Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-07-05
CHAPTER xxv.-contlnued.

"Why not?" Wilson demanded, half ir
ftably. 1.-THE secret is out. Everybody
knows who you are. And now, because
a boy who wouldn't have lived any
how"
'That's not it," K. put in hastily. II
know all that. 1 guess I could do it
and get away with it as well as the
average. All that deters me-Pve never
told you, have I, why | gave up be-
fore?"
Wilson was propped up in his bed.
*. was walking restlessly about the
room. as was his habit when troubled.
'Tve heard the gossip; that's all"
- "You know what always felt about
the profession, Max. We went into
that more than once in Berlin. Either
ones best or nothing. / had done
pretty well. When 1 left Lorch and
built my own hospital, hadn't doubt
of myself. And because / was getting
results got lot of advertising Men
began coming to the clinics. found I
was making enough out of the patients
who could pay to add few free wards.
want to tell you now, Wilson, that
the opening of those free wards was
the greatest self-indulgence I ever per-
.mitted myself. I'd seen so much care
less attention given the poor-well
never mind that. 1t was almost three
years ago that things began to go
wrong. lost big case
81 know. All this DOESN'T influence
me, Edwardes."
wait a moment. We had system
In the operating room as perfect as
could devise it. / never finished an
operation without having my first as
asistant verify TIE clip and sponge
count. But that Hrst case died because
sponge had been left in the operating
field. You know how those things go ;
you can't always see them, and one
goes by tho count, after reasonable
caution. Then l almost lost another
case in the same way-a free case.
'As well as 1 could tell, the precau-
lions had not been relaxed. 1 was do
ing from four to six cases a day. After
the second one l almost went crazy. l
made up my mind, if there was ever
another, I'd give up and so away"
tThere was another?"
"Not for several months. When the
last case died, free case again, per-
formed my own autopsy. l allowed
only m5 first assistant in the room. He
was almost as frenzied as l was. 1t
was the same thing again. When /
told him was going away, he offered
to take the blame himself, to say he
had closed the incision. He tried to
make me think he was responsible. l
knew-better"
Its Incredible"
Exactly; but it's true The last pa
dent was a laborer. He left a family.
I've sent them money from time to
time. l used to sit and think about
the children he left, and what would
become of them. The ironic part of it
was that. for all that had happened,
WIS buster all the time. Men were
sending me cases from all over the
country. 1t was either stay and keep
on working, with that chance, or-quit.
quit
But If you had stayed, and taken
extra precautions"
WED taken every precaution we
knew"
Neither Of the men spoke for time
K. stood, his tall figure outlined against
the window.
"Thats the worst, is it?'' Max Will
son demanded at last.
THAT'S enough"
aol,y
an enemy somewhere-on your staff
probably. This profession of ours is a
big one, but you know its jealousies.
Let man get his shoulders above the
crowd, and the pack is after him." He
laughed little. Mixed figure, but
you know what | mean"
K. shook his head He had had that
gift of the big man everywhere, in
every profession, of securing the loyal
~ of his followers. He would have
trusted every one of them with his life.
You're going to do it, of course
Take up your workT
Eyes"
He stirred restsrssly. To stay on, to
be near Sidney, perhaps to stand by
hc NltSOH DtSl uudI WHen she was
marriott turned him cold. But he
did not give decided negative. The
sick man was flushed and growing fret
full; it would not do to irritate him.
give me another day on it, he said
at last. And so the matter stood.
Max's injury had been productive of
good, in one way. 1t had brought the
two brothers closer together. In the
mornings Max was restless until Doc
tor Ed arrived. When he came, he
brought books in the shabby bag-his
beloved Burns, although he needed no
book for that, the "Pickwick Papers"
Remains Lives OF the Disciples" Very
often Max would doze off but at the
cessation of Doctor Eds eonorous
Tcsce the sick man would stir fretfully
and demand more. 1t pleased the older
man vastly. 1t reminded him of Max's
boyhocd, when he had read to Max at
night. For once in the last dozen