The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-05-08

It all the woman was ever at the doc
tors side-watchful, quick TO act,
gentle, faithful.
And then one morning she met the
old man at the door as he entered.
Doctor" she softly said, you've
saved him"
His fine old face was darkened by a
frown.
Its the nursing that saved him."
he growled. But there. I'll compro-
mise with you've have saved him.
They stood together by the bed
side, looking down on the wounded
stranger
"Sleepin' fine, amt he?" the wom-
an whispered.
The old doctor nodded.
He is going to get well. I wonder
if he is worth all the trouble he's
caused u.s."
The woman smiled. She knew the
doctors blunt ways.
You seemed to think he was
worth savin' when you was workin
over him." she softly said. You
Couluu L nave llOi Z lOL lllAl IL lac
had been your own son."
The doctor glowered at her.
MY own SON." he repeated. II
couldn't have done half as much for
my own son. I'd have thrown up my
old hands in the very beginning and
who would take it. And then I'd
have sat by the door and waited trem-
bling"
The woman slowly nodded as if she
understood.
i've never had son." she softly
sighed
So Creston Gray presently came out
of his long sleep and dimly realized
that he had been wrenched from the
grasp of the destroyer. Gruff of
voice and tender of heart, rude in
speech and gentle in touch, the old
doctor he had trusted had fought
again fo- a human life and again
conquered.
you are just as much indebted to
Aunt Hetty Kingston as you are to
me-" he told Creston when that in
teresting invalid had gathered sutfi-
cient strength to be propped up with
pillows. She is a wonder in her
little sphere. It's lucky we don't
have much sickness around here, or
they'd work poor Aunt Hetty to
death. When it's nursing case they
all want Hetty. She's pulled lot of
people through where I've got the
unelrned credit. When Jim Landon
cut himself with an AK and severed
an artery, Aunt Hetty held the wound
tightly closed for five hours before
anybody passed by. Jim was lazy
vagabond, and it wouldn't have been
bad idea to let some more of his
worthless blood drain out of him.
But Aunt Hetty saved him-and
she's done big share toward saving
you. She hasn't gagged you with
thermometers, nor doped you with
hypodermics, but she's been Hetty-
on-the-spot right through the whole
fracas.
How can I pay her for all this
care, doctor?' the invalid asked.
you can't. She asked me to-day
if thought 81 week was too much
to charge you. She said you had been
fussing about the bill. I told her to
make it $40, but she wouldn'.. do it.
And you mustn't hurt her feelings by
offering to pay her more than she
asks you. But wait. She has a niece
that's named for her, niece of whom
she is very fond. She wants this girl
to have a musical education, and
thinks she shows taste for it. She's
actually been giving her what she
calls lessons"
The muf1ed wall of the old melod-
con came to them through the parti-
tion. Aunt Hetty's slender hands
were wandering over the yellow keys.
Lessons on that" he chuckled.
The eyes of the convalescent sud-
denly frightened.
Get out your notebook, doctor"
he said. II want you to write an
other letter. The girl shall have her
musical education, and there is some
thing else have in mind"
The doctor drew out his notebook
and a stubby pencil.
Go ahead" he said. "I'm willing
to do anything for you that l can put
into the BILL"
The white faced smiled up at him.
Doctor" said Creston, Il consider
you an old humbug. How many WIS.,
its have you made me-"