The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-28
THE EVENING STORY
Mox,s Vacation
CBy Helen Hedges.)

yaToon stopped across the street
auu turned TO smile at the grim old
pie For fifteen whole days he would
not enter those dull offices on the sew
entn floor. For two weeks and day
ne was to be care free; free to loaf
20 inVile his soul and to see Bess Cur
tam. The last was the best part of 1t,
for Bess had gone to the country at
the first sign of hot weather and he
had not seen her in weeks
Up at the house there was a case
OF hshing rods. and already he could
see the brook with it's green claa
banks, and Bess. sitting on a fallen
tree, watching his luck. He raised his
hat ironically to the Office building and
turned down the street
At the corner the newsboys made
dash for him. but Vardon waved
them aside. Where's Mox?" he de-
manded, scanning the crowd for the
tiny vender from whom he always
bought his evening paper.
Mox amt here no more" explained
Mugosv. He was crossin' tn street
this afternoon and tn fire engine beat
'Is he badly hurt?" vardon's face
clouded. The lame newsboy was a
sort of protege of his.
Wouldn't it hurt you t. get run
down by an engineer" demanded
Muggsy. Nav, it didn't hurt him.
He liked it,
Vardon bought a paper and turned
away when there came a tug at his
coat and he looked down to see the
midget, thin faced and wistful.
"Mox said would v come t. see
i'm? He wants t. say goodby before
you went t. tn country. He's in the
Emergency.
Vardon bestowed a dime upon the
messenger and hurried on. There
would be time to stop at the Elmer
gency hospital on the way uptown.
For more than a year "Limpy Mox"
had been on that corner, rain or shine,
70 hn
greeting. A queer friendship had
grown up between the two. 1t would
only take a few minutes. Vardon
knew one of the internes at the hos
pital and could get in even though 1t
were past the evening 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.
nlained the physician. 1.-The heavy
wheel crushed the bone beyond mend
ing. 1t was better so, for the leg new
er 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"
"I 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. A long summer of inaction in
the stuffy hole he called home would
surely end in death. A few brief ques-
tons showed how absurd it would be
to expect the organized charities to
take proper care of a convalescent.
Mox, just coming out of the ether,
clutched the strong hand with his
bony fingers and smiled hopefully. 81
guess you'll have a good time" he
smiled. 'Goodby, Mr.. Vardon."
Vardon patted the claw-iike fingers
but he did not echo the goodby,
was working in his brain and he walk
ed home that he might think the bet
ter.
1t seemed like murder to turn the
lad out of the hospital as soon as the
condition of the wound made it prac-
ticab yet he could not blame the
hospital authorities. They we're crowd
ed for room and the sunstroke cases
were taxing their capacity. Vardon
wanted very much to see Bess. Some
how it seemed as though he might
open his heart to her with better
chance of success in vacation time, and
all the year he had been planning the
trip He had nearly two hundred dol
wealthy and spent the summer at an
expensive resort. Yet it did not seem
right to spend all the money when it
might be the price of Moxie Solomon's
life.
With a sudden determination he
turned into a side street and present
ly he was in the Charity organization
office. The superintendent was in
terested, but helpless. Like the hos
pital, the demands were greater than
their resources. He might send Mox
away for two weeks with one of the
fresh air parties. More than that he
could not do--un1ess Vardon cared to
raise a subscription. When Vardon
turned away it was with receipt for
more than half his vacation money, in
his pocket. Mox's stay in the country
until his leg was well was assured.
1t was hard to have to write Bess
that he was not coming. 1t was hard
er still to explain without seeming ito
ask her appreciation of his action. In
the end he said nothing of the reasons,
simply writing that unexpected devel
opments made it impossible for him
to come.
Mox's delight at the news Of his vaca-
ton brought a feeling of warmth to
Vardon's heart, but it did not relieve
the ache when Bess' cold reply came |
She had not understood and was angry |
that he should have changed his plans |
at the last moment |
Vardon spent two weeks at a cheap |
resort near town and came back to take |
up the office grind again. Bess had not |
replied to his last letter, and though |
Mox's beaming face as he departed on |
the train for the country home repaid |
part of the sacrifice, the dull ache |
The next few weeks dragged miser
ably, then one morning there was a let
ter at his plate at the breakfast table
that for a moment, seemed to stop the
action of his heart
Bess was coming to town on Friday
and she suggested that they might
lunch together and he could take her to