The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-11-12
And cur p
VICTORY.

storm DR.. West had not slept. Since
early evening the wind, rising in VIC
lence, had swayed the frail building
where he lived and pelted it with angry
gusts of rain. His room shook as though
the earth trembled. One by one a pile
Of books fell from a table to the floor
The windows ratified with the rain and
vibrated with the sharp reports of thun-
der; yet, above the din, the old physi-
clan heard his name called and spran9
up, alert, preparing TO face the gale.
The unfastened door flew open as a
flash of lightning briefly illuminated the
room and the figure standing on the
threshold. Naked to the waist, hatless.
his gray hair matted by the rain, he
breathed heavily. Water dripped from
his trousers and made little pools about
his feet.
capt. Wilson, isn't it,"
"Yes. Hurry, Doc. Fm-I'm afraid
she's dyin'."
"Your wife?"
"No-no, not my wife," Wilson re-
piled, his voice softened, yet carrying
above the din. 'It's a little girl, Doc
a little girl" He paused until a peal
of thunder deeper than the rest seemed
to madden him. "They were fools!" he
shouted irrevelently; '%'fools, 1 tell ye!
Out in the gulf in a toy that was never
meant outside a locked harbor."
The doctor CROPPED his way through the
darkness until his hand rested on Will
sons arm. "What has happened? p he
asked. "Come, tell me simply"
ga boat hit a rock off Temple Point
the captain answered, San she went
down. She must "a been one of them
fancy mahogany tubs with a gas engine
in her. 1 was awake an watchin' when
her lights went out, an I run down the
Point road CALM for help, which wasn't
any use. About half a mile down the
shore l heard a crv-a child's cry-come
over the water above the sound of the
wind an the pounding of the waves. [
plunged into the surf an tried to get
through; but they fought me back until
my strength was almost gone"
Another flash of lightning, and the
doctor caught q glimpse of the drawn,
haggard face, the unconscious pose of a
body, bent forward, the straining eyes
and arms rigidly extended, as Wilson
continued excitedly
"Then I heard her voi"e again! 1t
seemed like my strength came back
all my strength of thirty years ago-an'
I got through into deep water. I swan
like a demon, 1 tell ye: but when the
lightning showed me the little tyke
dashed to a cabin door, floating within
arms length, my strength went again,
L guess, for I don't remember how we
made the beach. Then | was running
along the hard sand with her in my
arms. Her little head was on my
shoulders. an | was wonderin' if she
was still alive. Somehow, we got to the
house an the wife. She's got her now,
an I came here. If you've ever had a
child of your own, Doc, an lost it; if
you've"
Come! let us be quick: the doctor
interrupted, drawing on his coat; and to-
gether they hurried down the narrow
stairs that led from the rooms over
| Stoneport's only drug store, to the board
sidewalk along the flooded street.
"Hurry!' Wilson shouted whenever a
gust of wind took the doctors breath
away and slowed their progress. Then,
during a lull he muttered: Nobody saw
me fetch her in. Nobody saw me-"
He repeated the phrase again and
again. 1t seemed to possess his tired
mind, and he shouted it tauntingly:
Nobody saw me save herr" he shout
ed almost frantically "Hurry, Doc! No
body saw me, 1 tell ye-not one SOUL"
The garden about Capt. Wilson's cot
tage was in a disorder beyond repair.
His tiny grove of fig trees lay uprooted,
broken, stripped of leaves. Rose vines
had been torn from the gallery; his grape
arbor was demolished-all a riotous tan
gle; but they FASTENED up the shell walk,
unnoticing the havoc in the half-light.
SIN there" Wilson indicated the door
with a trembling hand when they reached
the hall.
DR.. West entered. Wilson's wife was
kneeling by the bed. She raised her face
from the covering and glanched beseech-
ingly at the physician, then turned her
gaze upon the inert child.
"I've done all I could" she said; then
added, her voice broken with sobs: "She's
$3.50 like our baby-the same ages
years when She" Her tear-brimmed
eyes widened, a spasm of grief crossed
her features as the ghost of her sorrow
returned hauntingly out of the dead
years.
With his fingers on the futtering
pulse, the old physician compressed the
narrow chest and filed the little lungs
again and again with his own breath.
From his medicine case he mixed a mild
stimulant and poured it drop by drop
between the child's pale lips.
Wilson had thrown a coat over his
naked shoulders. He paced the length
of the room awkwardly. then out into
the hall and back again, staggering when
he turned at the door.
"Will she live" he asked hoarsely, his
hand resting heavily on the doctors
shoulder.
4 hope so. We have done all we could
While they both watched a tinge OF
color slowly swept across the little face
"She will live!" Wilson cried gladly
and then added quickly in a different
tone: s
Nobody knows I saved her-nobody
but you, and you won't tell she's here
will you, Doc?"
The doctor arose. "You can't do that
Wilson," he replied, in surprise. "Yor
wouldn't do that, I'm sure"
The other turned angrily. He spoke
very low, and his voice was tense witt
passion.
"She's ours, [ tell ye," he said, "and i
you speak they'll come an take he