Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-06-15
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
The Least of These. BY Lulu Johnson
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated Literary Press.

streets who had started carrying the
water bucket for the marching club,
he had become a ward heller, q lieu
tenant and finally the boss without the
aid of family ties or family influence.
Stoically he had accepted the decision
Of the hospital staff. He bad an incur
able disease. He probably would not
live out his sentence.
Yet at sight of Betty Vynne's face
his stoicism vanished. and after the
radiant smile of welcome came a ten
derness almost pathetic.
"What are you doing here, child?" he
| asked as he stroked the hand that
clasped his. "Sing Sings a good way
for girl to come who's only making
her eight, a week"
shaky.
| "Just listen to the man! And I'm get
| ting ten-right in this town. / read in
| the Experimentation your being so
| lonesome The man smiled grimly.
| So the papers were commenting on the
| fact that he was a deserted as well as
| deposed leader of men. And I saw
the ad. of a lawyer up here who want
ed a stenographer, and 1 came and
got the place. like it much better
here than in town. And 1 can come
to see you once week"
Moreton, deposed boss, leaned over
and looked into her face.
"You-come-up-her be near
me?"
The girl nodded her head.
"And I've got the incest boarding
place with widow, and you ought to
see her flower beds
Just then physician in white uni.
form came toward them.
"You can stay only five minutes" he
said without waiting for the formality
of an introduction. 81 cannot have m
:, patients unduly excited. In a fe'
weeks we shall have him in fine trim
1 hope. but we don't want our trea
ment upset by too much company"
NIoreton's lips set in grim lines. Th
young doctor evidently did not kno'
that this was his first visitor.
DIR Lindsay, this is one of my bes
friends. Miss Betty vynne. and he
coming can't hurt me. Why, say,
fer like a two-year-old right now"
.eycrtheless the young doctor stoo
r the door, and when the five mil
i:es We're up he led Betty from tn
. yard
"fou can come again, as often as th
rules permit. but do not stay too long.
The next time he made the round
DIR. Lindsay found Moreton oddl
/ LOT h. r.,
NAL.
Doctor" he said, with a smile, ''tha
girls coming did me more good tina
all your dope. It's good to know tina
there's one person that hasn't forge
:. you"
n And then the young doctor saw tina
something more than an organic di.
ease was aiming for the old Dos
heart.
II Daughter Of an old friendw b
. asked casually
Not much-just kid picked up i
a tenement; took her from a sodde
old thing who was beating the life an
spirit out Of her. turned her over I
the sisters. They did the rest"
:, Lindsay smiled, but he understoo,
], 1t was the ex-boss who had paid til
: sisters for the girls care and put he
= through business school and set he
!, on her feet. saving girlhood like b
own boyhood from the slums and I'll
: gutter.
After that Moreton slowly but surel
began to mend. There was no curiu
the disease, but there was every chant
to prolong his life for years If he wan
q ed to put up the fight. And every tin
/. that Betty yynne came to the hospit
= he seemed stronger for the fight.
:. For a time DR.. Lindsay watched IL
!, case with purely professional finteres
= but gradually this feeling became di
: tncty personal. : He generally m