The Winslow mail., 1898-07-16

ments of the four families on each floor,
As she was returning to her daughters
bedside the footsteps came nearer.
There seemed to be at least half dozen
men in the party.
Rat-tat-tatI
They were at Mrs. BertelHs own door
now.
WHO'S there?" she asked, with some
little perturbation.
Board of health inspectors" came
the prompt answer. "Open the door!"
She turned the key in the lock, the
door was flung open, and a stalwart
member of the sanitary board stepped
into the room, followed by tall, kindly
faced man, enveloped in an ulster. After
him came others, until the small room
was crowded with men.
Anybody sick here?" asked the man
in the ulster,
'Me daughter, sir" faltered Mrs. Ber-
telli.
LET US have look at her. Where is
she?''
Mrs. Bertelli pointed to the little bed
room.
''She's in there, SIR" she said, in a
voice broken with apprehension of evil.
The big policeman picked up the lamp
and led the way into the apartment, the
man in the ulster following. A few mo-
ments CT silence in the darkness, and
then the black figure of the tall man was
outlined in the doorway against the
lamp light.
'Dr Raymond" he cried, in authori-
tativc tones, there's a wcll-developed
case here. Send out a call fer the
wagon. Officer, let no one except our
party come in or go cut of this room un-
ill it has been fumigated. Let me have
some vaccine points"
''In the name of God, man, what is the
matter?" cried Mrs. Bertelli, terror
stricken.
"Your daughter has malignant small
pox," answered the man III the ulster,
who was the chief inspector, ''and we
are about to remove her to the hospital
on North Brother Island"
''Oh, for the love O. God, sir, don't
take her away from me. She's all have
in the world to love-me JOY, me pride!
If We take her away from me she'll die
in the pest house. Oh, my"
"Stand aside now, my good woman.
Well take good care of her. You
wouldn't imperil the health of the 200
people in this house, would you?"
Day after day, regardless of pouring
rain, driving snow or frosty blast, an
Irishwoman, followed by short but
brawny Italian, entered an office in the
health department building, and stood
aside until the last person had been at
tended to by the clerk, or until the kind
hearted policeman detailed to the place
had approached, and asked the couple
their business. Then with sorrowfipl
voice the woman would say:
"We had little gyprl, sir, who was
sick and they took her away from us,
and sint her across the river. Mebbe,
sir, ye've got some word from her to-
day. Mebbe We could find out for us
how she's gettin' along"
"What's the trouble2'
Smallpox, sir"
''Hum! Hospital for contagious dis
eases, North Brother Island. What
name?" -.
"Mary Bertelli, sir"
"No. No word to-day"
"Thank you, sir. No word, Tony.
God pity u.s." and they would walk
away.
In the hurry and hustle of great
city's charitable bureau there is but lit
/ l. 80 ha 11lp n
of simple souls, and no doctors bull
letins are received from the great isl
and hospitals recording the condition
of the thousands of humble sufferers;
but there was look of dumb, patient
grief on the faces and attitudes OF the
Bertellis that touched the hearts of the
clerk and the policeman,
One bleak day the couple entered, and
in answer to the policeman's questions
the clerks finger running down the
page of his register stopped suddenly
midway, and he said, in low tone:
"Hum! The little girl is across the
river"
His tone was not low enough to es-
cape an anxious mothers ear. She
clasped her hands, the tears of JOY ran
down her cheeks, and she sobbed:
"God and His Blessed Mother be
praised. Do you hear, Tony? Our
little gyurl is comm home"
''You don't understand, my poor
woman" said the big policeman in a
husky voice toned to a whisper. 'Your
little girl has gone home. Gone across
the river to a home where there's no
more sickness or trouble. Quick, Tom!
Hand me glass of water. The poor
souls tainted, God help her."-Peter-
sons Magazine. -