The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-28

we shall not be able to pay you've are
very poor" she said. simply, lifting her
blue eyes bravely to his face. In spite. of
the shOrtness of his tone and the dryness
of his manner she did not feel frightened
of DIR. Eisler
"Ah, 1 see. And now you propose that l
should treat your aunt gratis?"
Lsi flushed scarlet.
No. that is not what l mean. OF course,
you shall be paid. All I wanted TO beg Of
you is that to my aunt you should pre-
tend that you ask for no payment-the
mere idea of the bill would be quite enough
to make her worse than she is-poor Aunt
Clara is so terribly frightened Of spending
money. And if you have TO prescribe any
medicines then, please say that these also
do not cost anything; nothing else will put
her mind at rest But you need not be
afraid; you shall certainly be paid in
time; l will pay you myself"
Her eyes were shining now, and the del
icate color was mounting in her cheeks
How do you propose to pay me"' asked
DR.. Eisler, after a moments pause.
by my embroidery. / do the handker-
chiefs for the Firma Pollart They pay
me by the dozen. If you will only wait
few weeks l shall certainly pay your bill:
it will only mean sitting up little later
than usual at night"
The doctor looked at the small face with
the'big eyes, which gazed at him so earn
estly.
How late do you usually sit up?"
Till about II, or sometimes H."
so now you mean to sit up till about
!. or sometimes 2? Do you imagine you
can stand that?"
Il must try to; but do you agree to my
proposal?"
The doctor shrugged his shoulders.
"A little practice never comes amiss to
a beginner he answered, not over-gra-
ciously; therefore, l have no objection
r,le Nv 10.
precious just now as 1 trust it will become
later on"
DR. Eisler's grave face grew graver yet
on seeing the patient
rs she really very ill?" inquired Lisi
when, at the conclusion of the visit she
followed him out of the room.
Instead of answering the doctor looked
thoughtfully at the slight figure before
him
You say that lady is not really your
aunt?"
mo. She adopted me. was only
poor orphan"
And have you no other relations?"
Nobody at all. Fraulein Traun is ev-
erything l have"
80 that if she should die you would be
quite alone?"
rs she going to die?" asked Lis and
the tears ran suddenly from her eyes.
oh Dr. Eisler, cannot you save herr"
Traun is not in a hopeful state-it is only
right to tell you So She is terribly run
down in every way, and it is a question
whether she has enough reserve force to
rally"
When IAsi had re-entered the room.
after carefully drying her tears, she found
the patients small, feverish eyes fixed
upon her.
and does he really mean that he will
ask for no payment" asked Frauleln
Traun, uneasily.
yves, of course; you heard what he said.
He is only just started as a DOCTOR you
know. and he is glad of every opportunity
of practice There will be nothing to pay,
Aunt Clara"
But in spite of the relief brought by this
assurance, Fraulein Trauns state failed
to improve. For week DIR. Eisler daily
and some times twice a day-mounted
the endless staircase, and carefully noted
the progress of the case. Lisi had got to
distinguish his step quite clearly from
that of any other lodger and would sit
listening for it eagerly; for the doctor S
visit had become the only thing which
brought hope with 1.-THE one moment in
all the long twenty-four hours in which
she did not feel utterly abandoned as
when watching alone in the small, silent
room
Occasionally when he had time to spare,
he would sit for half-an-hour beside the
bed, apparently absorbed in contemplation
of the patient; whilst Lisi. profiting by
the leisure thus gained, took her work to
the window and set her needle going with
increased rapidity, or else moved silently
about the room, deftly putting to rights
whatever required arranging.
ut is really kind of him to come so Of
ten, when he must know that l won't be
able to pay him much,'' it sometimes oc-
CURED to her to reflect. EBut l always felt
hat ba vyoc he
so little"
Towards the end of the week Fraulein
Traun began to sink rapidly, and before
next Monday came round her poor, over
worked life had been very quietly and
painlessly extinguished, exactly like can
die that has burnt Itself out.
1t was not until she had returned from
attending the wretched little funeral that
Lisi seemed entirely to realize what had
happened Standing alone in the familiar
room which, as far her memory could
reach, she had shared with her patroness
day and night sudden sense Of utter iso-
lation came over her. She began to I'M
derstand that she was alone-utterly alone
in the midst of an enormous world and
that on its whole surface there lived not
one creature on whom she had the faintest
claim, not one whose duty it would be to
put out hand in order to save her from
sinking. She had held out bravely until
lowing the coffin in the very teeth of
snowstorm, and 1t was physical exhaus-
ton as well as mental depression which
caused her to sink down sobbing on a
chair Henceforward she must live by her
own strength alone, or else die for the
want of it, and without a days respite
must she take up her task, for her last
form of ready money was gone to cover
the expenses of the funeral and the open
ing of the wooden chest in the corner of
the room had dispelled all the legends with
regard TO Fraulein Traun's hidden wealth.
The treasure" in the box proved to con
sist of some bundles of old letters signed
| by the name of Heinrich" of bunch of
| dried pansies, now crumbling to dust, and
| of a lock of somewhat sandy-coored hair
| preserved in tissue-paper. In the eyes of
| the other dodgers the old lady's character
was now cleared. for with nothing more
! than this 10 fall back upon, what wonder
that the spending of even a kreutzer
! should give her pain?
Lisi could not afford to nurse her grief
for long. BY next morning she was sit
Il i.