Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-22
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
Johnny ROsenfeld was dead All of
KS skill had not sufffced to save him.
The operation had been a marvel, but
the boys lOng-sapped strength failed
at the last. X, set Of face, stayed Y it'll
him to the end. The boy did not know
he was going. He reused from the
coma and smiled mp at lie Moyne
I've got a bunch that l 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 for
them later. SO the ward had no sus-
picion, nor had the boy. The ward
passed in review. It was Sunday, and
from the chapel far below came the
faint singing Of a hymn. When johnny
spoke again he did not open his eyes.
you're some operator, Mr.. lie Moyne.
I'll put in a word for you whenever
get a chance"
''Yes, put in q word for me-" said X.
huskiIy.
He felt that Johnny would be gOod
mediator-that whatever he, X, had
done of omission or commission,
Johnny's voice b-fore tie Tribunal
would count.
Johnny was close on the edge of his
long sleep by that time, and very COM
Portable. 1t was K. 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 it an
accident?"
1T was the result Of mans damn
able folly" said K. grimIy. Somebody
always pays"
And so 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 q queS-
ton that demanded immediate answer.
Wilson would be out Of commission for
several months, probably. He was
gaining, but slowly And he wanted K.
to take over his work.
"Why not?" he demanded, half ir-
ritabIy. 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. 81
know all that. [ guess could do it
and get away with it as well as the
average. All that deters me-rve never
told you, have l. why I gave up be-
fore?'
Wilson was propped up in his bed.
K. was walking restIessIy about the
room, as was his habit when troubled.
1--WE heard the gossip; that's ALL
''You know what I always felt about
the profession Max. We went into
that more than once in Berlin. Either
ones best or nothing. L had done
pretty well. When l left Torch and
built my own hospital, hadn't a doubt
Of myself. And because l was getting
results got lot Of advertising. Men
began coming to the clinics. I found L
was making enough out Of the patients
who could pay to add few free wards.
l want to tell you now, Wilson, that
the opening of those free wards was
the greatest seIf-indulgence [ ever per-
less attention given the pOor-welI,
never mind that 1t was almost three
years ago that things began to go
wrong. lost a big case"
81 know. All this doesn't influence
me, Edwardes."
'Wait a moment We had a system
in the operating room as perfect as l
could devise it. 1 never finished an
operation without having my first as
sistant verify the clip and sponge
count. Butthat first case died because
Ii 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.
CAS- well as I could tell, the precau-
tons had not been relaxed. was do
ing from four to six cases a day. After
the second one l almost went crazy. [
made up my mind, if there was ever
another, I'd give up and go away"
''There was another?"
ITO be coDtinued)
Reporter Want Ads BRING Resuits