Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-03-30

- NANHHAa ~ hAAAAEH
Not now. hut somehow I feel rs II
you mast he the man I am looking for.
Is thgie any way you can find out
Whether you had a patient named
Grafton % years ago? oh. Il IL very
important that I should known she
Concluded earnestly.
Il viii consult my books OF that
time" lie said kindly and arose.
As lie walked across to the closet
where hc kept these records OF his ear
ly struggles the woman's eyes followed
him with eager i%ntentness. Suddenly
she got up and ran to his side.
"Ah. ! Know It Is you! The moment
you walked away | knew beyond q
doubt. II YVES just as II were back
again In the room where my baby
died AMI saw you leave me to go for
my husband. Oh. you must remem-
Der mel You tried so hard to save my
dear little boy. | lived in an old
stone house that stood in a big garden.
/ was III after my baby died, and You
attended mc-so kladly. 50 Welt And
then we went away and did not pay
your ILL. II Is 20 years ago. and you
arc changed. but I know you nowF'
Dr.. Eaton had turned and was look
Ing thoughtfully down into her eager
face. At last he said slowly;
- think | do remember you-yes. I
know / do. Is there anything | can do
to serve you. Mrs. GraftonY'
Yes she answered. when we
went away from here. VIC were very
poor. We could not pay you o pay
for the burial Of the baby" Her eyes
dropped. and she claspcd and uuclasp-
ed her hands nervously. But oh. how
l waited to! For a time my husband
was very fortunate and made a great
deal of money. But the debts | speak
of. while the thought Of them drove
ne almost Wild. did not seem to trou'
bic him. When | urged their payment,
he always grow impatient and said
they belonged to n time he could not
bear to think CT. lie thought l was
hcartless to remind him OF them. You
see" she added hastily, the loss Of
cur little boy prcycd upon his mind
and made him depressed ana morbid.
So Mt last ! ceased altogether to speak
of the matter and made NJ my mind
that sOmeLow-some tlme-I would
pay them myself. | never rellnquished
my purpose. and IL al the years after,
whether We prospcred or whether we
struggled for n bare existence, / never
touched the sum | had put by as a
nucleus, but added to it. little by lit.
tie. And now | think ! have enough.
1t has taken 4 long time. and only God
knows what a haunting horror has
been 10 me the thought that my little
child's funeral expenses, that | felt to
be u sacred debt, were still unpaid and
lay like n b!emlsh on his innocent
memory. And now will you tell me
how much | am to pay you and do
what you can TO help me find the ia
dertGkerl"
The doctor sat thoughtfuIly for u mo-
ment. then lie glanced up AMI flashed
a smile nj his visitor-a smile of such
SURPRISING sweetness that she felt her.
self smiling. too. half tearfully in sym
patty.
Twenty years is n long time to re-
member a little bill ike NINE" he
said.
at cannot be a little bill"
you came here from
"Grlmhy," she replied.
"And you have dlncl?'
moo"
"Thcn you must lie my guest. anl
afterward | will help you find that
man to whom you owe-the other bill.
| think ] remember who Il was. Are
you and Mr.. Grafton living In Grim
byT'
"NIr. Grafton has been dead soma
years" she said. 81 am teaching school
there"
1t "a well on in the afternoon when
the doctor and Mrs. Grafton returned
from their interview with the under.
taker.
Il cannot tell you how mach / thank
you for helping me" she said. And
now please tell me how much yours
was"
81 assure you | never gave the mat
ter a thought after the first. Let 1t
rest" he said earnestly, "and some
time
"Oh. no." she Interrupted; at must
be today. Indeed IL must. ! shall al
ways remember you with the greatest
gratitude. But don't you understand
how | feel about thls?"
Every well. as 1t is n matter of con
science with YOU" he replied.
In one OF the old ledgers he found the
name Grafton and, making a quick cal
culatlon. announced that the indebted
ness amounted to SIS. which she hand
ed over to him, with a look that show
ed how important she deemed the mat
ter.
"And now" she said. holding out her
little shabbily eloved hand, 'goodby. !
VIII never be able 20 thank you"
I'm not your physician" said DR..
Eaton. "but I'll take the liberty Of pre-
scribing a seat In my gig for you.
have n patient to visit near the town
road"
He spoke as one Lnaccustomed to
having his directions disputed. and
Mrs. Grafton submitted smilingly to
his decree. So they drove away to-
gether in the late afternoon sunshine.
AS he glanced at her from time to time
the doctor saw the look OF relief In her
] g.. IUa,,V g.. 40. - u.rl,k annNnvk