Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-10-14
The
"Chirurgeons"
By A L
d. l92l, western Newspaper Union.

E.. Addison Blake whistled as he
set down his lawyers letter. Then he
looked out of the windows of the din.
ing hall of Fyles Abbey into the heart
of an English countryside in June.
Suddenly he turned in answer to his
wife's inquiry.
"Muriel, DEAR" he said, 'if l hadn't
received this letter by this mornings
post we should have lost our new
home forever"
"How, dear2" inquired his pretty
wife, startled.
"This way: You know Lord Tyne
side, from whom we bought it, didn't
appreciate having to sell a property
which had been in his family for eight
hundred years to an American whose
father made his fortune packing pork.
And you remember he was quite nasty
10 us. Well, he omitted to point to a
very vital item In the title deed, which
Barrett & Co. have just discovered In
the nick of time. Fyles Abbey was
granted to the first Lord Tyneside by
Henry v, who, as you may remember,
died from ~overeating. And, while nomi.
nallx a gift, 1t was to be held, like
MANY of these old castles, upon q Gu
rious condition, and to revert to the
crown if ever this condition were not
complied with. In brief, the owner
has to present to his majesty every
year, on the anniversary of the gift,
ten surgeons. And the anniversary Is
next Thursday. And the king is in
Scotland"
Present ten surgeons" exclaimed
Muriel in amazement.
Eyes, my dear. The original deed
is almost undecipherable, but the law
yers say there is no doubt that the
word is surgeons, or as the spelling
has it, 'chirurgeons.' I suppose King
Henry used them to cure his indiges-
ton. but I'm sure / don't know what
King George will use them for. |
guess he'll knight them andIsend them
home.''
They kept 1t out of the newspapers,
but everybody in London was talking
about the kings illness on Thursday
afternoon, ever before the train, bear
ing eleven gentlemen pledged to strict
est secrecy, rolled into Balmoral sta
ton. Upon the platform stood the
station master, with an army Of
newspaper men.
won't you let US know what is the
matter with the kng?" pleaded the
youngest reporter ENORMOUSLY, as the
puzzled NEEDLES looked around In be-
wilderment.
mot a world" exclaimed Mr..
Blake angrily. Gentlemen, this is all
a mistake. There's nothing the mat.
ter with his majesty. This is purely a
political visit"
1.-THE kings playing golf on his
Inks" piped up the inevitable small
boy. II saw him through the hedge"
"Then it'll be an operation" groan-
ed the station master
Blake and his surgeons started up
the road.
AT last they left the road, and, trav-
ersing a field, halted before a hedge
of hawthorn, behind which could be
seen a golf green, stretching away up
to where Balmoral castle stood In the
midst Of its parks and woods. There
the doctors, who had been in quiet
consultation, halted.
"Mr. Blake" said the leader, a dig
niied, elderly gentleman, before we
go a step farther we must insist on
knowing just why you have brought us
to Balmoral, and what your authority
is. We respectfully decline to ap-
proach through a gap in a hedge.
II told you ! would pay you fifty
pounds apiece" shouted Blake angri-
~.
my dear SIR" said the eldest, in
smooth, professional voice, "if you will
come back home, I am u we can
bring him to your bedside"
my bedside2 You think I'm crazyY'
demanded Blake.
AS he shouted something whizEed
over his head, and two men came up
to the hedge.
"Sliced, sir !" exclaimed one Of the
players. It'll be in the long grass,
think"
II want to see the king" yelled
Blake. as the players stopped.
AT your service, SIR" answered the
other. a short man with a pointed
beard and prominent eyes. At the
sight of him the doctors closed round
Mr.. Blake, attempting to pull him
down.
Listen, your majesty" shouted the
American. I'm not crazy. I've bought
Fyles Abbey, and I've brought ten sur
geons to pay my yearly rental. II
says so in the deed. 1t was LORD
T~yneside's place. Don't I have TO
bring you ten ~surgeonsT'
"Ah! Fyles Abbey! Very Interest.
ing. No, sir, you've misread your deed
It's surgeons, not surgeons; but as
surgeons don't frequent English wa