The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-14

coat and he looked down 10 see the midget, thin faced and wistful "Mox said would y come t see i'm! He wants t say good-by before you went t tn country. He's in the 'mer- yency.
 Vardon bestowed a dime upon the messenger and hurried on. There would be time to stop at the Finer gency Hospital on the way uptown. For more than a year "Limpy Mox had been on that corner. rain or | shine, to hand out the evening paper and 8 greeting. A queer friendship had grown up between the two. It would only take few minutes. Vardon knew one of the internes at the hospital and could get in even though II were past the visiting hour.
 In a little while he was standing in one of the wards with grave-faced Dr. Tomlin looking down into the still white face.
 We had to take the leg or." ex- plained the physiciap The heavy wheel crushed the bone beyond mend- Ing. It was better so, for the leg never was much good Now he can get an artificial leg and walk better than he used to; that Is. if he pulls through the summer"
 T guess you can do that for him, laughed Vardon. Hes better off here than at his home. '
 "Bless my soul. we can't keep him." cried the doctor. My dear fellow. if We keep our patients here until they were fully cured. we should have to refuse aid to more needy cases. The boy must be removed to his home as soon as he can stand it."
 Vardon thought of the tenement house district Mox had always been sickly. long summer of inaction in the stuffy hole he called home would surely end in death A few brief ques- tions showed how absurd it would be to expect the organized charities to take proper care of convalescent
 Mox' just coming out or the ether. clutched the strong hand with his bony fingers and smiled hopefully. T guess you'll have good time.' he smiled. Good bye. MT. Vardon.
 Vardon patted the claw like fingers but he did not echo the good bye. | though he turned away.'A scheme was wor-ing in his brain and he walked home that he might thi .. the better. It seemed like murder to turn the lad out of the hospital as soon as the condition of'the wound made it prac- ticable, yet Ee could not blame the hospital authorities. They were crowded for room and the sunstroke cases were taxing tHeir capacity. Vardon wanted very much to see Bess. Somehow 1t seemed as though he might open hls heart to her with q better chance of success in vacation time. and all the year he had been planning the trip. He had nearly two hundred dol lars saved up, for the Curtains were wealthy and spent the summer at an ex pensive resort. Yet 1t did not seem right to spend all ile money when it might be the price of Mox Solomon's life.
 With a sudden determination he turned into a side street and present. ly he was in the Charity organization offlcc. The superintendent was inter- ested, but helpless. Like the hospital, the demands were greater than their resources. He might send Mox away for two weeks with one of the fresh- air parties. More that that he could not do-unless Vardon cared to raise a subscription. When Vardo nturned away 1t was with a receipt for more than half of his vacation money in his pocket Mox's stay in the country un- til his leg was well was assured. It was hard to have to write Bess that he was not coming. It was harder still to explain without seem- ing to ask her appreciation for his action. In the end he said nothing of the reasons. simply writing that un- expected developments made 1t impos- sible for him to come.
 Mox's delight at the news of his va cation brought a feeling of warmth to Vardon's heart, but it did not relieve | the ache when Bess's cold reply came. She had not understood and was angry | that he had changed his plans at the | last moment.
 | Vardon spent his two weeks at a cheap resort near town and came back | to take up the office grind again Boss had not replied to his last let ter. and though Mox's beaming face as he departed on the train for the country home repaid part of the sac rifice. the dull ache remained.
 Tho next few weeks dragged miser- ably. then one morning there was a letter at his plate at the breakfast table that. for moment. seemed to stop the action of his heart. Bess was coming to town on Fri day and she suggested that they might lunch together and he could take her to a roof garden. in the eve ming.
 T have lot to tell you." she wrote
 T met one of your friends up here and l want to tell you what he said I shall save it for lunch"
 Somehow the days dragged by. but
 Friday came at last. Sitting across the table from her. Vardon could no, realize his good fortune.
 T thought you were angry" ht said as he leaned forward
 T was." she admitted frankly. q
 was counting so much on your visit.
 had made no other plans for those | two weeks, and when your letter came ana you did not even offer an explana. ton or your rudeness I could not un.