The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-05-18
" 81 ZE/1eCZLITE PlHLKAZ1IWSWTURDNEH2E
CHAPTER xxv.-continued.


49,
"Why not 2" Wilson demanded, half ir-
fitably. 'The secret is out. Everybody
knows who you are. And now. because
1 boy who wouldn't have lived any
how"
"That's not it." X. put in hastily. 81
know all that. 1 guess 1 could do it
and get away with it as well as the
average. All that deters me-Ive never
told you, have l, why gave up be-
fore?"
Wilson was propped up in his bed.
K. was walking restlessly about the
room, as was his habit when troubled.
"Pve heard the gossip; that's ALL"
"You know what l 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
results 1 got lot of advertising. Men
began coming to the clinics. l found l
was making enough out of the patients
who could pay to add few free wards.
I want to tell you now, Wilson, that
the opening of those free wards was
the greatest self-indulgence 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"
II know. All this doesn't influence
me, EdwardeS."
"Wait a moment. We had a system
in the operating room as perfect as |
could devise it. l never finished an
operation without having my first as
sistant verify the clip and sponge
count. But that first 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 the count, after reasonable
caution. Then 1 almost lost another
case in the same way-a free case.
'As well as 1 could tell, the precau-
lions had not been relaxed. l was do
ing from four to six cases a day. After
thc oCNOLlu OuC ciluOot WCht III dZys
made up my mind, if there was ever
another, I'd give up and go away"
"There was another?"
"Not for several months. When the
last case died. free case again, per-
formed my own autopsy. l allowed
only my first assistant in the room. He
was almost as frenzied as l was. 1t
was the same thing again. When 1
told him 1 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 laborer. He left 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, 1
was 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.
1 quit"
"But if you had stayed, and taken
extra precautions"
"We'd taken every precaution we
knew"
Neither of the men spoke for time. |
K. stood, his tall figure outlined against |
the window.
"That's the worst, is it?" 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
big one, but you know its jealousies.
Let 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"
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 work?"
"1es"
He stirred restlessly. To stay on, to
be near Sidney, perhaps to stand by
Is Wilson's best man when she was
narried-it turned him cold. But he
lid not give a decided negative. The
sick man was flushed and growing fret
,ul; it would not do to irritate him.
"Give me another day on it," he said
It last. And so the matter stood.
Max's injury had been productive of
,ood, In one way. 1t had brought the
wo brothers closer together. In the
Mornings Max was restless until Doc !
or Ed arrived. When he came, he
'rought books in the shabby bag-his
'eloved Burns, although he needed no {
'ook for that, the ''Pickwick Papers"
remains Lives of the Disciples" Very I
ften Max would doze off; but at the {
cessation Of Doctor Eds sonOrOus
dice the sick man would stir fretfully J
nd demand more. 1t pleased the older
nan vastly. 1t reminded him of Max's J
oyhood, when be had read to Max at |
light. For once In the last dozen l
ears, he needed him.
"(1O on Ed What in hlazes makes +