Year: 1877




that their gaze was preternatural in its
directness, heavy, grizzled eyebrows
hung over them like the tangled name
of a lion. the nose was sharp and prom
inent. and the chin was overgrown with
white hair. which hung down in locks
as weird as the ancient mariners. He
politely doffed his cap. bowed, replaced
it, and then said in a slightly foreign
accent: Madam. it is not necessary for
me to stand on any further ceremony, as
your husband, DR.. Maynard (hereupon
he again bowed profoundly has already
made you acquainted with my business
here tonight. | perceive he added,
glancing at my robe. that you were ex-
pecting me-"


".No,' l found voice to stammer.
The doctor has said nothing to me
about visitor at this hour of the night"


".Ah !! he wished to spare you, no
doubt, disagreeable apprehension he
returned. advancing and taking seat
on the sofa opposite me, where for few
moments he sat and eyed me from head
to foot with strange glitter in his eyes
that mysteriOusly impressed me. You
have a remarkable fine physique. mad
am,' he observed quietly, 'one that might
deceive the eye Of the most practiced
physician. Do you suffer much pain p /"


unable to speak. shook my head.
A terrible suspicion was creeping over
me. l was alone, miles away from aid
or rescue, with mailman.


'Ah ! he continued, rehectively,
your husband may have miatakon tu-
NOR for cancer. Allow me to feel your
p ulse. he said, rising and bending over
me.


81 thought it best to humor him. re-
membering it was uuwise for helpless
women to oppose the as yet harmless
freak of a lunatic He took out his
watch, shook his head gravely, laid my
hand down gently, and then went tow
ard the study where, on the table. was
an open case of surgical instruments.


DO not be alarmed, madam he
said to me as was about to rise and
flee. and in another instant he was by
my side, with the case in his possession.


"lnvoluntarily raised my hand and
cried


Spare me ! Oh. spare me, | beseech
you r"


Madame = he said sternly. clasping
my wrist with his long, sinewy fingers,
with grip of steel, you behave like a
child. l have no time to parley, for l
received letter from the emperor of the
French stating that he is suffering from
an lilac abscess. and is desirous of my
attendance. | must start for Europe
Immediately after performing the opera :
ton upon your breast and before |
could make the slightest resistance. be
had me in his arms and was carrying
me into the study. where there was a
long table covered with green baize On
this he laid me, and holding me down
with one hand with the strength of a
maniac, he brought forth from some hid
den recess in his gown several long,
leather straps, with which he secured
me to the table with the skill of an ex.
pert. 1t was but the work of moment
to unloose my robe and bare my bosom
Then, after carefully examining my lef
breast. he said:


Madam. your husband has made ;
mistake. | find no necessity for my in
tended operation


'At this | gave long drawn sigh o
relief, and prepared to RISE"


But. he continued, i have mad
the discovery that your heart is as larg
as that of an OK | will remove it s.
that you may see for yourself, reduce l
to its natural size by curious process
of my own, unknown to the medical sci
ence, and of which | am the sole discov
erer, and then replace it again.


He then Began to examine the edg
of the cruel knife. on which | closed m
eyes, while every nerve was in percepti
BILE tremor."


1.-The mechanism of the heart is lik
watch he resumed ; if it goes to
fast the great blood-vessel that supple
the force must be stopped like the leve
of watch, and the works must
cleansed and repaired and regulated.
may interest you to know that | wa
present at the post-mortem examinatio
held over the remains of the beautifr
Louise of Prussia. Had | been consul
ed before her death | would have save
her by taking out her heart and remo'
ing the polypi, between which it Wa
wedged like as if in vice, but | W;
called too late The king and l had
little difference-he was German, | al
French. l trust that is sufficient e,
! PLANTATION.


HE now bent over me, his long viii


beard brushing my face. 1 raised n
eyes beseechlngly, trying to think
some way to save myself. oh, sir, gl'
me an aesthetic, that may not feel Il
painP pleaded