LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2637, 19 September 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

TWELVE OUNCES OF BLOOD. (Continued.) 'ln another moment,' said he, without moving from his stooping posture over the bed, 'the veins are so oontracted in this case as to make the operation particularly delicate. Are you ready?' 'Yes,' f.aid the other, and selecting a swollen vtin in Tim's arm, just above tho bend In the elbow, he placed the cappingoup upon it. 'Now,' said Dr. Featherstone, 'I have opened the vein—it was surprisingly obscure. Hand me the eanula.' The end of the strange -ittle instiumant (as it seemed to Tim) was handed to him. Ho inserted it ia the vein, and holding it In its place, motiored to another doctor that the patient was not suffutontly exposed to view. The latter oame and fastened the curtain back and raised the man's head upon his pillow; meantime the operator, by a sharp blow, debased the lancet into the turgid vein in Tim's arm bad emptied the instrument of a mingling of bloo 1 and water. Tim, feeling the (rickupon his srm, watched the whole thing in much wonder. The water emptlrd, the escape cunnla was closed, and the communication Into the patient's vein opened, the operator holding firmly in his hand the balloon which pumped the blood and regulated its flow. 'Now,' said ho, 'stand back a moment, Montagu, and let me see the patient.' ' l'he blood has already penetrated a long way up the vein,' |»ald Dr. Montagu, who, having been arranging the patient, stood between the operator and the bed. He moved back, and Tim and the doctor simultaneously looked at the patient. 'The face.is changing color,' exclaimed the operator, ' the full action of the heart and lungs has recommenced." All leaned forward to behold the phenomena, and a second or two of silence fell uj on tbem, out of whioh they were inexpressibly startled by the sound of Tim's voice. It seemed more like a tiger's growl than human speeoh, and fell upon their ears with an effect such as the first o'ep of thunder on a quiet summer night produces.' * i Jut of the way, let me get at him.' They all turned with a start, and beheld Tim as a changed bing. The veins had swollen upon his forehead, his face was transformed hy rage, and his whole frame appeared to ba electric, and just gathered up for a spring. He was wholly unoonscions of the doctors, except so far as they were in his way; his face was rivetted upon the ghastly faoe whioh lay upon the lace-edged pillow. ' What's the matter ?' cried Dr. Featherstone, testily; ' for Ood sake hold him, gentlemen. He'll spoil the whole thing if he moves now.' In a second the doctors (who had each a nice plump fee in view) were round him, and before Tim oould stir three or four strong men had fastened upon some part of his body. Be was In chains. ' For the love of heaven let me go,' he cried, cold drops of intense excitement > tending on his brow ; 'Br Featherstone, do not let them hold me. It is my brother J aoob, and I have waited all these years for revenge.' 'Tim,' exclaimed Dr. Featherstce, absorbed in observing the patient, ' I'll give you twenty—thirty—fo: ty pounds If you'll only keep still.' ' I cannot/ oried 7im, in a voice such as is wrung from those who are under torture. ' I must kill him! I will litis my brother Jacob ' ' Well, Tim,' said Dr. Featherstone, In a tone half cynical, half commanding, ' if he is your brother, instead of killing the unfortunate man yea are ponring your blood into his veins and saving his life. Be grateful that you are enabled to perform suoh a Christian aot of forgiveness—and for God's sake stand still I' 'Pouring my blood into his veins and saving his life 1' repeated Tim, with suoh a shudder of horror and anguish throughout his strong frame that it went hard with the dootors to hold him ; ' I would I were i ouring poison into his veins Instead; if curses—if hat re 1 can turn blood to poison, then it is poison that you from me.' And poor Tom, swollen with his blind fnry, transformed by his burning horror at the deed he was doing, growled and struggled like a wild beast. At last, by a furious effort, after some two or three minutes, he displaced the Instrument. ' Twelve ounces have been passed, gentlemen,' aaid the operator's oalm voice. 'The patient cou'd not have borne a larger doße in his extremely weak state; the subjeot had better be removed, Dr. Featherstone.' 'Call the servants,' said Dr. Featherstone, whose hand was on his patient's heart. 