Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-02-28
An American
Surgeon
He Was Needed Because :
He Would Not Tell
BY HORACE BRADFORD

Florence, Italy. When a young man
| studied at college of physicians and
surgeons In my native country, Amer
lea, but possessing taste for art, con-
cluded I'd change my profession. Com
Ing here to Florence, ! stl.a,cd art for
awhile. but soon saw that did not
possess the talent necessary to make
an artist. Having fallen In love with
this delightful city, remained. hang
ing out my shingle as a surgeon.
One night l attended ball ut the
Pitt palace. 1t was my first appear
ance among the aristocracy Of Flor
ence, and I was much interested In
watching the people there. few Of
whom | had ever seen. A young girl
with gentleman attendant on each
side Of her walked by me. The ap
pearance Of the three told a story.
The man on her left was young, hand
some, in every way attractive. He on
her right was past middle age and dis
agreeable looking as the other was ell
gaging. As they passed me he gave
the younger man a malignant look.
The girl appeared to be much trou-
bled. II was plain that her heart was
with the man on her left, that she
was constrained to choose the man on
her right and that the two men hated
each other on her account
Everywhere remarked TO my
self. the stream of life Is troubled
tsrS lrA % H. ~
render one immune from TINT which
is disagreeab,e. Happy love has evi-
IDENTITY come to this young girl. to be
interferd with by one who. Judging
from her expression, has some claim
upon her, How should IKE to know
the story-
As l thought the last words I little
dreamed that within a few hours q
climax would come in the drama be-
Ing enacted by these three persons
and thar w0oad come upon TIM stage
| for . minor art. When I left the
palace I weut directly to my rooms
and to bed. An hour later I was
awakened from a sound sleep by q
violent knocking. Iarose, slipped on
. gown and opened the door. Two
gentlemen n evening dress stepped
into the room.
You are the American surgeon, I
believer said one.
AZ your service" ! replied.
You are wanted to attend a man
dangerously wounded" said the other.
~You are chosen partly On account of
your standing In your profession, but
| principally because You are not one of
our circle We do not IKE our affairs
to Be known. l must ask you to per-
NH me to blindfold you"
| objected to this. but one of the
men put his hand to his hip pocket and
drew forth a small pistol with mother
of-pean mountings. while the other
produced a stiletto. l picked up my
bag Of Instruments aud suffered them
to The n handkerchief abort E:y eyes.
I They led re ~. to the s.Gcvr}k, told
me TO raise my foot. and stcplel into
= carriage.
Drive roundabout way heard
ene of the gentlemen say.
NO. interposad the other. He may
bleed to death We must go as quick
" as possible"
| There was no need to make turns.
| for j had no idea where they were
taking me. In what supposed to be
ten minutes the carriage stopped. l
| was helped out and soon by the in
! creased warmth of the air felt myself
TO be In a building. Then / mounted
steps. and mt last the bandage was
taken or my eyes. l was standing
beside a bed on which lay--mirabile
dictu-the young man ! had seen walk
Ing on the left OF the girl ut the Pitt.
I knew too well the danger of show
ing any sign OF recognition.
-Signor Dottore," he said with a fee
BILE voice. Il have been stabbed on
the left side-here," uncovering. ut Is
near the heart"
II was near the heart, but had for
tunately Just escaped that organ. Aft
er an examination l assured the pa
tent that II he kept perfectly quiet
till the wound should heal he would
recover. But I thought that. consid-
ering its close proximity 10 a vital or
gan. surgeon should remain with
him until a healing should be estab-
lished.
Then said one of the men who had
brought me, lyon must remain. We do
net care that two surgeons should be
introduced here just now"
But my prnctite-ny patientsy'
"All damages to your practice shall
be literally paid for"
made virtue Of necessity and as
sented.
Meanwhile l had handaged the cut
and when l ha finished turned and
looked about me was In one OF those
old palaces. as they are called In Flor
ence. belonging to some influential fam,
lly. The furniture. at least some of It.
must have been several hundred years
old. The bed or which the wound
ed man lay was canolied. On the
walls were PAINTINGS. some Of which
I recognized as masterpieces of the az
IL y,