, or the Seven