Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-09-03
The Doctors
Sacrifice
BY MURIEL BLAIR
e 1871. western Newspaper Un'on)

resolved 70 take the eAaAee "a -
asked.
His steel-grey eyes were fixed IN
wayeringiy 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 | am the fourth
who has risked this?"
"The nth" answered the great sur
geon composedly.
And two Of them diedT
"Oh. dear, no. Well. yes, two died,
but one Of these would have died any
way from other causes. In his case
death was q merciful release. l 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 hunch-
back.
And I suppose" the surgeon ended,
smiling kindly, that there is, as usual,
a woman ia the case"
The hunchback's eyes lit up.
"TlI tell you, Doctor Klein" he said,
for you have been my best friend in
the world. Yes-there is a woman In
the case.
Il haven't burdened you with my
early history. but / may as well say
that l am a man of good family and
in my youth enjoyed the advantages
Of an excellent education Ny early
life was. as you may imagine, tor
ture Of self-consciouSness and suffer
ing. Once. when / was about twenty
one. | fell in love One day | dared
10 tell her. / shall never forget the
astonished look Tn her eyes. She made
no answer bur went out of the room.
But when ! met Esther Garyin
things were different. She made me
forget my infirmity Ours was a real
communion Of souls; | knew then that
I had met a woman who would marry
me in spite Of all, 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 q mad dem
onstration Of love which left each Of
us panic-strlcken and ashamed. l.
because / knew that | had been eur
to tell her, she. because she knew this
feeling In my heart. ] left her aud
never saw her again.
For two years | tried 10 put her
out Of my heart, but in vain Then
heard of your operation And when
am well ! shall tell Esther, and she
VIII 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.
tive 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, ] see that you are. You gave
me to understand once that your heart
was pledged / want sou to tell me
one thing. and ! do not ask it imper-
tlnently Where is the man you lover
Il don't know she answered.
"IIe has gone out Of your life?"
But ! love him stin," she cried
defautly. Il 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 II hard
er for me / 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 ! love Is a hunch-
back His whole life has been poi
soned by his inhrmity i came here.
10 be a nurse. to give my life to 9th
ers. ] met you learned Of your OPP
GRAFTON and hoped that some day the
time would arrive when he. too, would
hear of you and would come to you
to be made straight man ike other
men, and then"
4 loved YOU. said Doctor Klein
hoarsely.
"You loved me, she repeated me-
chemically.
Miss Garvin, he said slowly five
minutes ago | contemplated the black,
est crime that any doctor could imag.
inc or dream Of You have straight