Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-24
0 .SD M, HERE 1T CONTINUES
CHAPTER "
4 Doctor Of Many Degrees

Z CHAPTER Nv
- 4 Doctor Of Many Degrees
DEAD! The girl was on her knees be.
D.,de John Bruce. Dead.-he did not
.,nrci It was the man VINO had
",rned his watch fob hardly hall an
Sasr before! What did It mean! What
IA those angry shouts. that scurrying
- many feet ont there IN the Iane
S,sam? Hurriedly. her face as deadly
% mSite as the face upturned to her from
the floor, she tore open the once I'M
r.sculate nm shirt front. that was now
linn and wet and ugly with great
crimson stain, and laid bare the wouno'
The sounds from without were rcced-,
Ia, Inc scurrying footsteps were keep
,ns On along the lane. quiVer ran
thSough the form on the floor: Dead !
No. no was not dead-not-not yet.
= A l,.tle cry escaped from her tightly
,,osod jins. and for an instant she COW
.rnd her eyes with her hands. The
,,,n,nd was terrible--it frightened her.
Il frightened her the more because, in
tuitively. she knew that 1t was beyond
.nv inexperienced MD that she could
1--WE. But she must act, and act
quickly. ,.-
She turned and ran into the adJoin-
,ne room to the telephone, but even as
sbe reached out to lift the receiver from
,be hook she hcsitated. DR.. Crang A
littlc shudder of aversion swept over her
and then resolutely. even pleading
with central to hurry, she asked for the
connection. 1t was not matter OF
choice, or aversion, or any other con-
sideration in the world save n ques-
tion of minutes. The life Of that man
in there on the floor hung by a thread.
DIR, Crang was nearby enough to re-
spond almost instantly, and there was
no one else she knew Of who she could
hone would reach the man III time. And
she stared frantically at the irls.ru.
ment now-was even he unavailable?
why didn't he answer? Why didn't
A voice reached her. She recognized
"Dr. Crang, this is Claire Veniza,"
she said, and 1t did not seem as though
she could speak fast enough. Come
at once--oh, at once-please! There's
a man here frightfully wounded. There
isn't q second to lose, So
''My dear Claire" interrupted the
voice sunvely, ''instead Of losing one
you can save several by telling me what
kind Of wound it is, and where the
man is wounded"
''It's knife wound. a stab, I
think she answered; "and it's in his
side. He is unconscious, and
The receiver at the other end had been
replaced on its hook.
She turned from the telephone. and
swiftly, hurrying, but in cool self con.
troll now, she obtained some cloths and
basin Of warm water, and returned
TO John Bruce's side. She could not do
much, she realized that-Only make
what effort she could to stanch the ap-
palling flow of blood from the wound !:
that. and place cushion under the
mans head, for she could not lift him
to the couch.
The minutes passed; and then think
ing she heard Ii footstep at the front
door. she glanced in that direction, half
in relief, and yet, too, In curious ap-
prehension. She listened. No, there
was no one there yet. She had been
mistaken.
Suddenly she caught her breath in q
little gasp, as though startled. Doctor
Crang was clever but faith in Doctor
Crang professionally was one thing, and
faith in him in other respects was quite
another. Why hadn't she thought Of
It before? 1t wasn't too late yet, was
Il?
She began to search hastily through
John Bruce's pockets. Doctor Crang
would almost certainly suggest remOv-
ing the man from the sitting room down
here and getting him upstairs to a bed
room, and then he would undress his
patient, and--and 1t was perhaps as
well to anticipate Doctor Crang! This
man here should have quite n sum OF
money on his person. She had given il
10 him herself, and--yes, here II was .
The crisp new fifty dollar bills. the
stamped and numbered ticket that iden-
titled the watch fob he had pawned,
were In her hand. She ran across the
room. opened little safe In the cor
ner, placed the money and ticket inside,
locked the safe again, and returned 10
John Bruce's side once more.
And suddenly her eyes filled. There
was no tremOr. no movement in the
mans form now; she could not even
feel his heartbeat. Yes, she wanted
Doctor Crang now. passionately. wildly.
1ohn Bruce--that was the mans name.
she knew that much. But she had left
him miles away--and he was here now
and She did not understand. How had
no got here, why had he come hero,
climbing in through that window to fall
at her feet like one dead?
The front door opened without pre-
mohltory ring of bell, and closed again.
fo0tstep came quickly forward
through the outer room--and paused
on the threshold.
eyes went swiftly, sharply, to the figure
NtVIulng thprn---o nf ,,arho IN hi nj ~
years of age, Of powerful build, and
yet whose frame seemed now woefully
.,9ose, disJolnted and without yirility.
ne. ier eyes Travelled to the mans clothing
@ s.m5 was dirty, spotted. and in dire
h.eu or sponging, to the necktie that
muhs awry, to the face that, but for it's
raGa r.naneGaaithy, pasty-yellOw complexion,
'' WOULD have been almost strikingly hand.
sSonie, TO the ct.black eyes that some
@ "uw nt the moment seemed to lack fire
an "nu life. And with little despairing
,mrug OF her shoulders, Claire Veniza
urhed away her head, and pointed to
VI. iorm of John Bruce on the floor.
D-l am afraid It is very serious,
Do"1Ur ..u Crang," she faltered.
mats all right, Claire" he said
J""nmpiaccntly. That's all right. my
near, ,o You can leave it with confidence
snbsaney Angus Crang, Nj. D."
toShe one drew n little away as he stepped
i,'o,rward, her face hardening into tight
,.ls lines. Hidden. her hands claspe !
h"I'ous'y together. lit was what she
ra reared. Doctor Sydney Angus
ams. gold medaiist from one of tho
isu. American universities. bril-
49,, ~ ,1ar beyond his fellows, with addi-
/. .vnnna, from Haa vem' .lcna I-~.--S~~~