The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-11

sake of the man himself. Then there was Leonore. her friend,
 but still the wife of William Tanker lane. Laura's mind with regard to Le- | onore had assumed definite attitude | on the night she left the Hotel fm- periaI in Paris She had decided that any further attempt at friendship would be impossible Her own seif-respect. shattered enough. Heaven knows. but still alive, forbade further intercourse with Leonore. And so when she left Tankerlane she went to another hotel. and did not even accept Leonore's in- vitation to spend the night at the lat ter's apartments.
 l This same mental attitude remained
 unshaken. It would be impossible for
 herself and Leonore even to be friends again. The very idea of friendship was repugnant. loathsome. horrible. | To one of these four people Laura would have to apply for pecuniary as- l sistance. They would all gladly re- spond to her appeal. Yet honor or
 self-respect ,or decency,. prevented her I from writing to anyone of them. | An hour passed. and still Laura sat
 at the table with her pencil, and still ] the sheet of notepaper before her lay blank and unsulIied, save by the yell | low finger of time. She could not
 solve the problem that confronted her. and yet it had to be solved. She had been driven Into corner. and 1 there was only one way out of 1t. It was a pretty problem for phil osopher. for a student of the moral and mental forces which mould the des- tiny of man. Considered in the ab- stract it was full of subtle difficulties. and would have been joy to Schop- enhauer or Nietzche. But, considered by woman. half distraught with grief and fear. it was cruel dilemma. Laura's long. weary attempt to de- eide on the least unpleasant way out of her difficulties was interrupted by the hurried entrance of Mrs. Burton. Now don'te be alarmed Mrs. Dans- by" she began roughly. The tone of her voice was in itself note of alarm, and Laura rose to her feet with a look of fear in her face.
 What has happened?' she exciaim- ed, What is it. Mrs. Blurton?'' There aint no cause for alarm. I tells yer but; 'e's, took worse e 'as; now ther's-l. But Laura waited to hear no more. She brushed past Mrs. Blurton's port ly body and ran up to the small, dingy
 bedroom, where the sick child lay.
 black-faced and gasping for breath. 4 sngle- glance st the child told her that he was in need of urgent renne- uItS. put SHG HdQ tlttic eAPttIcAlCt Ot childish ailments, and was ignorant of what she ought to do. She leant oveS the little body in an agony of fear. and then, running to the door. l shrieked out for Mrs. Burton. But the landlady, who had followed her as fast as her size and age would permit, was already halfway up the stairs.
 "Don't be alarmed" she said breath f.. AsY IA fl right I've give i'm some good m@di- cine"
 "Medicine?" queried Laura quickly. fWhat is it? When did you get it?' q lad it for my 'Enry when e was about your kids age. ~alIus keeps medicine and saves doctors bills. It's been well corked for twenty years"
 Twenty yearsr' cried Laura in hor- TOT. ''Oh, run for the doctor. please. Mrs. Burton. quick. He Is dying"
 Just yer run along yerself." an- swered Mrs. Burton. I'll look after i'm ."
 q can't leave him. I won't leave him. He may die while I'm away. Oh. please go. please"
 "'old yer noise.' said Mrs. Burton. catching her roughly by the arm. Now look ere. You aint no earthly use ere. Jist yer cut along. Yer can run. if yer don't know anything bout kids. Jist cut along, sharp."
 Laura hesitated for moment, and then. realizing the force of the land. lady's remarks. she leant over her sick baby. kissed him. and hurried out of the house without waiting to put on her hat.
 When she had found the doctor. and obtained his promise to come round to widley Street at once, she hastened on to the nearest postoffice and dispatched the following telegram:
 Miss Leonore Jackson, Regal Theatre
 Haymarket:
 Please call to see me tomorrow morning. most urgent.-Laura, ST Will ley Street. Deptford.
 She re-read the words. pencil in hand. and then. thinking the name was too indefinite. she added rTankeriahe" to her Christian name. Then she scratched it out. and substituted Vane. Then it occurred to her that the name Vane might convey nothing to Leo- placed 1t with Tankerlane. She had no right to the title, but 1t would serve to identify her.
 She opened her purse. found a shil- ling in 1t, and. handing the telegram over the counter. received three half pence change. It was all the money she had left in the world.R
 Laura had been forced to a definite decision at last. All arguments. all questions of morality. self-respect or decency, had been swept away by the tumultuous torrent of her grief. Her child was dying. and she had done the only thing that it was possible for a mother to do.