The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-14

and looked down OF the bunch OF rags
in the corner. She was a little girl about
years old, as far as he could see He
started back a little as he drew closer,
for from his hight when standing he had
not seen how terribly shrunken the lit
tie limbs were and how deep were the hol-
lows of her temples, but his fingers closed
over her wrist and he timed the scarcely
sensible beats. The child made no pro-
test. She seemed too weak to move even
an eyelash, and from the depths of her
fever she looked out drearily at him.
The Doctor took her temperature and
asked his questions with great gusto. He
felt he had a right to enjoy all the de-
lightful sensations of attending a case
which was so purely and entirely his own;
but his round face wrinkled seriously as
he finished his examination. For MIN
ute or two he stood looking down at the
little bundle in silence. The man and
the woman looked at him anxiously.
whats your name?" he asked unex-
pectedly of the man.
John Boyer" said the man anxiously.
well, then, John Boyer continued the
Doctor gravely, your child is starving"
The mans eyes filled with tears. For
Gods sake, Mister" he gasped, Il haven't
a cent. Starving! Starving?'
Don't do that!' he said sharply.
Don't! 1 forgot You wait here. I'll be
back in half an hour" and whirling
quickly, he left them gazing stupidity
at the door through which he vanished.
The gentleman in the Third Avenue
| shop proved less formidable than he had
| feared. He was very unctuous and oily.
1t was only when his customer had left
| with the ticket and a pitifuily
| fully small bill reposing in his
waistcoat pocket, that he permitted him
self d CLEAN of gloatng satisfaction over
the watch 1t had belonged once to the
| Doctors father.
As it was Saturday night he found many
of the other shops still open. When he
| had visited all those suitable for his pur-
poses and had finished off with a drug
| gist he discovered himself as the pos
| SCISSOR of exactly seven cents. But true
| to his creed as his capital dwindled with
| each purchase he had smiled, and now,
as he hurried back along the alley, his
| shining face fairly beamed. With his
arms full of packages of different sizes
! and shapes he looked as little like learn
| ed man of medicine as was possible.
| The man and woman were sitting on
the floor as he burst triumphantly in upon
| them.
Here. BOYER" he cried, do you and
| your wife want something to eat? Get up
| out of that If you do"
| And not waiting for a reply he dropped
half his packages before them and plac-
ing the rest more gently on the floor.
| proceeded to capture one of the rolling
| oranges and cut it in pieces. The little
girl with slightly recovered strength at
| the sight of food, had turned her head
| and was watching him wistfully, and
| the woman who had looked up, startled at
| his impetuous entrance, caught her breath
| quickly as the packages fell
nrfh
| 1t was months since she had seen
so many things to eat Then she rose and
stood by him eagerly as he peeled the
orange. The man of. medicine looked at
| her, smiling inquiringly.
1T want to see baby eat first" she said
chokingly.
The Doctor tore off the orange peel
fiercely, then knelt down gently by the
rags in the corner. He had not been long
| enough in practice to become hardened
and his impetuous youth was far from
proof against such things. The child
| gave a little sigh of satisfaction as he
| held the juicy pieces to her mouth, and
| one pitifully thin little hand closed over
| his own as she weakly bit into them. The
man, who had been sctruggling with
| husky expressions of gratitude, gathered
the fallen provisions.
John" cried the woman, ''look!"
The man came to them and looked over
his wifes shoulder at the child. For
moment he did not speak. Then he seized
the Doctors arm in a grip that made him
vince. I'll never expected to see her
eat again, sir" he said unevenly.
"Pshaww said the Doctor He felt OPP
| pressed by the weight of gratitude in
| their manners. Wen have her as right
as a trivet soon. Just undo that spirit
lamp and the milk, will you? Then you
| two go ahead and eat. I'll attend to the
| baby"
The woman set up the lamp and heated
the milk, refusing, despite her gnawing
| hunger, to touch mouthful until she had
delivered it safely TO the Doctor. Even
then she would not leave her side until
he ordered it, and she ate looking over at
the child between bites.
When the Doctor had finished his task
he gave minute instructions about the
medicines he had mixed and turned to 60
! As he looked down on his rapidly dimin-
ishing purchases and noticed how evident
the necessity of food had been to them
his eyes twinkled with satisfaction. He
hesitated for a moment; then, actuated
by the whimsicalty which had so Tar
made his struggling life worth It's living,
sat suddenly down beside them on the
floor. The man looked up surprised and
half rose, but the woman, after a quick
glance reached out and handed him an
orange. Doctor workman DoWed BTdNely
I'm Acknowledgement.
THANK you" he said, II believe /
win" .
Day by day the Doctors interests be-
came more nearly Identical with those In
the tenement. He began by enlisung his
services against death. and, as time went
on. his boyish, ever-ready sympathy adj
ded it's forces unrcckonipg.
hat Il
could not help when h. sold his operating
cl air But as the days went on. despite
the gradual disappearance % his most
| cherished books and bits Of furniture,
Workman noticed on his daily visits 20
| the tenemeat that his patients condition
Was growing slowly but surely worse, lie
| roted. Too. and with anxiety that tha
| hefflc spots on her checks were once
| more apparent and THAI the severe az
tasks III coughing had returned hc was
not surprised. The germ breeding, nlih-
laden Atmosphere of q three-riory tsne-