Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-06-02
The Doctors
Sacrifice
BY MURIEL BLAIR
). iS2i. western Newspaper Union.)


asked.
His steel-gray eyes were fixed I'M
waveringly upon those of the cripple
beneath the sheets. The cripple
smiled back at him as frankly.
Perfectly" he murmured. "My
chance is. / understand, on the whole
favorable. You say l am the fourth
who has risked this2"
"rhe fifth," answered the great sur
geon composedly.
And two OF them dietlT
"Oh, dear, no. Well, yes, two died,
but one of these would have died any
wayst from other causes. In his case
death was a merciful release. / am
firmly convinced that you will get up
as straight as I am"
And he went on learnedly TO de-
scribe the details of his famous oper-
alton which was to cure the bunch
back.
"And I suppose" the surgeon ended,
smiling kindly. THAT there IS. as usual,
a woman In the case"
The hunchback's eyes lit up.
I'm tell you. Doctor Klein" he said,
"for you have been my best friend in
the world. Yes-there is woman in
the case.
II haven't burdened you with my
early history, but ] may as well say
that I am a man Of good family and
In my youth enjoyed the advantages
81 r1x
life was. as you may imagine, a tor
ture OF self-consciousness and suffer
ing Once, when l was about twenty
one. i fell In love. One day ] dared
TO tell her. shall never forget the
astonished look In her eyes. She made
no answer but went out of the room.
But when / met Esther Garvin
things were different. She made me
forget my infirmlty. Ours was a real
communion Of souls; knew then that
l had met woman who would marry
me In spite OF oil, In spite Of every
thing, whose love was TO be as eternal
as my own. And because Of this left
her, three years ago, after a mad dem
onstration Of love which left each Of
us panic-stricken and ashamed. !,
because knew that l had been cur
TO tell her; she. because she knew this
feeling in my heart. l left her and
never saw her again.
"For two years l tried 10 put her
out OF my heart, but In vain. Then !
heard of your operation. And when I
am well I shall tell Esther, and she
will bless your name a hundredfold."
The surgeon without word pressed
the hunchback's fingers and left the
room.
ASK Miss Garvin to step into my
Office" he said to the orderly, and,
five minutes afterward, the anaes-
thetIst entered.
Miss Garvin," he said, placing his
hand upon her sleeve, "are you still
quite sure that you can never love me?
Yes, l see that you are. You gave
me to understand once that your heart
was pledged. I want you to tell me
one thing, and I do not ask 1t imper-
tinently. Where is the man you lover"
IL don't know" she answered.
"He has gone out of your life?"
"But 1 love him STILL" she cried
deiantly. 81 love him and always
shall o, Doctor Klein, I've all owe
so much to you. None Of us but Is
too conscious of your many kind
nesses. your goodness, your charity
and self-sacrifice. Don't make 1t hard
er for me. I don't love you, I can't
love you" Suddenly she flung herself
upon her knees. "Do you know why
/ was first attracted to your" she
cried. "The man 1 love is a bunch
back. His whole life has been poi
soned by his inflrmlty. I came here,
TO be a nurse, to give my life to 9TH
ers. / met you, learned of your op-
GRAFTON and hoped that some day the
time would arrive when he, too, would
hear OF you and would come to you
10 be made n straight man like other
men. and then"
1T loved you" said Doctor Klein
hoarsely.
'You loved me-" she repeated me-
chanically.
Miss Garvin," he said slowly five
minutes ago 1 contemplated the black
est crime that any doctor could mag
inc or dream of. You have straight
cned out the mental klnk' in my own
brain as / shall straighten Mr. Man
ning's body tomorrow"
''Mr. Mannlng!' she cried, and stood
staring AT him In terror. "You know,
then. He is"
''My dear" the doctor answered, "he
has told me everything. He loves you.
And he is under this roof tonight.
But you must not go TO him now. You
shall see him tomorrow, and you and
l will cure him."
And Manning saw Esther's face,
smiling on hlE as he sank to sleep
under the ether; and Esther's was the
first that he saw when he awakened
I'm his room afterward. But Doctor
Klein was standing at her side.
"You will be well soon," said Doc
tor Klein. You will be straight as a
man should 80 and IL wish you"
But he knew that his life also