Bloomington High School - Aepix Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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The Aegis 1920 couldn't afford that, and she has been a cripple ever since. She just sits in her room and will see no one. Yer sad, Madison agreed svm atheticall f You sa ' she was hurt when 'ou Q Y , as . v W 5 I were sixteen-that wasn t over a year ago, was it? H.-Xlmost four years ago-I'm almost twenty-onef' she replied. That old l he exclaimed, XVhy, you seem like just a child l VVhere does this money go F she asked, changing the subject swiftly. 'fTo Mrs. Carr-, he was interrupted by the hurried entrance of a woman of the tenement next door. Doctor l she cried, My daughter is sick-will you come quick ? He followed her out and reappeared in a short time. f'It's the Radburn girl-Qbad case of appendicitis-she ought to be operated on -I wonder-H Nan came over to him. If you can, save her, won't you? She is all her mother has. Haven't you instruments PU He nodded. 'lYes, I have com ilete operatin a aratus in that back room. 1 , g pp Do you suppose you could act as nurse? I I'll do anything l she exclaimed passionately, Hit you'll save her. You'll not fail-I have all the confidence in the world in you. Please l All right, he assented, Sterilize the instruments the way I showed you. I'll rig up a stretcher to bring her down on. And Nan, pray that I won't fail. Two hours later Dr. Madison found Nan waiting in the office for him. You're a brick, Nan, you stood by in that operation like'a trained nurse. She smiled wearily. I'm glad I did all right. Is she getting along well P Fine, he answered. She came out from under the anesthetic feeling as well as could be expected. f'Didn't I tell you you wouldn't fail F she asked. e After this Dr. Madison performed several skillful operations and at the same time trained Nan to act as nurse. He had been there almost a year when one day after an exceedingly difficult operation, she said to him: . Are you going to make my mother well, ever FU He hesitated a moment. It's a very dangerous operation Nan, but I'll try it next XVednesday if you want me tof' Oh thank you. How can I ever repay you for what you've done for me! Nan said with tears in her eyes. V M dear Nan he Jrotested, You have done more for me. You have Y . ' . ,, helped me to regain confidence in myself: The next Wednesday he went to the Allens' rooms, where Nan met him. I've told mother and she's so glad-come in here. I want you to talk to her. He followed her into the inner room where a white-haired lady sat in an in- valid chair. And this is Nan's great doctor F she asked. 'Tm so glad you have taken my case. Anything, even Death, would be preferable- to having to live all my days in a wheel chair. Page Twenty-one

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1920 The Aegis must eat to live, and l knew you wanted to live, so what else could I do P he smiled down on her. llut l can never pay you, Dr. Madison, Nan protested. Thats what l'm coming to now, he returned. I find that I need a helper in my office and l thought maybe you might like to help me. Your duties would be light and l don't think it would be too hard on you- Nan's eyes were shining. Oh, Doctor! How good you are ! Madison was touched by her gratitude. How little effort it required to make people happy l XVhen do you want me to start ? she asked. Oh, there's no hurry, take your time about getting well,', he replied. 6'Go0d- liye. Goodbye, Mrs. Maloney. Goodbye, they chorused. Aint he the angel ? Mrs. Maloney asked devoutly. You just ought to see his office, Nan. .Xnd he ain't charging people nothin' unless they can afford to pay it. l wonder where he gets his money. He must be rich, Nan replied thoughtfully, 1 wonder if he could operate on mother and make her well. 1 asked him if he ever operated on people and he looked sorta sad like and said he used to, but he didn't any moref' Mrs. Maloney said. I've a notion to ask him, anyway, Nan decided, I want to hurry up and get well now so that l can begin working for him. The next week found Nan settled at her post and very happy with her new position. The ramshackle old building had been transformed into a model office. Madison had accustomed himself to this new state of affairs and was becoming in- tensely interested in this work. The people of this district accepted him gladly and turned to him for advice. On finding out that they were sensitive about ac- cepting charity, he took their money and returned it anonymously. All his ex- penses he paid from the money he had saved and he dreaded to think of the time when this money would be gone. By careful spending he thought it would last a year. l-le found Nan to be most helpful to him and he accepted her worship of him unthinkingly. She was such a child, he thought. One day, having received no calls, he stayed in his office to help Nan straighten out his account books. Then she decided to ask him what she had been waiting to. Dr. Madison, she began timidly, Couldn't you operate on mother and make her well F lrle started, Why, Nan, l'd rather not. XN'hy?', Sometime perhaps, l'll tell you! l have operated on people, it's true, but I'm afraid to try it again, he explained. Oh, l see, she said, although she didn't see at all. Just what is wrong with your mother, Nan? l've never seen her, he asked. 'fShe had a very sad life, Dr. Madison. She was of a very good family, but when she married my father they turned her off. Father died and she had to sup- port me. Une day when I was about sixteen she was struck by a machine. lt in- jured her spine and a doctor said that only an operation would cure her. We Page TTUUII-X'

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1920 The Aegis g,Vv'e're going to make you well, he said cheerily, Are you two all ready now . They wheeled Mrs. Allen to the office. VVaiting there was a distinguished looking man. This is Dr. Scott, an old friend of mine, Madison introduced, 1 asked him to come down and help me. Late that afternoon Dir. Scott and Madison sat talking in the oflice. You performed that operation like a master, song she came out of it fine. I think you have proved that you are a man, and here's my proposition. l'm getting old and want to retire and in light of your excellent work the staff requests me to offer you the position of head surgeon at the hospital. Dr, Scott, you said that l've proved myself a man. lf that's true, then, it's being with these people tnat has made me one. Conseffuently l'll stay here where l can do some good. Hut Richard, think of the social position and money. It was my social position that made me lead a dissipated life before, sir, and as to money, l was notified this morning that 1 was sole heir to my uncle, the late li. R. Madison. T'hat will provide me with better quarters and a corps of assist- ants. VVhat more do I need ? 1 can't understand-you'd rather do charity work in the slums than be th: head of a large hospital- Dr. Scott ejaculated. My time is employed to much better advantage here, sir. But what of Evelyn ? lt would have been a great mistake for us to have announced our engage- ment. Uur ideas and ideals are entirely different. .l don't think Evelyn ever cared for me. I noticed in the Town Talk that society is expecting the announce- ment of her engagement to Lord Radcliffe. He has been very attentive to her this season. lplut there is no formal en- gagement-she was waiting to talk to you again, Dr. Scott replied. Please tell her that I hope we shall always be good friends and l thank you very much for assisting me this afternoon, Dr. Scott. We'll probably meet more often now. If 1 can help you at a consultation at any time, let me know. I'll do that, Richard. l'll tell Evelyn what you said-your decision is wise- Evelyn would never live this kind of a life. Come and see us when you have time. Goodbye, Richard, and God bless you. Goodbye, Dr. Scott. Madison replied and when the door closed he felt that he had shut out his old life. Life was a peculiar thing he thought, how one strug- gled to attain something and then when that was attained one needs must have something else! The door from the bed-room improvised for Mrs. Allen opened and Nan entered. He smiled at her and asked gently, How's the patient ? Fine, she answered, She came out nicely and is resting well. How much l owe you, Dr. Madison! You've made Mother well. What would you say if I were to leave here ? he asked teasingly. She started, but answered bravely. T have often thought that a man of your talent needs a better place than this. When are you going? Page Twenty-frc'o