Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-04-19
CHAPTER XIV.

tie boys lOng-sapped strength failed
at the last. n. set Of face. stayed with
him TO the end. The boy did not know
he was going. He reused from the
coma and smiled up at lie Moyne.
I've got a bunch that can move
my right foot" he said. Look and
see."
X. lifted the light covering.
you're right, old man. It's moving
Brake foot, clutch foot" said Johnny
and closed his eyes again. X. had for
hidden the white screens, that outward
symbol OF death. Time enough fol
them later. So the ward had no sus'
piClon, nor had the boy. The ward
passed in review. 1t was Sunday, and
from the chapel far below came the
faint singing Of a hymn. When Johnny
spoke ngain he did not open his eyes
you're some operator, M. lie Moyne
I'll put In u word for you whenever
get a chance"
"Yes, put In a word for me-" said K.
huskily.
He felt that Johnny would be a good
mediator-that whatever he. X, had
done of omission or commission
JOhnny's voice before the Tribunal
would count.
Johnny was close on the edge OF his
long sleep by that time, and very COM
Portable. 1t was X. who, seeing he
would no longer notice, ordered the
screens to be set around the bed, K,
who drew the coverings smooth and
folded the boys hands over his breast
The nurse stood by uncertainty.
How very young he Is! Was 1t an
accldent?"
1T was the result of a mans damn
able folly" said X. grimly. Somebody
always pays"
And 50 Johnny Rosenfeld paid.
The immediate result Of his death
was that K, who had gained some OF
his faith in himself on seeing Wilson
on the way to recovery, was beset by
his old doubts. And now came Ques-
ton that demanded immediate answer.
Wilson would be out of commission for
several months, probably. He was
gaining, but slowly. And he wanted h.
10 take over his work.
"Why not?" he demanded, half IT.
ritably. Tho secret is out. Everybody
knows who you are. And now, because
II boy who wouldn't have lived any
how"
THAT'S not it,"-K. put in hastily. -
know all that. l guess i could do II
and get away with 1t as well as the
average. All that deters me-I've never
told you, have l, why gave up be-
fOre"
Wilson was propped up in his bed.
X. was walking restlessly about the
room, us was his habit when troubled.
ave 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 we'll. When l left Torch and
built my own hospital, hadn't q doubt
Of myself. And because ! was getting
results / got lot of advertising. Men
began coming TO the clinics. ! found
was making enough out Of the patients
who could pay 10 add few free wards.
l want to tell you now, Wilson, that
the opening Of those free wards was
the greatest self-indulgence ever per-
mltted 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 30
wrong. lost q big case"
II know. All this doesn't influence
me, Edwardes."
"Wait q moment. We had a system
in the operating room rs perfect as !
could devise II. never finished an
operation without having my first Us
sistant verify the clip and sponge
count. But that first case died because
II sponge had been left in the operating
field. You know how those things 20 ;
you can't always see them, and one
goes by the count. after reasonable
caution. Then ] almost lost another
case In the snlne way-a free case.
As we'll us / could tell, the precau-
lions had not been relaxed. ! was do
ing from four to six cases a day. After
the second one almost went crazy.
made up my mind. II there was ever
another. I'd give up and 60 away"
'There was anOtherT
"Not for several months. When the
last case died, q free case again, per
formed my own autopsy. allowed
only my first assistant in the room. He
was almost rs frenzled as was. Il
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. ]
knew-better."
Its incredible"
'Exactly; but it's true. The last pa
tient was a lnbOrer. He left a family.
I've sent them money from time to
time used TO sit and think about
the children he left, and what would
hacome Of them. The irOnie part Of Il
was that, for all that had happened, ]
wss busler oil the tina Men were