Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-09-25
AIary's shoulder almost affectlon-

Jest made up my mind little while ago=jest fore 1 asked for him-that l was goin' to keep him." the mother said, her harsh. strident voice breaking with the emotion she was trying. to crowd down. ''Why shouldn't I keep him, I'd like to know What if the folks 'round where I live do say l ain't decent? I'd have him anyhow, and what's other folks got that's so much better'n he is? I'll have him a-growin' up to take keer of me some day. He's gotter like me-" she added, fercely, raising the baby and looking into bis vaguely unseeing eyes with an intensi- ty that seemed determined to draw out the assurance of future affection. She drew him down afser the seconds gaze and pressed him to her, resting her squarely cut jaw against the bald little head.
 The doctors hand went back to the woman's shoulder. If he takes after you he will have loving heart, Mary" she said.
 q want him to take after him, " Mary whispered.
 The other did not answer. Some time ago she had decided that to attempt to solve the inscrutable problem of the average feminine heart-"the untrained heart" as she always phrasedit-was sheer waste of time. time that had bet ter be put into, well, say bacteriology. She kept track of the affairs of her patients only to the extent that would enable her to give needed reproof, and, at rare intervals, word of sym pathy. Her duty once discharged, her interest ceased-and now, after a last word of nonsense to little Sullivan, she turned to leave the ward, but Mary caught at her dress.
 Doctor" she said, "he's dead, but I know, oh, I jest know, if he'd lived and seen this here baby he'd have owned him, too! I don't leer if he was above me, he couldn't have held out. I've tried to be hard at the little skezicl1s ever since he came, but to-day l jest gave in, and the main reason l did it wasn't because he is the finest baby here. but because at last it come to me plain as day that he would have taken me and the baby and made us home if only he had lived,s He never real ized-that's all. know that's the way of fit-but-but what do you think?"
 The other woman hesitated; there was, of course, her own integrity which always must be considered first, but if the forgiving spirit proved a real sat- isfaetion to Mary's poor, overburdened heart? She slipped the fold of her dress from the eager hand that clutebed 1t and turned to the window. Are you sure that he is dead?" she asked.
 @I was at the buryin'," Mary said, drearily. Stood off at the edge of folks, and nobody didn't know he was anything to me-"
 "Nell," said the doctor, facing her squarely, q am sure you are right. I think as you do, that he would cer- tainly have taken care of you and the little fellow, and you are right to make as happy a home for yourself and the child as you can without him."
 Mary gave gasping sob that was half joy.
 "surely it was right the doctor said to herself, but when she went to the internes' parlor she did not at first copy records as she had planned. She looked almost wistfully at her col league across the room, who sat by the microscope, f-heartedly examining blood corpuscles.
 "Dr. Jones'" she began, at last, and the other turned a radiant face to her.
 Are you going to talk ?" she asked, delightedly. "Glory, hallelujah!"
 q want to present case to you, to see if your judgment coincides with mine"
 The colleague jumped from her stool. ''Wait a minute," she said, dumping a pile of dusty journals out of Morris chair. She pulled the chair near tile table, dropped Pharmacopeia on the floor for footstool, and then stretched her lanky self out comfortably. Go ahead" she said. ''You sound almost as if you were going to tell story how human and western you do seem tonight"
 The little doctor drowned. Evidently wave of antagonism swept over her: she felt the futility of discussing moral issues with the woman before her. Still she told her story.
 And you are wondering if you are right ?" the other asked after a little silence. Do I understand you to say that -are-wondering -if-you- are-right?. ?.
 T nave almost decided that I am wrong" the doctor answered, rather haughtily.
 The colleague put up her fist and looked through the tube thus made. This is a number nine lens-highest power, ma'am-yet can't quite see your spiritual corpuscles," she said, thoughtfully.
 The little doctor turned to the.rec- ord book.
 "oh," cried the other, perhaps I see them, perhaps I do-let's discuss it, let's"
 The fountain pen was already nov