Year: 1878

return for your services, IL you comply |
with my conditions, j shall pay you one
hundred dollars" and handing me five
twenty dollar gold pieces, said, here is
the pay for your first visit, do you ac-
cept ?"


must know replied, "what are
the conditions 1 am to agree to- though
I needed the money so badly, was
ready to agree to anything not actually
wicked.


"What i require" he replied, 'is, that
after getting into the carriage now in
waiting at the door, you allow yourself |
to be blindfolded, and so to remain until
you reach the room of your patient; and
you are not to try to ascertain who your
patient is, nor the manner in which his
injuries were received. You shall be
safely returned to your office, probably
within two hours.


thought over the proposition for u
few moments, and as could really see
no reason to apprehend danger from ac-
companying him, L signified my accept
ance of his conditions. He then handed
me the sum agreed upon, told me the
nature of the case, that / might know
what instruments to take, and in five
minutes we were on our way. AS soon
as we started, he produced a handker-
chief for bandage, which according to
promise, allowed him to place over my
eyes. We rode rapidly, for probably
fifteen minutes, during which time we
made so many turns that l could not
even judge the direction we were from
my office. When the carriage stopped
my companion conducted me into the
house, passing through long hall, and
up pair of stairs covered with a carpet
so soft and thick that no sound of our
footsteps could be heard, and taking me
into room requested me to wait few
minutes while he announced my ar
rival. From the rustic of garments, /
was sure that a lady was in the room,
although nothing was said, during the
absence of my guide, who soon returned
and informed me that he would now
take me to the patient who was anxious
| ly expecting me. He then led me from
the room, across hall, as 1 thought,
into an apartment opposite, when he re-
moved my bandage, and pointing to
another door, and said, you will find the
patient needing your services in the room
adjoining this"


"a quick survey of the furniture and
ornaments, around the room, showed it
to be the home of wealth and refine
ment. l had no time now to think
over the singular manner in which L
had been brought there, though the
questions, why all this secrecy? would
force itself upon me.


6 l found my patient to be a young
man, probably about twenty-three years
of age, and to be suffering from severe
fracture of the thigh, and a severe cut
on the head, with some internal injuries
which judged came from fall. 1t
was apparent that the injuries had been
received, a day or perhaps two days
previous, and wondered greatly at the
delay in securing surgical attention.
After attending to his injuries in
proper manner, during which time
1 saw no other person except the gentle
men who had come for mel signified
my readiness to leave-when 1 was
again blindfolded and returned to my
office accompanied by my former COM
panion. He removed my bandage as
the carriage stopped at my office, and
said :" L suppose, doctor, I'VE can depend
upon your services, as we may need
them" / Iassured him that he might,
and wishing him good night, went into
my office to think over the singular cir
cumstances attending this visit.


''After returned it was long before
could sleep, and then l dreamed such
strange dreams, that 1 awoke in the
morning uncertain whether the whole
affair, was not delusion, and nothing
but the gold received for the visit con-
WINGED me of the reality of the transac-
ton. Although had promised not to
try to discover who my patient was, 1
must acknowledge that nearly my
whole thought through the day, was,
who is this mysterious patient,and why
all this secrecy but 1 arrived at no sat
isfactory conclusion. About ten o'clock
in the evening was again called for by