Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-11-25

Buried in one of the chapters on
the connective tissues, too deeply oc-
cupied in my studies to more than
raise my head as the door at the far
end of the ward opened and closed to
the costly visits of supervising nurses
and the sturdy tramp Of the blue
shirted night watchman, it must have
been about two in the morning when
Miss Julia brought me out of my an
atomy back to the realities of Surgi-
cal 13.
"John wants you," she said, plac-
ing white hand over the paragraph
l was digesting.
For the moment I couldn't for the
life of me grasp her meaning. Then
the bony right arm and beseeching
eyes of the man of mystery made me
know that he sought my company.
1t seemed that he finished his writ
ing. Five sheets of paper lay atop
the writing tablet, each sheet covered
with the unusual characters.
The man with the scars greeted me
with haggard smile. His weak and
trembling fingers made Intellectual eff
forts to fold the material into smaller
compass. l helped him.
Once across the middle, folded the
letter-sized sheets, and then twice the
other way. Then fetched Bellevue
envelope, enclosed the writing, and
laid the envelope face-up upon the
stand, supposing that he would make
some effort to address it. To my sur
prise, he threw the pen upon the floor.
His forefinger touched the docu-
ment, his lips moved, his eyes sought
mine; then he pointed directly at me
Immediately thereafter extending his
fingers and waving his hand around
the ward, as much as if to say:
"There is my message. You can't
read it. Take it and find somebody
who can"
In pantomime, I told John Doe that
l accepted his trust. l stuck up seven
fingers and pointed at the clock, try
ing to convey the hint to him that
at seven in the morning I would be
free to devote my time to the finding
of an interpreter.
And the SCARED sufferer must have
understood me-had confidence in me
for not only did he make no objec.
ton when l removed his extension
light; he Immediately fell asleep as
soundly as if he were tired lad abed
in his fathers house.
Morning found the man of mystery
still sleeping off his exhaustion, his
grizzled head pillowed on his un.
bandaged arm. 1 stole look at hin
as 1 went off duty, then fastened te
my bacon and eggs.
Nine o'clock found me in the assist
ant superintendent office. I'd made
up my mind to get along without m!
days sleep, if necessary, in order tina
the five-page letter might be trans
lated.
"It's all Greek to me-" chuckelec
the bald, good-natured second in com
mand at Bellevue after I'd told m!
story and produced the message.
He fumbled with the pages of th'
document, eyed the curious characters
then scowling looked out upon th'
insane pavilion, across the way. Re
spectfully 1 awaited his wishes.
"Here!" he called finally. He roll
ed his er-breakfast cigar from
one corner of his mouth to the othe
and looked up at me with quizzica
grin. "Have you got any detectiv
ability?"
l replied that 1 didn't know-that
doubted it.
"Well, then, I designate you as
committee of one. You're to get tina
document read. If we turn it over t
the police they'll probably stick it il
a pigeonhole, and We'll never knoy
who stabbed and robbed that fellow.
Teh assistant chief refolded tn
puzzle and tossed it over to me.
pocketed it and turned to go.
And, by the way"-I halted at tn
words-"if you run across anything
interesting I'd like to have 20 urepor
to me. And should your investigation
keep you ou tafter seven in the even
ing, you're excused from night duty
Good morning"
The big man turned back to hi
pile of vochers, when I hunted u
"Old Moses" the venerable head O
Bellevue's staff of interpreters.
!, Moses looked up from the writing
shifted his double-lensed spectacles t
the end of his nose, and studied m
for fully a minute.
!, "Well?" / ventured.