The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-05-23
CHAPTER XXI.

refused to credit his ears.
''WhO is this at the 'phoneW
lie MOyne's my name. Get DR.. Ed
Wilson at once. Doctor Wilson, the
surgeon, has been shot," came slowly
and distinctly. "Get the staff here and
have a room ready. Get the operating
room ready, too"
The Lamb Weakened then, and reused
the house. He was incoherent, rather,
so that Doctor Ed only learned the
truth when he got to the hospital.
'Who has been shot? l thought you
said"
The Lamb turned pale at that, and
braced himself.
I'm sOrry-I thought you under
stood. | believe it's not-not serious.
It's Doctor Max, sir
Doctor Ed, who was heavy and not
very young, sat down on an office chair.
Out of sheer habit he had brought the
| bag. He put it down on the floor be-
side him, and moistened his lips.
rs he living?"
"Oh, yes, sir. I gathered that Mr..
LIE Moyne did not think it serious"
He lied, and Doctor Ed knew he lied
| The Lamb stood by the door, and
| Doctor Ed sat and waited. The office
clock said half after three. The bag
| with the dog collar in it was on the
| floor. He thought of many things, but
mostly of the promise he had made his
mother. Cold beads of sweat stood
out on his forehead.
II think l hear them now, SIR" said
the Lamb, and stood back respectfully
! to let him pass out of the door.
| Carlotta stayed in the room during
| the consultation. No one seemed to
wonder why she was there, or to pay
any attention to her. The staff was
stricken. They moved back to make
room for Doctor Ed beside the bed,
| and then closed in again.
| CarlOtta waited her hand over her
mouth to keep herself from screaming.
| Surely they wouldn't let him die like
! that! Wlen she saw the phalanx
| break VI and realized they would not
operate, she ran from the room.
The staff went hopelessly down the
stairs to the smoking room, and
smoked. 1t was all they could do.
| The night assistant sent coffee down
! to them, and they drank it. Doctor
Ed stayed in his brothers room, and
! said to his mother, under his breath,
! that he'd tried to do his best by Max,
and that from now on it would be up
! to her.
| hnI hrn 1I<rhf fhn int rod L.,
The country doctor, on the way in, had
taken 1t for granted that K. was a
medical man like himself, and had
placed his hypodermic case at his dis
posal.
| When he missed HMM the smok-
ing room, that was-he asked for him.
81 don't see the chap who came in
with u.s." he said. Clever fellow. Like
to know his name.
The staff did not know.
K. sat alone on bench in the hall.
He wondered who would tell Sidney !;
he hoped they would be very gentle
with her. He did not want to go home
and leave her TO what she might have
to face There was chance she would
ask for him. He wanted to be near.
! in that case. The night. Waterman
went by twice and stared at him. At
last he asked X. to mind the door I'M
til he got some coffee.
Zone of the Stairs been hurt" he
explained. IF / don't get some cot
fee now, won't get any"
+. promised to watch the door.
A desperate thing had occurred to
! Carlotta. Somehow, she had not
! thought of it before. Now she won
dered how she could have failed to
think of it. She went to the staff and
confronted them. They were men of
courage, only declining TO undertake
what they considered hopeless work.
The one man among them who might
have done the thing with any chance
| of success lay stricken. Not one
among them but would have given of
his beSt-only his best was not good
! enough.
ut would be the Edwardes opera
ton. wouldn't it," demanded Carlotta
The staff was bewiIdered. There
were no rules to cover such conduct
on the part of a nurse. One of them
replied rather heavily: IF any, ii
would be the Edwardes operation"
would Doctor Edwardes himself
be able to do anything?"
This was going a little far.
Possibly. One chance in a thou
sand, perhaps. But Edwardes is dead
How did this thing happen, Miss Har-
rison?"
She ignored his question. Her face
was CHASTITY, save for the trace of
rouge; her eyes were red-rimmed
Doctor Edwardes is sitting on a
bench In the hall outsider! she an
nounced.
Her voice rang out K heard her
and raised his head. His attitude was
weary, resigned. The thing had come,
then! He was to take up the old bur-
den. The girl had told.
Doctor Ed had sent for Sidney. She
thought it was another operation, and
her spirit was just little weary. But
her courage was indomitable. She
forced her shoes on her tired feet, and