The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1924-11-06
Chapter I

81 let him see ] wouldn't stand for
any language like that. and | reckon
he understood, even If l 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 a nurse is
human being under her uniform.
.'If he'd treat us half as nicely as
he treats some of his lady friends"
she added, In a suggestive tone that
changed into the accentuation of ordi-
nary speech under Joan's discouraging
look. 1--WE seen him driving them
round town nights in his auto. and
I've never seen the same one twice. ]
puess he takes it out on us when
they've been mean TO him."
Joan did not answer her. She was
wat ching the head surgeon as he came
into the operating theater. At his en-
tra1.ce the general buzz of conversa-
tion ceased, as II the outpouring OF
words had been cut off with a knife
The students on the benches settled
themselves in their places and craned
their heads forward intently. The two
ASST slant surgeons, Ivers and MacPher-
son assumed attitudes of constraint,
for everybody was constrained In Ian
casters presence. The orderly, VINO
had been peering through the crack
of .he swinging door into the anes-
thetic room. where the head nurse was
bol, ing the patients wrist and watch
Ing the face beneath the mask intent
lv. straightened himself and stood up
In military fashion. Only the visiting
doc, ors 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
one..ation of arterial excision. which
ras inst then the subject Of discussion
IN the medical press. Plenty OF sur
gaons had tried TO remove a section
~ one Of the larger blood vessels. but
only Lancaster had succeeded IN
bringing down the mortality to 10 per
cent.
lancaster was something Of mys-
terv both to his colleagues and 10 the
nur.,nr staff. The Lancaster fund
supported the Southern hospital. and
John Lancaster was firmly established
q, the head OK the institution The
board of guardians. which existed ac-
cord,ng 10 the terms laid down In his
fatbers will. had apparently Only an
.d,~,sorv capacity. and II was supple
"a nlastic in Lancasfer's hands. And
Iob, Lancaster was more feared and
admired than any doctor In the
country.
F,ared By most for his tyranny, adj
.,t-,s bv very few on account Of his
ex,raordinary skill. he seemed to have
daoi personality til man whose
fast life was the scandal OF the con
ser,etive little southern seaport. who
was osfracized by the better families.
shes 20 infreanent appearances In the
hos, ltai were usually the occasion for
infpstlce. storms and dismissals.
cha. ,red in the operating chester into
ausr whose gentieness and humility
srf skill made him nrnreu Tor me iiine
hvtu who came into contact with him
But II WIS only rarely that a case
occurred that required his attention.
on such occasions his manner was
IN itself remarkable He would slip
s-eai,hTy into his private room. dress
there. and emerge masked Ike q
mummy 10 perform his miracle almost
n silence. and afierward to make his
eecs,e in way suggestive Of his hav-
frx performed some shameful action.
5 much Joan Wentworth had heard
Naturally she watched his entrance on
this. her first day Of surgical work.
with absorbed interest. But Lancaster
cane In unnasked. and Joan could dis
err nothing humble or secretive in
Il. self-sstisfed face or the brisk