The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-02-08
JUST LUCK
" KATHERINE NEWELL,

Clyde lianasan contemplated tia
quesiloner !n silence for moment.
slowly rruoyIng a piece OF sweet clo-
yer no lwi1 chewing before he an.
swers. mo. there's lots of life In
the oil country and yoli meet with nil
sorts OF folks. mostly bir.bearted II
they sometimes alnt much IN the way
of morals" His clear blue gaA
swept the green foothills OF the Al.
leghenles lovingly.
Clarence henson WINGED as The lads
eyes rested on his white arms.
"Do you always intend 10 work on
oil leasesf Don't you want TO he
something differently" Clarence asked
after another silence OF watching anx.
lousIy for bite.
"Yep, want TO be what your father
wants me 10 be--the best surgeon In
the country; but there's darned H.
lie chance for me. the only boy. with
u slew ~ sisters 60 put through
school. Gee. but you're n lucky guy.
All, well, guess there will be money
In this oil game for us after while;
but then maybe III be too old for med.
lcal school. A fellow should be
trained real young for that work, ehf
My hands would Dc spoiled for sur
gcry---tool dressing spreads 'em SOP
Clyde looked at his work-staned, we'll
shaped hands regretfnlly; then
stretching out his long. graceful limbs
he got up and, pushing buck q mop cf
dark red hair, looked down with
wistful smile at Clarence Benson idly
watching the float IN the sparkling
water. "fhey say that everything
comes TO those who walt but ] am
Inclined TO think that us just luck
with some folks. like you and Your
fishing an becoming surgeon.
Some folks would set around this lake
q whole week and don't git the catches
you get In dayp He strobe out
toward the oil well on the hilltop.
"What do you know about that,
motherl Clarence Benson died last
nightly Clyde Hanavan put down
the newspaper, and his lips trembled
for moment.
"yes, / heard that down at the post
Office this morning. II appears that
Clarence had appendicitis, but Doctor
Benson was afraid TO have him oper-
ated on, so he tried treatment Finally
he got surgeon from New York, bu'
II was too late, the lad only lived
few hours nfter the operation. Seems
as though Doctor Benson would 20
crazy, they say; he'd set his heart ON
that boy being such a wonderful SUR
geon; he was an only child, too,' said
Mrs. Hanavan with thankful sigh MS
she looked at her family around her.
"Gosh, aren't / glad I'm alivel aBut
feel bad over Clarence Benson!
A few months later Doctor Benson.
broken In health and spirit over the
death Of his idolized son. came to his
home in The foothills, where he 0wned
some property adjoining the Hama
vans lease.
A few weeks later "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 eyeslght was so
bad that it fell TO Clyde's skilled
fingers TO bandage and ease the in
jured, to remove and care for the
dead.
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?
Clyde was just completing his first
ad' to the terribly burned engineer
and had given 'hypos" to the rest Of
the injured under Doctor Withers' or
ders, when Doctor Benson arrived Mt
the scene Oh tlle wreck.
Il don't see that there is anything |
left for me to do. You have already |
done everything that can be done lln-
der such God-forsaken conditions
and little more; why call
mel | would like to congratulate the I
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.
"It was Clyde Hanavan, sir. He
fixed 'em all upw piped small voice
from the darkness.
II fixed 'em up, sir, but Doc With
ers taught me first aid and cot dnt
have done it without him.. sir, an 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.
"Its TOO bad the lad can't be made
a surgeon; he's wonderful at his first
aid work, Doctor Benson" Doctor
Withers looked affectionately at his
pupil.
Ut would be too bad to let the
world lose such an able surgeon, too,
whatever my feelings are in this mat
ter. Clyde, would you be too proud