The Democratic advocate., 1909-05-21

greatly valued dollars to have 1t put on
q neat brass plate. But really he was
DR.. Bob, though he never heard him
self called thus till after the very end
Of the story.
1t was Miss Eleanor Blake who
called him DR.. Bob. She was careful
to let none but her own edrs hear the
words. When she spoke to him or Of
him she was most punctiIious and re-
spectful.
Miss Eleanor Blake was DR.. Bobs
Office nurse Their attitudes toward
one another were 'impeccably profes-
Gional, but by a strange coincidence DR.
Bob alse dropped the formal sATiss
Blake" when conversing to his own
inner consciousness concerning her.
She became Nellie on these occa-
sions, which were numerous.
Miss Nurse Blake was well born.
She had perceptions. 1t went 30 her
wholesome heart to see with what
smiling poise Dr. Bob waited and
waited. He did not adopt bravado.
he meyer grew embarrassed or apo
logetie, Aer did he finch In meeting
her eyes day after day In the empty
rooms.
SO she loved him, quite hopeIessly,
she assured herself, for his quiet, pro
fessional manner never broke through
once.
Then came the first CALI Eleanor
answered the telephone and kept all
the elation that was humping up and
down in her heart out of her quiet,
businesslfke voice as she reported TO
DR.. Bob. She was only sorry that the
patient had not come to the office 80
that she might have the glory OF ush-
ering him In.
Dr. Edwards hurried to the address
she gave him. He said, II don't think
/ shall be long, Miss Blake" and she
said, Very well, DIR. Edwards"
The address did not indicate q very
good part of the city. BE could not
expect rich call from that quarter.
But 1t was bcginning-a beginning.
1t took DIR. Bob some time 10 reach
the address given him, for It led him
by devious ways to an old Office build.
ing, up many flights OF rickety stairs
and TO n dark room at the end OF n
hall. There was no response when he
knocked, but frowsy boy from the
next office appeared.
"You Doct EdwardsT' he asked.
DR.. Bob admitted that he was.
HE told me Z give you this here"
said the boy and handed him folded
paper, then disappeared. DR.. Edwards
opened the paper, The words Fooled
again and slangy sentence or two
greeted his eyes. He went downstairs,
wondering which of the fellows at the
clinic had devised the subtle joke.
DR.. Bob returned quietly to his Of.
fee. Eleanor as she saw him return 30
soon, with his face more quietly com.
posed than ever, conjectured that he
had found his patient beyond human
help. She was sorry on his account.
She tried to work Off her -hgue feel.
ing OF sympathy, for she did not know
what by going into the operating room
and cleaning again the often cleaned
but never used instruments. She stay.
ed at her work TIL after hours. TIL
suddenly the consciousness that she
was alone and lonely came over her.
She finished her task quickly, then
quietly opened the door into Dr. Bob's
office.
DR. Bob was sitting at his desk, HIS
arms across II and his head on his
arms. There was stiffness about him.
look of having been motionless for
ever, that brought Eleanor TO his side
with one terrified dart. She seized his
hands, and he looked up at her. His
stiffness was pain. not-what she had
feared.
That foolish joke had brought down
crushingfy on his head all the burden
OF all that waiting and hoping, and the
sight of 1t took away every conscious
thought In Eleanor save that the man
she loved was suffering.
She took his hands in hers, whisper
ing IN mechanical way: let me
help. Let me help. Let me help" But
she was scarcely aware of #.
DR.. Bob looked at her with light In
his eyes. He laid his hands on her
shoulders and gazed down at her with
face wise and loving.
when the first patient comes" he
said.
Eleanor decided against the new
summer suit She was saving very
strenuously. for she had purpose In
view.
One oay she c. money.
Then she put on .Yf 10
call on a cousin. ar
ried poor, had q 81 md
was chronically tnor
came away the cou. i 10 to
the doctor tomorrow wore he
tween kisses, hugs and fearful maun.
derings that she'd never, never tell
who had sent her.
The patient-the first patlent-was
to arrive the next day! The weather
was the hot, soggy kind that enervates
spring feverish world in May. The
saving that Eleanor had done had
meant much overwork and late hours.
She was physically Mt her limpest and
nervously at her most uneven. She
was iiaggard with anxiety and was
made coward by each footstep
sounding near the door.
The hour came for Rhoda- but no
Rhoda came with the hour. Eleanor
watched eagerly from the window.
And then she saw Rhoda at last
Rhoda was stealing swiftly along
the opposite side Of the street In her
hand a box containing the chiefest
treasure from the window Of a big
miliiner's store. the purse that had
contained Eleanors savings ciutched
as tightly In her hand as II 1t still had