'The heart beats well, and the pulse is growing strong; the face is gaining color more rapidly than I oould have hoped.' There Were men servants waiting at the door, who came forward. A moment's delay occurred while one of the dootors removed the bandage from Tim's arm, the others still holdiog him forcibly in their midst. He simply stood, still looking in the act to spring when he should get the obanoe, with his eyes fixed upon the siok man's faoe. Dr. Featherstone was rapidly bandaging the patient's arm, when suddenly— bo suddenly that the dootor started back a stepJacob opened his eyes—Bat up in his bed, and looked at Tim. An awful look ! It seemed to strike Tim to stone, while it evoked a murmured exclamation from those surrounding him. The eyes shone with an indescribable light, as of one aronsed from the dead. But with that appalling look, another expression, even more dreadful, mingled. For those shining eyes wore a triumphant malice so horrible that it could only appear maniacal to the astonished lookers-on; and a sneering smile, ghastly indeed upon that emaoiated countenance, trembled over the thin. lips. With an involuntary movement Br. Featherstone drew the bed-onrtain, and eo released the others from the spell of horror that had fallen upon them. Hastily they untied their forces, and got Tim oat of the room. ' And you will not let me kill him !' cried he, looking ronnd upon them as he stood in the hall, his form distended, and his eyes glowing like burning oals, with the rage that he held In his breast. The hall door was opened and Tim was pushed towards it with threats of the police. He placed his hands against the lintels of the doorway, and, planting his feet, made a stand. ' I'll tear the house down stone by stone till I get at him I' he oried, savagely. Dr. Featherstone oame down-stairs, a bank-note la his hand. 'Tim,' he said, making through the others and going close to him. Then be forced the man to look at him, and by the superior power of his oold eyes gained attention. ' Yon know yon are making a fool of yourself, Tim. Now here la a note for £2O. Will you go away and leave us in peace If I give yon this 9' Tim looked Into the dootor'a faoe and saw no sympathy. His master stood revealed at that moment—oold, critical, haartless, the man of science and knowledge, ' Why. Tim,' said he, ' this will set you up in life. A man like you is king of the world with twenty pounds in his pocket, You need not envy that poor sick wretoh upstairs, whose money is useless to him except to pay doctors with. Now take this and go home quietly, and let me eee you looking yourself tomorrow morning.' Without a word of answer Tim took the money, pocketed it, and 'walked down the t.tede. The door was immediately closed behind him, for those Inside were only too glad to be rid of him at any price. And Tim, with a twenty pound Bank of England note in h's pocket, and rage and fury in his heart, walked through the streets aimlessly. He took the note out again and again and looked at it; that money must somehow be the key to Jacob's presence. It was an added power—he must csnsider how to nse it for his own great purpose of revenge. In the meantime, parohed with thirst, and having a lordly feeling that he need not grudge a few coppers oat of his great wealth, he turned Into the first public hcuce he came to. with the idea that a deep draught from a foaming tankard wool! clear his brain. Dr. featherstone, meantime, was fully occupied at the bedside of his patient. The sick man had aroased himself and flung that demoniaoal glance upon Tim, but then he had sunk exhausted upon the pillow. Boon, however, he again rallied. Dr. Featherstono saw with delight that a new vigor had ei tared Into hla veins.

'I he other doctors dropped off one by one, coogiatulating each other upon the remarkable success of the experiment, for the face whioh had worn the pallor of death was

faintly colored now with the slowly-deepen-ing red of returning lifeg Late In the evening Jacob fell asleop, and Dr. Feathmtone, feeling that he might Bafe'y leave him until the morning, summoned his carriage and returned home to obtain hia much-needed rest. In the morning he Inquired, before he set out» whether Tim had returned, but there hxd been no sign of him. 'Bun off,' thought the dootor; 'well, perhaps I'm best rid of him j he might prove difficult to manage some day. Bat I shall mlsa him.' It was the middle of the morning before the dootor arrived at the door of Jacob's house, The man who opened it to him wore a soared look. 'Sir,' he a:.id, in answer to the doctor's inquiry, <I don't know"whnt has come to the master. We were pretty well soared last night, and the nurse Bays he won't stay if it goes on. We were all frightened out of our beds with the master halloing, and then he eat up cursing and swearing, and would hardly keep in bed.' 'Humph,' said Dr. Featherstone,' and quiokly went up to the sick room, (To be continued )