Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-07-24

eopes WS uhotS IKE WuHy ete-
nents of plot which is de-
peloped with Mr.. Tracy's we'll
known skill.
CHAPTER L.
s there no hope, doctor?'
| Absolutely none-new."
IF she had gone to the-the
= workhouse infismary-would she
have lived:"
| The doctor paused. The gulp before
that hateful word was not lost on him.
He tried professional severity and be-
slowed some care on the buttoning of
a glove.
II am surprised" he said, that an
excellent wsman like your mother
should encourage your feelings of-er-
repugnance toward-er- Confound it,
boy, have you no relatives or friends?"
NO, sir. We are alone III the world"
And hard up, eh!'
The boy dug n hand into a pocket
with the stolid Indifference of despair.
He produced shillings and some pen
MES. He picked out the silver, and the
man Redeemed in protest.
Don't be stupid, Philip. That is
your name, is 1t not? When want my
fee will ask for it. Your mother
needs nurse, wine, chicken broth.
You are old enough to realize that a
doctor practicing in neighborhood
lie this might want such things him
see aEl whistle for them. But in the
-er-infirmary they are provided by
the state"
Would my mother have lived had
she consented to be taken there
month ago."
Again the man wondered at the stony
persistence of the questioner, fear
less looking, active boy Of fifteen, at
tired In worn clothes too small for him
and wearing an old pair of boots sever
al sizes too large. The strong, young
face, pinched with vigils and privations;
the large, earnest eyes, heavy with un-
shed tears; the lips, quivering in their
resolute compression over IL chin that
indicated great strength of character.
appealed far more to the doctor than
the whimpering terror with which the
children of the poor usually meet the
grim vision Of death.
The wrestle with the glove ceased,
and kindly hand rested on Philips
shoulder.
NO." came the quiet answer. MAY
God help yon, she would not have
lived"
God does not help anybody" was
the amazing retort.
The doctor was shocked, visibly So
THAT is foolish and wicked state.
ment,'' he said sternly. do not let
your mother hear such awful words
She has lived and will die true Chris.
tian. have never met n woman OF
greater natural charm and real piety
She has suffered SO much that shy
merits the life eternal. 1t is reward
not punishment. Cast away these
terrible thoughts. Go, rather, and knee
by her side in prayer"
For an instant the great brown eyes
blazed fiercely at him.
"Am ! to pray that my mother shall
be taken from me?"
Even that If 1t be Gods will"
The CLEAN of passion yielded to utter
helplessness. The boy again brough
forth his tiny store of money.
Surely he said, 81 can buy som,
small amount of wine. In the shop.
they sell things in tins that make chick
ell broth. don't they? l have n fire an,
a kettle. Would you mind telling me-
"There. there! You go to your moth
err and endeavor to cheer her up.
will see what can do. What! Woul,
you argue with me? Go at once. in
sist. Listen. She is calling for YOU"
In that poor tenement there were NJ
secrets. A rickety staircase, crudel.
built against the retaining wall of TIL
only living room on the ground foo.
led steeply to an apartment above am
eliminated in an opening that suggest
ed trapdoor. The walls. roughl.
panelcd were well provided witt
shelves and pegs. The back door wa
fastened with latch, contrivanc
rarely seen in the London of today
The front window looked out into
badly paved court glrt by tumbledowl
stables. A smaller window at the bacl
revealed dismal yard darkened b,
lofty walls. Although little more thai
q stones throw removed from the bus,
, Mile End road, the place was singular
ly quiet. 1t was already dead an
only waited the coming of men witt
, pickaXes and crowbars to sweep ava,
the ruins.
The boy heard his name whispered
rather than spoken. The sound gal
vanized him into consciousness.
Doctor" he said earnestly, you viii
come back?"
Yes, yes; within half an hour. Tel
your mother to expect me-"
Philip ran up the stairs. Long prac
. tice had enabled him to move with {
minimum of noise. 1t was pittful tt
see the manner In which he emerged
with stealthy activity. into the creak
Ing loft above. Here at first glance
there was an astonishing degree OF
comfort. Odd pieces of worn carpet
neatly Joined covered the floor The
two windows. facing only to the front
of the dwelling, were curtained. The
whitewashed walls We're almost hid
den by cuttings from the colored peri
odicals published during the previous
Christmas season. A screen divided
the room into two compartments, each
containing tiny bed. On one of these
propped up with pillows. lay the vast
ed figure of a woman. over whose face
the shadowH We're falling fast. The ex.
IRENE thinness. the waxep;psll4r; the
delicate texture OF deblitatEd SSih iaAt1
unnatural brillGacy of thd.ihyeE gave
her Il remarkably Youthful appearance.
This fantastic trick Of death, in life