The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-02-09
.A matter O. CONSCIENCE

|
shine and white with May blossoms; but
straight path that led from the gate
looked somber and melancholy. \
gnarled apple tree tapped playfully at the
closed shutters of one of the upper rooms,
and even went so far, under extreme
prov.caticn from the wind as to poke
some Of it's blOSSom-laden twigs between
the ramshackle Stats.
DR.. Eaton, who walked up the straight
| path through the sunshine, could not re-
strain Il sigh OF pleasure at the beauty
Of the scene. Young and strong and
healthy, life to him was good and de-
lightful, though ut that very moment he
might he hurrying into the presence Of
death.
\ pale young woman opened the door
i'll response to his knock, and without
any form of greeting ushereG him into
the stairs to the floor above.
He is very. ill, my poor little boy"
she, said as she opened the door of IL
bed chamber. Very, very ill, l fear.
| The doctor stepped into the room. He
stopped for an instant, until he could
| accuStOm himself to the general dim
ness; The woman caught his arm.
Here. she whispered, and drew him
toward the bed.
The young man took the childs tiny
wrist between his fingers. Then he
| leaned over and laid his ear against the
| chill's heart
You think" she asked breathlessly.
II think he replied, looking at her
pitifally, THAT your little boy"
But we will do what we can"
Then he issued some hasty directions
the little creature. who lay motioness
| and impressive under their hands. After
an hour the doctor ceased.
Mrs. Grafton, you must send for your
| husband.''
He is no better?" she asked, ii look of
agony creeping into her great dark eyes.
M Shelter he answered. But he
does lf0t suffer. Take comfort from
that"
She covered her face with her hands
for an instant and then said in Il dull.
quiet tone:
Il am a stranger in Ellisville. and have
no friend or acquaintance here. WheE
Mr. Grafton went away tins morning Tho.
baby did not seem so very i'll. but he said
he would ask you to call. l have no one
to send for him now
here is he! asked the doctor.
lie mas an office on Front street. He
is trying to establish an insurance agency
here.
Il will go for him" said the doctor, and
turned away.
Late that afternoon tile tiny spark of
life that flckered i'll the child's breast
Went out. Afterward there were weeks
of illness i'll the old stone house. and
when the; garden. had discarded its bios.
Marion Grafton, & shadowy@ creature.
with the saddest of dark eyes, walked
down the straight path beside her hus-
band, and the gate of the old garden
closed upon them forever.
Years sped AWAY The DOCTOR wh0 had
never married. still lived On the same
street and his housekeeper was fretting
and Tuning, partly because there was a
lady waiting to see him. and partly-and
more observation-disclosures his dinner
was growing crisp and dry in the oven
She went to the front office door and
ptepcd in at the dehcate-locking little
woman who had sat patiently waiting for
the last half hour.
.''rhe doctors late" she said, hut
praps you don't mind waitin'. How far
| did you say you'd come?''
Prem Grimby:'' replied the woman.
Did you say DR.. Eaton was quite a mid
dleaged man?'' she added. anxiously.
II didn't say, ma am; but S'pose you'd
call him. so in pint of age All. here he
| is. now
From the window the lady could see a
doctors gig draw up ut the curb and Il
tall, dark man with grizzlcd beard de-
scend from it.
The doctor entered and locked inuuir-
| ingly at his visitor with keen, kindly
| eyes. She rose and said little uncer-
| tainly:
take. and that you are not the doctor Pm
| looking for.
| Somehow the face and manner of the
woman brought to DR.. Eaton's mind an
| elusive memory OF Il May morning and
a darkened room with the scent of apple
blossoms waited through closed blinds,
| but the impression was vague and tran
STORY. and was gone before he could at
tach any meaning to it,
| You are not looking for me. them
he asked ''If you will tell me the name
of the man you want to find. perhaps l
can help you"
| "I-dont know his name-I-don't re-
| little deprecatory smile. Eve been to a
great many doctors in Ellisville and have
not found him-I'm afraid he must have
gone away-or be dead
! DR.. Eaton looked puzzled and sat for
a moment, his eyes narrowed i'll thought
and his fingers beating noiseless tattoo
| ON his knee. The woman watched him
| silently, the color coming and going in her
pale face.
''You-you don't remember a Mrs.
GraftonY' she asked at last with some
eagerness.
Mrs. Grafton--Mrs. Grafton" he re-
peated, shaking his head. "She is not
a patient Of mine.'
"Not now, but-somehow, l feel as if
You must be the man 1 am looking for
Is there any way you can find out wheth-
er YOU had patient named Grafton
twenty years ago?' Oh. it is very impor-
tant that l should know" she concluded
earnestly.
Il will consult my books of that time
he said kindly, and arose.
AS he walked across to the closet where
he kept these records of his early strug-
giles the woman's eyes followed him with
eager intentness. Suddenly she got up
and ran to his side.
! "Ah, | know it is you! The moment
you walked away, l knew beyond "a
doubt. 1t was just as if | were back
again in the room where my baby died
and saw yon leave me to 60 for my hus-
band! On, you must remember me! You
tried so hard to save my dear little boy
l lived i'll an old stone house that stood
IN big garden. was ill after my baby
died and you attended me-so kindly-so
well! and then we went away and did not
! pay your bill. 1t is twenty years ago.
anu you are changed, but 1 know you
Or. Eaton had turned and was looking
thoughtfully down into her eager, face.
| At last ha lcail s.lo :