Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30

Hospital, and you nave slept III d
leper's bed
Need | tell you more, Jimmie? 1t
seems that in view of the approach
ing battle all these poor creatures
had been evacuated the day before.
Then as the British advanced they
had been brought back by this their
medical superintendent, who assured
me that though he believed he was
immune to the disease, he would none
the less never have dared to Go what
I had done. He put me in a private
room, treated me kindly, and within
a week or so / was removed to the
general hospital at Pretoria.
$50 there you have my tragedy.
hoped against hope, but it was not
until / had reached home that the
terrible signs which you see upon my
face told me that / had not escaped.
What was / to do? l was in this
lonely house. We had two servants
whom we could utterly trust There
was a house where / could live. Under
pledge of secrecy Mr.. Kent, who is
surgeon, was prepared to stay with
me. 1t seemed simple enough on
those lines. The alternative was a
dreadful one-segregation for life
among strangers with never a nope
of release. But absolute secrecy was
y
tryside there would have been an out
cry, and l should have been dragged
to my horrible doom. Even you. JIM
mie-even you had to be kept in the
dark. Why my father has relented L
cannot imagine.
Col Ellsworth pointed to me.
This is the gentleman who forced
my hand" He unfolded the scrap OF
paper on which i had written the
Tn
that if he knew so much as that IT
was safer that he should know all.
"And so it was" said I. who
knows but good may come of 1t? /
understand that only Mr.. Kent has
seen the patient. May / ask, sir, II
YOU are an authority on such com
plants. which are, 1 understand.
| tropical or semi-tropical i'll their
| nature"
II have the ordinary knowledge OF
| the educated medical man, ne Cd
served, with some stiffness.
az have no doubt, sir, that you are
| fully competent. but l am sure that
YOU will agree that in such case
second opinion Is valuable. You nave
avoided this, I understand, for fear
| that pressure should be put upon you
| to segregate the patient.
| THAT is so,' said Col EmsWortn.
"I foresaw this situation, L eX-
planned, land / have brought with me
friend whose discretion may aoso,
| 1utelv be trusted / was able once TO
| do him a professional service, and ne
| is ready to advise as TREND
rather than as specialist. His name
| is Sir James Saunders.
THE prospect of an interview with
| Lord Roberts would not have eX-
| cited greater wonder and pleasure IN
| a raw subaltern than was now reflect-
| ed upon the face of Mr.. Kent.
| IT shall, indeed, be proud, ne muir
INJURED.
| Then / will ask sir James to step
/ this way. He is at present in the cab
/ outside the door, Meanwhile, Col Ems
worth, we may perhaps assemble IN
| your study, where | could give the
necessary explanations"
| And here it is that / miss my Wat
son. BY cunning questions and eJacu-
| lations of wonder he could elevate my
| simple art, which is but a systema-
tized common sense, into prodigy.
When l tell my own story l have no
such aid. And yet, / will give my
kprocess of thought even as gave 1t
| to my small audience, which included
Godfrey's mother, in the study of Col.
| Ellsworth.
"That process" said I, starts upon
the supposition that when you have
eliminated all which is impossible, then
whatever remains, however improb-
Iale, must be the truth. 1t may well
be that several explanations remain,
in which case one tries test after test
until one or the other of them has "a
convincing amount of support. We
will now apply this principle to the
| case in point. AS it was first pre-
sented to me, there were three possi-
| BILE explanations of the seclusion or