Year: 1870

ovel my eyes. We rode rapidly, for proba-
bly, fifteen minutes, during which time we
made so many turns that 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 carpet SO soft and thick that
no sound of our footsteps could be heard
and taking me into a room requested me to
wait u few minutes, while he announced
my arrival. From the rustic of garments
| was sure that some lady was in the room
although nothing was said, during the alb
sence Of my guide, WHO soon returned and
Informed me that he would now take me to
the patient who was anXiously expecting
me. He then led me from the room, across
hall as | thought, into an apartment op-
posite, when he removed my bandage, and
pointing to another door, 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 refinement. l had no time now to
think much over the singular manner in
which had been brought there, though
the question, why all the secrecy? would
force itself upon me.


found my patient to be young man,
probably about twenty-three years of age,
and to be suffering from a severe fracture
of the thigh and severe cut on the head,
with some internal injuries, which judged
came from fall. 1t was apparent that
the injuries had been received day or
perhaps two days previous, and wonder
cd greatly at the delay in securing surgi-
cal attention. After attending to his i'll
iuries in " proper manner, during which
gentlemen who had come for me-I signi-
fled my readiness to leave-when [ was
again blindfolded and returned to my Of
flee accompanied by my former companion.
He removed my bandage rs the carriage
stopped at my office, and said II suppose
doctor we can depend upon your services
as we may need them" l assured him
that he might and wishing him "good
night" went into my Office to think ovei
the singular circumstances attending this
visit.


After l returned it was long before
could sleep and then dreamed sucl
strange dreams, that | awole in the morn
ing uncertain whether the whole affair
was not delusion, and nothing but thC
| gold received for the visit convinced ms
of the reality of the transaction. Although
l had promised not to try to discover whC
my patient was, l must acknowledge tina
nearly my whole thought through the day
was, " who is this mysterious patient anC
why all this secrecy" but arrived at NJ
satisfactory, conclusion. About ten o'clocl
in the evening l was again ca led for b,
the same person who came the evening
previous, and again he paid me the hun
dred dollars, for a visit, requiring the same
precautions.


In this manner / had made four visits
receiving each time, the same fee, and a
yet was as far as ever from arriving at an,
solution of the mystery. | could but won
der "why they should pay me SO large
price for secret visit, when tcn' dollar
would pay for the visit in the regular man
ner of the best surgeon in New Y YorlS," un
less there was some crime connected witt
the case. What l saw on the premise
showed every evidence of wealth and refine
mcnt, and l was unable to think in wha
way to connect any crime with the par
ties.


The morning after my fourth visit, il
looking over paper, read paragraph
which it once explained as l thought, tn
whole affair This you remember wa
before the days of telegraphs, and oftel
quite important events would not be ex
tensively known by the public for som
days after they had happened. The articl
read as follows


: "on last Monday night, Charles Gordon VIII