The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-13
THE EVENING STORY
Love and the Pay Patient.
(By L. E. Eberle.1

was DIR. Bob, though he never heard
himself called thus till after the very
end OF the story
IL was Miss Eleanor Blake who
called him DR.. Bob. She was careful
to let none but her own ears hear the
woros- When she spoke to him or
| OF MIN she was most punctilious and
| respectful.
s MISS Eleanor Blake was DR.. Bob's
| once nurse. Their attitudes toward
! one another were impeccably profess
SIohal' out by strange coincidence
Dr Bob also dropped the formal
MISS Blake" when conversing to his
own inner consciousness concerning
her. She became Nellie" on these
occasions, which were numerous.
| MISS Nurse Blake was well born.
| she had perceptions. 1t went to her
Wholesome heart to see with what
| waited. He did not adopt bravado
He never grew embarrassed or
| apologetic, nor did he finch in meet
| ing her eyes day after day in the
| empty rooms.
So she loved him-quite hopelessly,
she assured herself. for his quiet,
PROFESSIONAL manner never broke
| through once.
Then came the first call. Eleanor
| answered the telephone. and kept all
down in her heart out of her Quiet.
business-like voice as she reported to
| DR.. Bob. She was only sorry that
the patient had not come to the Of
nee SO that she might have the
glory of ushering him in.
| D Edwards hurried to the ad-
dress she gave him. He said. ST
don't think I shall be long. Miss
Blake," and she said, Very well.
DR.. Edwards"
The address did not indicate a very
good part of the city. He could not
expect a rich call from that quarter.
But 1t was beginning beginning.
1t took DR.. Bob some time to 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 dark room at the end of
hall. There was no response when
he knocked, but frowsy boy from
| the next office appeared.
You Doct' Edwards?'' he asked.
DR.. Bob admitted that he was.
HE told me t. give you this here
said the boy, and handed him fold
ed paper, then disappeared. DR.. Ed
Fooled again" and a 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
flee. Eleanor, as she saw him return
so soon, with his face more quietly
composed than ever, conjectured that
he had found his patient beyond hu-
man help. She was sorry on his ac-
count.
She tried to work off her vague 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 till after hours, till
Isuddenly the consciousness that she was
alone and lonely came over her
She finished her task quickly, then
i.x,,s 4&Ir
office.
| DR.. Bob was sitting at his desk, his
arms across it and his head on his
arms. There was a stiffness about him
a 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
istillness was pain, not-what she had
feared.
That foolish joke had brought down
of all that waiting and hoping-and
waiting, and the sight Of it took away
every conscious thought in Eleanor
save that the man she loved was suf-
fering.
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 it.
| DIR. Bob looked at her with light ir
Ibis eyes. He laid his hands on hel
a 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 a purpose il
view.
One day she counted her money. Their
she put on her hat and went to call or
a cousin. The cousin had married poor
had a swarm of children. and was
IchrOpicallV i'll Wben Flea nor carnf
away the cousin said she'd go to the
doctor tomorrow. and swore between
kisses, hugs, and fearful Numbering
that she'd never, never tell who had
sent her.
The patient-that first patient-was
to arrive the next day. The weather
was the hot, soggy kind that enervates
a spring-feverish world in May. The
saving that Eleanor had done had
lmeant much overwork and late hours
She was physically at her hmpest, and
nervously at her most uneven. She
was haggard with anxiety, and was
made a coward by each footstep sound
ing near the door.
The hour came for Rhoda-but ne
lRhoda 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 han6
"a box containing the chiefest treasure
from the window of a big milliner's
store, the purse that had contained
,Eleanor's savings clutched as tightly
in her hand as If it still had in il the
money that had been tempted from
her.
Eleanor obeyed a blind impulse. With
one reckless rush she left the offic,
door and plunged into the stream O.
ipassing vehicles and across the street
A moment later she was lying white
! or the pavement, blood trickling from
her shoulder. and a crowd gathering
bout her and the panic-stricken chauf
+ feur whose machine had run her down
Then DR.. Bob IVES bending over her AMI
raising her tenderly. lovingly, in lov
ing strong arms.
When she came to again she was ly
ling on a couch in an operating room
. LIZ. Sa.. L. Il