The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-22
JUST LUCK
BY KATHERINE NEWELL.


"a 1920. By Mcclure Newspaper syndlcAtss1l
'sDon't you ever get sick Of living
In these mountains?n a @
Clyde Hanavan Contemplated tho
questioner in silence for moment,
slowly removing piece Of sweet clio
yer. he was chewing before ne an
swered no, there's lots Of lffes in
the Oil country and you meet with all
sorts OF folks, mostly bIg-heafted If
they sometimes amt much IN the-way
of morals" His clear blue gaze
swept the green foothills Of the Al
leghenies lovingly.
Clarence Benson WINGED as the lads
eyes rested on his white arms.
do you always intend to work on
oil leases? Don't you want to be
something different?" Clarence asked
after another silence of watching anx-
iously for a bite
yep, I want to be what your father
wants me to be-the best surgeon in
the country; but there's darned lit
tie chance for me, the only boy, with
a slew of sisters to put through
school. Gee, but you're a lucky guy .
An, we'll, I guess there will be money
in this oil game for US after while,
but then maybe I'll be too old for med
fcal . school. A fellow should be
trained real young for that work, Ell?
Ny hands would be spoiled for sur
gery-tool dressing spreads 'em so"
CLYDE looked at his work-stained, well
shaped hands regretfully; then
stretching out his long graceful limbs
he got up and, pushing back q mop OF
dark red hair, looked down with a
wfstfuI smile at Clarence Benson idly
watching the float in the sparkling
water "They say that everything
comes to those who wait, but l am
inclined TO think that it's just luck
with some folks, like you and your
fishing. an becoming a surgeon.
Some folks would set around this lake
a whole week and don't git the catches
you get in a day." He strobe out
toward the oil wen on the hilltop
What do you know about that,
mother! Clarence Benson died last
night" Clyde Hanavan put down
the newspaper, and his lips trenlbled
for a moment.
Yes. / heard that down at the post,
Office this morning 1t appears that
Clarence had appendicitis, but Doctor
Benson was afraid to have him oper-
ated on. so he tried treatment. Finally
he got n surgeon from New York, bu'
it was too late, the lad only lived
few hours after the operation. Seems
as though Doctor Benson would go
crazy, they say: he'd set his heart on
that box being such a wonderful sur
geon he vas an only child, too, said
Mrs. Hanayan with a thankful sigh as
she looked at her family around her.
Gosh, aren't glad I'm alive! But
I feel bad over Clarence Benson,
A few months later Doctor Benson,
broken i'm health and spirit over the
death of his idolized son, came to his
home in The foothills, where he owned
some property adjoining the Hama
vans lease.
A few weeks later a wash out
wrecked The evening train at the top
of the Mountain Gauge, resulting in
many injured and killed. Doctor
Lynch. the nearest medical man, was
miles off and could not reach the spot
for an hour or so. Old Doc" With
ers called for Clyde Hanavan to help
him. but the doctors eyesight was so
bad that it fell to Clyde's skilled
fingers to bandage and ease the in
1ured. to remove and care for the
dead. s..-.r-
Suddenly he thought of Doctor Ben
son in his loneliness and grief. Here
was a man for the job. Why hadn't
anyone thought of calling him be-
fore? s.. 2. s
Clyde was just completing his first
aid" TO the. terribly burned engineer
and had given "hypos" to the rest Of
the injured under Doctor Nithers' or
ders. when Doctor Benson arrived at
the scene of the wreck,
81 don't see that there is anything
left for me to do. You have already
| done everything that can be done I'M
der such God-forsaken conditions
di1u IL 14IlAC WY NaRAA
me? / would like to congratulate the
man or. men who are responsible for
such wonderfully efficient first aid,
since was told there was no doctor
around, he said, lifting his lantern
on the crowd, the light falling on
Clyde Hanavan and the bent form of
Doctor Withers leaning on his arm.
1T was Clyde Hanavan, sir. He
fixed EN- all up r'piped a small voice
from the darkness.
Il fixed 'en up, sir but Doc With
fers taught me first aid and / couldn't
have done it-without him, sir. an l al
ways loved this kind of thing, only for
the sake of helping folks not to suf-
fer though" Clyde's face grew red
under the keen gaze Of the big sur
geon. ...,..- .-,..s.x
ITS TOO bad the lad can't lbesmade
! q suroeon he's wonderful at his first