The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-01


She Asked His Opinion Of the Plans
a tremor Of a muscle. not the slightest
uneasy movement to betray that hs
was under any strain.
From the nurse Billiard took the
keen, slender scalpel which she hand
ed him and held 1t poised for a mo
ment, while with the other hand hs
drew the skin .taut,r Just at the base o.
the neck. above plexus Of arteriei
and bloodvessels throbbing under
meath.
In that moment there REQUIRED L
his mind sentence he had once uset
at clinical demonstration Of his op
Grafton.
1.-THE inclsion must be quick, straight
and true as q rife bullet" he had said
1.-THE slightest bungling, the least deyi
alton from the line and the result is /
catastrophe"
And suppose-the unbidden ques
tion came-he should bungle or dew
ute now? As in flash he saw all tn,
vexing complications in which he wal
involved swept away; no bogie Of dut,
standing longer in his path, but clea,
road to all that his ambition coveted
and to-sylvia.
Did the dazzle Of the vision momen
tarily obscure his eyesight, or did hi,
hand tremble? He never knew, him
self. He only knew that-s second la
ter--he was staring aghast at the re
suit Of his handiwork, while Docto
Davie thrust him hurriedly aside 1,
the fruitless effort to repair his blum
dering.
The next that he knew he found him
self aimlessly wandering through !,
wood about q mile back OF the hos
pital, and he Judged he must hay,
been roaming about q long time, for h,
was wet to the knees from plowini
through successive drifts of the deep
slushy snow. and shivering with tn,
cold.
Slowly he awoke to the conscious
ness of what be had done, and In Ii,
depths Of his misery there came I,
him by some trick Of association O
ideas a memory Of the hlghly-equippet
instrument cabinet In his office and o
the manner In which It had come I,
him.
It was in the early days of his prac
tice, and Esther, hearing him bemoai
his lack Of adequate equipment, hat
taken tho money which she had paina
takingly boarded for her winter ward
robe and bought the cabinet withou
letting him know, going shabby all tn,
season through, yet with never q wort
OF complaint.
That was Esther, he reflected-al
ways self.sacrifcing, always generous
always thinking Of him instead Of her
self. And how had he requited her de
votIon?
Again remorse, black and bitter, en-
quilted him like wave.
He started up from where he hat
thrown himself down on the wet ant
soggy ground and set OF toward town
half.running like q mailman.
And 80 at last he burst into his Of
fee. and found Mrs. Sands there still
waiting for him. He had forgotten
that she would probably be there, had
indeed forgotten all about her. Blu,
now, as he saw her sitting there in on,
Of his office chairs carelessly pufiing |
cigarette, his eyes dilated and b,
lurched toward her with something Of
o snarl.
She gave o little shrek and, terrified
at his wild, disheYeled appearance
dashed away to COVER from him OF
the other side Of the table.
Billiard stood staring at her with hi
blood.shot heavy eyes.
"Go!" he croaksd hoaraely, com
mandingly.
Then, ~ she hesitated, hold BY he,
panic Of fear, be half nung up his arm
- II still more emphatically to repeat
his Injunction.
But tho arm no raised stopped half
way and fell helpless to his sldo-ths
arm upon whose skill and steadinesi
he had prided himself. His face twist
ed strangely, and the words he tried
TO speak became Q more sursie In hill
throat, y
With q stasser, no collapsed into q
chalr, stricken By. 0 sudden paralysis
bis brilliant career over and .fnis
written upon his record OF achieve
nent-a atting rstribution. perhaps.
But who was really gullty2
END OF FIRST STORY.
~ p RI 80 I1H fatiII-aftN i.II q.