Evening star., 1933-04-02

, head was covered with perspiration.
Thomas almost had to carry him. He
led him behind the shelter of the life
boat, laid him out on the deck near
Mill Lensch and felt his pulse. 1t was
weak and irregular.
THAT is not the result of your fall"
said Thomas, knitting his brow. What
is hurting you?"
The man writhed and moaned. Call
stones. Terrible pains" He pressed
both hands against his left abdomen
and clenched his teeth.
Morphine" Thomas whispered to
Sister Martha. Bring syringe. Up
to 25."
The sick man seemed deaf. He only
moaned. Thomas loosened his necktie,
and undid his shirt and undertook
hurried examination. The tall, ema-
ciated body trembled beneath his hands
and became covered with sweat. What
attracted the doctors particular atten-
ton was the weak and irregular beat of
/ the heart. 1t was not symptom of
gallstones.
HE has a crown embroidered on his
shirt" suddenly shouted Mill Look,
Mr.. Marius, he is really prince" And
she pointed out to him the monogram
"B. " NJ" with seven-spiked crown
above 1t.
That's a baron's crown" explained
the old man.
Thomas remembered that he had
heard somewhere about a baron travel
ing third. I'VE have a Baron Mergen-
theim on board, too," the purser said at
lunch, land If I'm not mistaken, third
Glass;
Baron Mergentheim?" asked Thomas.
The patient opened his eyes.
''At lunch I saw a Baroness Mergen-
theim. Is she any relation of yours?"
The patients eyes closed again.
I'VE are a widely scattered family.
know very few of them"
Sister Martha arrived. Thomas tried
to pull the baron's shirt over his shoul-
der.
Make the injection in the breast"
cried the patient-his teeth chattering
Don't you see that I'm chilled all
through?"
Thomas. however, had his suspicious
and Mergentheim's actions merely re-
inforced them.
Into the arm-or not at ALL" he said
Into the left arm" he added, when he
saw that Mergentheim was trying to
slip his shirt off his right shoulder.
This is damned outrage" ragged
VIC. PoeACAt. OI WOulQ Ollly odtC VI
do this on the fore deck. I'll make a
complaint. You will get dismissed"
Thomas did not reply He had now
slipped the shirt off the left shoulder
and saw what he had suspected Close
beside each other like fly-specks, the
tiny points of countless punctures.
1T is your duty" screamed Mergen-
thein, his face distorted with rage, sud-
denly sitting up and seizing the ply
sician by his coat. You have to give
morphine to people in pain. You have
II don't doubt them in the least"
said Thomas politely. IT am even con-
vinced that you have pains. The count
less punctureS in your left arm are evi-
dence that you are serious morphine
addlct. Professionally speaking, can't
give you any more. You will have to
bear the pains as well as you can"
II am no longer morphine addict"
said Mergentheim defensively. Il was !
released from the Wattenberg Sana- |
torium as completely cured. I have |
proof of it." Thomas did not appear to |
hear him.
You can easily give me little shot |
0.025-that's hardly anything at all. !
won't pretend illness again. If you only |
knew how much I suffered during my |
cure"
He joined his hands in supplication:
he pleaded for it as a man dying of !
thirst pleads for drop of water. Then :
he began to cry. 1t was pitiful to watch /
this tall, handsome man, crying des-
pairingly like a child without the |
slightest sense Of shame or restraint.
Thomas and Sister Martha half |
carried Mergentheim to his cabin. He
occupied an upper berth. but Wilhelm
Neudorf1er. the carpenter from Upper /
Austria, Immediately offered to ex-
change with him when he saw the /
ashy pale, swaying man.
Il will send you a bromide and
powerful sleeping powder for tonight"
Thomas said. Then, bending over the
patient, he asked in low voice, "Shall
I tell your sister,"
Gould you do that9" The baron