The Argosy for May — page 90: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE NAME OF MARTIN HOFFMAN, ‘Will you have breakfast, sir? ”’ : “What?” The blind man tried hard to look around. ‘“‘ Breakfast, sir?” Hoffman swallowed hard. His head was clear now—and thank God for the fact! He might have been mad last night; but his brain was working at present, and he felt fairly able to grap- ple with conditions, and: ‘Will you kindly tell me who you happen to be?” he said slowly. ‘‘ Your special nurse, sir.” ‘“And do I seem to need a special nurse?” “Yes, sir.” “Well, Dll be hanged!” remarked the treasurer of the Galpin Company pensively. “Yes, sir!”’ said the voice placidly. “Would you like a little steak, sir, or some eggs, or—’’ The dazed man rubbed a hand over his sightless eyes. “For a long space he thought hard. Then; ‘“T am-— somewhere outside of my home?” he inquired with difficulty. “Ves, sir.” ‘Well, where?” “In Dr. Coles’s Sanatorium, sir.” “Eh?” Hoffman reflected further. “Voung man,” he said, “I am_ blind. You know that?” “* Certainly, sir.” “Well, as nearly as I am able to judge, it happened only last night. Is this a place for the treatment of the blind?” r= VES, SIT... He seemed to be assuming things with an amazing accuracy. He hazarded an- other query: ‘““T have been brought here to be treated for my eyes?” - “Yes, sir.” “Then, will you kindly tell me,” went on Hoffman gently, ‘“ who the deuce had the assurance to take me away from home without my permission ?”’ “Tt was your brother, Mr. Hoffman,” said the even voice. ‘Did he give his name?” “Tt was Mr. John Hoffman, sir,” re- plied the attendant patiently. The treasurer reflected deeply. Certainly, it was a rather curious state of affairs—more particularly as his only - dress afterward, if you wished. 277 brother happened to bear the name of Richard and to be several hundred miles away. He took to rubbing his throb- bing eyes again for a time, until: “The doctor said most particularly that you must not rub your eyes, sir. He said that you might have breakfast and After that, I think he will be up to see you, sir. What shall I bring?” ‘What time is it?” ‘““ Nearly noon, sir.” Then,” Hoffman pondered, ‘ bring me a small steak and some hot rolls and some potatoes and a couple of .cups of coffee. That’s enough.” ‘Very well, sir.” The shuffling footsteps departed as quietly as they had arrived. For an instant there seemed to be a whispered consultation somewhere in the neighborhood; then silence fell, and the blind man sank back and waited. John Hoffman—his brother who had never existed! Dr. Coles’s Sanatorium, of which he had never heard. What the dickens did it all mean, anyway? Ten minutes of hard thought, and he had found but one definite conclusion ; it was past ten in the morning, and he was not at the office! That solitary fact coursed on and on through his head. He hadn’t been on hand to sign the notes for ‘Thomas and keep the old firm above water. ‘There were three more days, to be sure; but he very much pre- ferred not to use them. He thought on and on— and finally breakfast came. It was as delicate and delicious a meal as skill could produce; its extreme ex- cellence, in fact, astounded the patient. He felt and ate his way through it rap- idly, though; and at the end, as the fin- gers of the attendant ceased piloting his own, and the tray was remoyed, he came to the subject uppermost. in his mind with: ‘See here, you—what’s your name?” ‘* Smith, sir.” “ All right, Smith; I want to dress and get out of this.” “You may dress, sir — indeed, your clothes are here. But I don’t think the doctor would allow you out, sir.” ‘Well, the doctor hasn’t anything to say about it in this case,’ Hoffman re- COMMICLOO© S (C@