The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-10-15
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(coDyrlght. laiE. by ", Q. Chapman.)

loss IN MS delirlum, and now lay In
that stupor which was itself the crisis.
In eight hours he would be dead or on
the road to recovery.
Beside the doctor stood the white
capped nurse, almost as silent and stin
as the figure huddled among the sheets
and pillows. The mental crisis
through which the two watchers were
painfully struggling was almost as
acute as the physical crisis OF the
typhoid victim.
IL was not q severe case, but the
mans system, weakened by years of
debauchery and months OF poverty,
seemed unable to fight against the at.
tack.
Doctor Dyce beckoned the nurse out
side the room. They stood face to
face together. There was on the doc
tors look of grave inquiry.
That is the man who was your hus-
band?" he inquired.
Who is," she answered.
"And you refused to marry me be-
cause of him?"
you are unfair Charles" she an
swered, in low, passionate protest.
1T is because he is what he is that
know my duty is toward him. He
recognized me. He viii come back
TO me. l cannot desert him, IN spite
OF ALL"
You love him!" sneered Dyce, and
then suddenly caught her in his arms.
Molly" he whispered, ''you are
never going to ruin our two lives
for that mani"
She let him kiss her, but she with
drew from his arms and stood still
facing him, still pale and expression
less.
Il cannot do wrong toward him,
much as love you" she replied. "But
oh, Charles, it would be a mercy for
all of us, and none would be better off
than he If he were to die"
The doctor, who seemed to be re-
straining himself by a mighty effort
of will, now became the professional
man again.
1--WE will try atropin," he said. 81
believe it will give him his fighting
chance. l shall mix the prescription
myself. 1t is dangerous drug to use,
but 1t is case where heroical meas
ures are needed"
s. Eyes, doctor. At what time should
it be administered"
'In four hours, when the crisis is
imminent. When do you go off duty?"
when the crisis is over"
you are wearing yourself out, Mol
ly," began Doctor Dyce. Then: "Well,
we must forget ourselves, with all our
hopes and fears and do our duty"
She sighed. "Yes, DOCTOR" she an
swered in mechanical manner
Doctor Dyce ate his supper in his
Office. He made his rounds of the
patients, bandaging, adjusting, while
his mind was working on a totally diff
ferent matter. At last he stood alone
before his medicine chest, where the
deadliest drugs were kept, dispensed
only under his personal supervision.
There he faced his problem squarely.
Dyce had little belief in convention
al morality. He loved Molly, and she
him. The man on the bed in the little
room was useless to himself, useless
TO the world. Was 1t right that two
lives, or even three, should be blight
ed so that the man should live and
cumber the earth!
He had mixed the medicine before
his mind was made up. He remem-
bered afterward that he was working |
In the same automatic manner, and |
his brain, cool and singularly clear,
seemed animated by an internal will |
and dominated the situation complete |
ly. Slowly he took down a bottle la
beled macinite and set it upon the |
table side by side with the atropin.
They were two drugs of equal pow
er, but very different power An in
fnitesimal dose of the atropin would
exercise certain stimulus on the red
blood corpuscles which might pull the
patient through the crisis of his dis
ease. An equal dose of the macinite,
too small for post-mortem detection,
bring about death. In healthy man
an equal dose of either would produce
no effect whatever
Doctor Dyce might have told him
self that it would not be he, but the
fever that would kill the drunkard
above But he was too honest for
that.
Il am going to kill him." he said,
and dropped drop into tumbler of
water. From this he took two drops
and let them fall into the medicine.
He shook the bottle. He went up
stairs.
Two teaspoonfuls in an hour,
nurse he said to Molly. Call me If
he shows signs of a change for the
worse. He ought to pull through, how
ever, with this atropin."
He looked down at the face of the
unconscious man. There had been not
the slightest change; he was breath
ing slowly and the almost impercepti-
BILE pulse had hardly varied beat.
He went into his room and lay down
on the sofa. He could not sleep, but,
awaiting the summons, he reviewed
his action and justified it, if not in
the sight of God, at least in that Of
man.
1t was nearly two hours later when
the summons came There was a
light tap at the door. Dyce sprang to
his feet and opened it, Before him
stood the nurse.
"Come at once!" she whispered
tensely. Il am afraid-something is