Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-03-20

GraftonY'' she asked a. last, with some
eagepness.
Mrs Grafton-NIss. Grafton" he re-
peatsd, shaking his head. "She is not
a patient of mine"
Not now. but somehow 1 feel as if
you must ue the man am looking for.
Is there any way you can ind out
whether you had a patient named
Grafton 20 years ago? Oh, it is very
important that 1 should know. she
concluded earnestly.
81 viii 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 ear
" struggles the woman's eyes followed
him with eager intentness. Suddenly
she got UP and ran to his side.
'Ah. 1 know it is you! The moment
you walked away knew beyond a
doubt. 1t was just as if 1 were back
again in the room where my baby
died and saw you leave me to so for
my husbandl oh, you must remem-
Der me! You tried SO hard to save my
dear little boy. lived in an old
stone house that stood in a big garden.
l was i'll after my baby died, and you
attended me-so kindly. so welll And
then we went away and did not pay
your bill. 1t is 90 years ago, and you
are changed. but know you nowl"
DIR. Eaton had turned and was look
ing thoughtfulIy down into her eager
face, At last he said slowly:
81 think do remember you-yes,
know do. Is there anything l can do
to serve you, Mrs. Grafton?''
Yes" she answered. when we
went away from here, we were very
poor. We could not pay you nor pay
for the burial of the baby" Her eyes
dropped. and she claspcd and unclnsp-
ed her hands nervously. .But oh, how
Il wanted to! For time my husband
was very fortunate and made great
deal of money. But the debts l speak
of, while the thought of them drove
me almost wild, did not seem to trou-
bic him. When 1 urged their payment,
he always grew impatient and said
they belonged to time he could not
bear to think of. He thought l was
heartless to remind him of them You
see" she added hastily, "the loss of
our little boy preyed upon his mind
and made him depressed and morbid.
So at last ceased altogether to speak
of the matter and made up my mind
that somehOw-some time-I would
pay them myself. never relinquished
my purpose, and in all the years after,
whether we nrospered or whether we
struggled for bare existence, l never
f fnT1pltnd hn n
nucleus. but added to it, little by lit
tie. And now think l have enough.
1t has taken a long time, and only God
knows what n haunting horror has
been to me the thought that my little
child's funeral expenses. that | felt to
be sacred debt. were still unpaid and
lay like a blemish on his innocent
memory. And now will you tell me
how much l am to pay you and do
what you can to help me find the un-
dertaker?"
The doctor sat thoughtfully for mo-
ment, then he glanced up and flashed
a smile at his visitor-a smile of such
surprising sweetness that she felt her
self smiling, too, half tearfully in SYM
pathy.
Twenty years is long time to re-
member n little bill like mine," he
said.
ut cannot be little bill"
you came here from
"Grimby." she replied.
and you have dinedT"
moo"
"Then you must be my guest, and
afterward l will help you find that
man to whom you owe-the other bill.
think remember who 1t was. Are
you and Mr.. Grafton living in Grim
by?"
''AIr. Grafton has been dead some
years" she said. 81 am teaching school
there"
1t was well on in the afternoon when
the doctor and Mrs. Grafton returned
from their interview with the under
taker
81 cannot tell you how much 1 thank
you for helping me-" she said. And
now please tell me how much yours
was"
II assure you never gave the mat
ter thought after the first. Let it
rest, he said earnestly, and some
time
"oh. no." she interrupted; sit must
be today Indeed it must l shall al
ways remember you with the greatest
gratitude. But don't you understand
how feel about this?"
VERY we'll as it is a matter of con-
science with you.' he replied
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