The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-13
CHAPTER I.
~ S there no hope, doctor"

KNOWN SkLfts
CHAPTER I.
"N there no hope, doctor?
Absolutely none-now."
IF she had gone to the-the
4 workhouse infrmary-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
glove.
Il am surprised" he said, "that an
excellent woman like your mother
should encourage your feelings of-er-
repugnance toward-er- Confound 1t.
boy, have you no relatives or friends p
mo. sir. We are alone in the world"
"And hard up, eh?"
The boy dug a hand into 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 it not? When l want my
fee | will ask for it. Your mother
needs q nurse, wine, chicken broth.
You are old enough to realize that a
doctor practicing in IA neighborhood
like this might want such things him
self and whistle for them. But in the
-er-infirmary they are provided by
the state
'1Vould my mother have lived had
she consented to be taken there a
meEtI ago:"
Again the man wondered at the stony
persistence of the questioner. a 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 I'M
shed tears; the lips, quivering in their
resolute compression over a 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 you, she would not have
lived"
God does not help anybody" was
the amazing retort.
The doctor was shocked, visibly so.
s'That is a foolish and wicked state
ment," he said sternly. do not let
your mother hear such awful words.
She has lived and will die a true Chris
oh nF
greater natural charm and real piety.
She has suffered so much that she
merits the life eternal. 1t is a reward,
not punishment. Cast away these
terrible thoughts. Go, rather, and kneel
by her side in prayer"
For an instant the great brown eyes
blazed fiercely at him.
"Am l to pray that my mother shall
be taken from me?'
Even that IL it be Gods will"
The CLEAN Of passion yielded to utter
helplessness. The boy again brought
forth his tiny store of money.
"SYrely.' he said, Il can buy some
small amount of wine. In the shops
they sell things in tins that make chick
en- broth, don't they? l have fire and
kettle. Would you mind telling me-
There. there! You go to your moth
CT and endeavor to cheer her up. I
will see what can do. What! Would
you argue with me? Go at once l in
sist Listen. She is calling for you"
In that poor tenement there were no
secrets. A rickety staircase. crudely
built against the retaining wall of the
only living room on the ground floor.
led steeply to an apartment above and
eliminated il an opening that suggest
ed trapdoor. The walls. roughly
paneled. were well provided with
shelves n nags. The back door was
fastened gh q latch, a contrivance
rarely seen in the London of today.
The front window looked out into a
badly paved court girt by tumbledown
stables A smaller window at the back
revealed dismal yard darkened by
lofty walls. Although little more than
q stones throw removed from the busy
Mile End road. the place was singular,
II quiet. 1t was already dead and
only waited the coming OF men With
plckaxes and crowbars to sweep away
the ruins.
The boy heard his name whispered
rather than spoken. The sound gal
vanized him into consciousness.
doctor" he said earnestly, you will
come bacG?"
Eyes, 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 pitiful II
see the manner In which he emerged
with steaithy activity, into the creak
ing. loft above. Here at first glance
theee was an astonishing degree OF
comfort. Odd pieces OF worn carper
nua fly inincd oovarad fha aaar V,b<