Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-11
A JUDGMENT ON THEM

| she held out her hands with comfortable smile
come here and tell me your name"
The child came obediently and laid one Of her
tiny hands in the big one held out to her.
The woman drew her to her. Nov, tell me
your name" she said reassuringly
The child raised the other hand to stroke the
face that bent towards her. She cooed in her
throat, the soft, strange sound.
The woman started swiftly. The tiny hand
dropped from her cheek
Cant she speak? she demanded.
The old man shook his head.
"Nor hear" she asked.
mot word" said the old woman. Her eyes,
resting on the childs face, had tender look.
The fat woman sank back in her chair. WELL"
she calculated "Welll'' she repeated after
space "well!" She regained her breath.
Didn't Myra ever write anything about it?"
''No," said the old woman.
'"Was she born that way"
eve don't know"
''You ought to see an ear-doctor." The wo-
man spoke with authority.
The two old people started.
Gould he cure her, do you supposeW asked
the old woman doubtfully.
"He might 'Twon't do any hurt to try.
Laura's boy You know Laura? She mar
ried Jim Gleason, from over the Corners way,
and her little boy after he had scarlet fever
deaf as post--for months They took him to
an ear-doctor down to Boston. He can hear as
wells anybody now. That was fo-fve years
ago." She rose and drew her shawl about her,
smiling down at the child's face 1t was raised
earnestly as if following her words "Ain't it a
shame" she said heartily. 9TH get the doctors
name soon's can. Like enough he'll make her
well. She'll be a lot of comfort to YOU yet may
be-" She spoke the last words with her hand on
the door. The next moment it had closed breez-
lily behind her.
Two weeks later the old man and woman,
~ L. la4.~ L,,r,- eI T1r-1
ston street They had walked from the station.
1t was cold, clustering morning; but the childs
red-mittened hands, reaching up on either side,
were tightly clasped in warm gray ones; and her
face, wrapped in a red scarf, showed only the
tip of her nose and the wink of her brown eyes.
"It must be along here somewhere" said the
old woman, looking doubtfully at the houses.
"Tarbox--Dr. Tarbox-thats it." She led them
up the fight of brown-stone steps The next
moment the big carved doors had shut them
from sight.
The great Doctor sat looking at the child with
dark, sympathetic eyes. He had unwound the
red scarf and removed the red hood from the
soft curls He had peered into the small, she'll
like with curious instruments. He had held
his watch against them and he had probed gently
in the dark cavities. Now he sat looking thought
fully at the child
"Has she ever heard sounds?' he asked.
eve don't know" said the grandmother
stiffy.
"You didn't notice when she was little?" pur.
sued the great man.
mo. We've only had her two weeks" The
words came out slowly.
The Doctor looked up quickly. "You don't
know, then, whether she had some illness
let fever, the grippe anything of that sort?''
"No, we don't know" The old woman spoke
humbly.
The Doctors face grew professional. '1 see
see" He speaking softly to himself. He
took up the instrument and re-examned the in
terror of one of the ears, turning fierce light
into its depths
The clid's eyes regarded him gravely.
He smiled down at them, patting the upturned
cheek. Bring her to me three weeks from to-
morrow" he said with decision. Il can tell
YOU nothing without operation There is
growth. 1t may be congenital or there may have
been an illness I can't tell-the operation will
determine Good morning. Three weeks from
to-morrow-at ten, punctually."
Half an hour later they were travelling back
over the route they had come They sat silent
in the train, watching the landscape whirl by.
The child between them looked out on the snowy
fields with happy eyes. She crooned softly to
herself, and now and then she raised her hand
to stroke face on either side. The faces had
lost something of their look of grmness. A kind
of tremulous hope softened them They had not
looked at each other since the Doctors words
were spoken. 1t was almost if they were
afraid to look, lest something should give way.
When they reached home the child, tired with
the journey, was put to bed early. The husband
and wife sat in front of their respective stoves,
rocking gently and thinking.
Once or twice the old woman swallowed quick
ly and her lips half opened. They closed again.
But the look of grimness did not return Once
she got up and, going over to the WATERFALL, took
deep, eager drink. She stood by the pail, the
dipper in her hand, looking out into the snowy
world A faint tinge was in the sky She came
slowly back to the stove and sat down. She
grasped an arm of the chair firmly in either hand
and sat erect. Her face worked. The old man
by the other stove was lost in thought. His