The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-10-03
Chapter 4

any language like that, and reckon
he understood, even IL didn't have
to say much," remarked the dark
haired girl to Joan Wentworth. ut
doesn't seem to have occurred to Doc
tor Lancaster yet that nurse is a
human being under her uniform.
sIf he'd treat us half as nicely as
he treats some Of his lady friends"
she added, in suggestive tone that
changed into the accentuation of ordi-
nary speech under Joan's discouraging
look. ".I've seen him driving them
round town nights In his auto. and
! I'VE never seen the same one twice. I
guess. he takes it out on us when
they've been mean to him."
Joan did not answer her. She was
watching the head surgeon as he came
INTO the operating theater. At his en-
trance the general buzz Of conversa-
tion ceased. as If the outpouring of
words had been cut off with knife.
The students on the benches settled
themselves In their places and craned
their heads forward intently. The two
assistant surgeons, Ivers and MacPher-
son, assumed attitudes of constraint,
for everybody was constrained in Lam
casters presence. The orderly. who
had been peering through the crack
OF the swinging door into the anes-
thetic room, where the head nurse was
holding the patients wrist and watch
ing the face beneath the mask intent
ly, Strengthened himself and stood up
in military fashion. Only the visiting
doctors seemed at their ease as they
advanced to shake hands with John
Lancaster.
They had come from several neigh
boring cities. drawn by the news that
Lancaster was to perform his famous
operation of arterial excelsior, which
was just then the subject of discussion
in the medical press. Plenty of sur
geons had tried to remove a section
of one of the larger blood vessels. but
only Lancaster had succeeded In
bringing down the mortality to Is per
cent.
Lancaster was something Of a, mys-
terry both to his colleagues and to the
nursing staff. The Lancaster fund
supported the Southern hospital, and
John Lancaster was firmly established
at the head of the institution. The
board of guardians. which existed ac-
cording to the terms laid down in his
fathers will. had apparently only an
advisory capacity. and it was supple
and plastic in Lancaster's hands. And
John Lancaster was more feared and
admired than any doctor In the
country.
Feared by most for his tyranny, ad-
mired by very few on account Of his
extraordinary skill. he seemed to have
a dual personality. The man whose
fast life was the scandal of the con-
servative little southern seaport. who
was ostracized by the better families,
whose infrequent appearances in the
hospital were usually the occasion for
injustice, storms and dismissals,
changed In the operating theater into
man whose gentleness and humility
and skill made him adored for the time
by all who came into contact with him.
But 1t was only rarely that a case
occurred that required his attention.
On such occasions his manner was
In itself remarkable. He would slip
steaithily into his private room, dress
there, and emerge masked like a
mummy to perform his miracle almost
In silence, and afterward to make his
escape in a way suggestive of his hav-
Ing performed some shameful action.
SO much Joan Wentworth had heard.
Naturally she watched his entrance on
this. her first day of surgical work.
with absorbed interest. But Lancaster
came In unmasked, and Joan could dis
Germ nothing humble or secretive in
the self-satisfied face or the brisk