The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-09-04
CHAPTER v.

81 almost regret ever saw her; it's
strange. too, that one can regret do
ing good
The speaker was Mrs. Carpenter.
She had called upon me with refer
ence to Miss Milne.
81 don't see why you should regret
IT,"
mot when one is the means of re-
storing girl only that she may go
back to her career of vice."
Are you sure she has?"
Eyes, quite sure: and not only that
but she has enticed the nurse to join
her; they are out every night and all
night, and the poor. wretched baby is
left to the care of heartless neighbors
at so much the hour"
Have you seen herr"
Eyes; yesterday afternoon | saw
her, and tried to reason with her, but
she is far too clever for me-"
Was she defiant, or simply care
less as to her future?"
well, neither; she simply contend
ed that she was making the most Of
her life, getting the most pleasure OBJ
tainable. But | called about the baby;
just now it is being left each night in
the care of the woman opposite, her
self a wretch, and it appears the child
does not sleep, and the woman, to
make it sleep, gives it gin. Now. the
probability is that the child is ill. and
want you tonight, when they're
gone, to run in and see it if you will"
Il shall be very glad, and I'll try
and substitute something for the gin
that will be less harmful"
Half-past eleven found me standing
by the side of this woman. and over
the wretched and woe-begone speci-
men of humanity | had come to see.
But it'll die il you continue to
give it gin," | was saying.
"And what matter? She doesn't
want it to live, nor he either" she
added, significantly.
1t was no use talking to the woman;
there was no sense of morality that /
could awaken, and so l left her with
the promise that I would send her
something to take the place of the
gin, and went home to put up some
thing from my own surgery.
1t is one of the unwritten laws Of
the profession that no narcotic Nrugs
shall be given to children; but in
cases like that of the infant of whom
| have just been writing, this law has
constantly to be broken but for them
the cruelty of mothers and foster
mothers to sleepless infants would
know no bounds. And. therefore, I
unhesitatingly sought in the chloro-
dyne bottle a substitute for the wo-
mans gin, and, having written the
necessary instructions. | sent it to the
house and went to bed.
Ill
rang. and in reply to my question
down the speaking tube. there came
the hoarse. unsteady. spirit-laden
voice of a half-drunken woman. re-
questing me to come instantly to Miss
Mines lodgings. / dressed hurriedly
and made for the house, a messenger
having gone on before. When
reached the room, a sight never to be
| forgotten presented itself.
! On the bundle of stray that repre-
scented Miss Mines bed lay the dead
body of the infant; it had been "laid
OUT in the usual way, but was still
clothed in the dirty rags in which
had last seen it. At the bedside and
leaning over it stood Miss Milne She
had on all her war paint, her gaudy
dress, many ribbons and much jewel
~, but from her face there was 4
marked absence of that levity that one
usually associates with such a cos
! tune. She was looking unutterably
sad, and unless l am very much mis-
taken was reviewing her life, especial
ly her life of late. and finding il want
ing. The death OF the child had evil
IDENTIFY awakened her older and better
self-if permanently or only tempo
rarily, remained to be seen.