Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-04-04
CHAPTER xxv.-continued.


ID
"Why not?" Wilson demanded, half ir-
FitabIy. 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" X. put in hastily. Il
know all that. l guess l could do it
and get away with it as well as the
average. All that deters me-Fve never
told you, have /, why | gave up be-
fore?"
Wilson was propped up In his bed.
X. was walking restlessly about the
room. as vas his habit when troubled.
I've 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 l left Torch 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 |
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 l ever per
United 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 a big case"
Il know. All this doesn't influence
me, Edwardes."
wait moment We had a system
an the operating room as perfect as /
could devise it. I@neyer finished an
operation without having my first as
sistant verify the clip and sponge
count. But that first case died because
Al sponge had been left in the operating
field. You know how those things go /;
you can't always see them, and one
goes by the count. after reasonable
caution. Then / almost lost another
case in the same way-a free case.
AS well us l could tell, the precau-
tons had not been relaxed. l was do
ing from four to six cases Il day. After
the second one | almost went crazy.
made up my mind, if there was ever
another, I'd give up and go away"
There was anotherY"
Not for several months. When the
last case died. free case again. per-
9s0rmed my own autopsy. l allowed
only my first assistant in the room. He
was almost as frenZied as | was. 1t
was the ~qme thing again. When l
told him / was going away, he offered
10 take the blame himself, TO say he
had closed the incision. He tried to
make me think he was responsible. /
knew-better."
It's Incredible"
Exactly; but it's true. The last pa
tient was Il iaborer. He left family.
I've sent them money from time TO
time. / 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, /
vas 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.
X. stood. his tall figure outlined against
the window.
That's the worst, is it2' Max Will
son demanded at last.
That's enough"
ITS extremely significant. You had
an enemy sOmewhere-On your staff,
probably. This profession of ours is a
big one. but you know its jealousies.
Get a man get his shoulders above the
crowd. and the pack is after him" He
laughed a little Mixed figure, but
you know what mean"
X. 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 work."
yes"
He stirred restlessly. To stay on. to
be near Sidney. perhaps to stand by
"a Wilson's best man when she was
married-it turned him cold. But he
did not give a decided negative. The
sick man was flushed and growing fret
full it would not do 10 irritate him.
'Ciye mo another day on il" no 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 r"Stless until Doc
,or 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, 8"
Remains Lives of the Disciples" Very
often Max would dOze off but at the
voice the sick man would stir fretfully
and demand more. Ii pleased the older
man vastly. 1t reminded him of Max's
hoyhood when he had read 10 Max at
night For once in the last dozen
wears, he needed him.
Go on, Ed What in blazes makes
you stop every five minutes:r Max pro-
tested, one day.
Doctor Ed, who had only stopped to
bite of the end of stogie to hold in
his cheek. picked up his book in
hurry. and eyed the invalid over ii.