Middletown transcript., 1909-03-27

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The old doctor nodded.
He is going to get we'll. |
wonder If he is worth all the
trouble he's cansed usG
The woman smiled. She knew
the doctors blunt ways.
You seemed to think he was
worth saving when you was work
ing over him, she softly said.
You couldn't have done more for
him If he had been your own son.
The doctor glowered at her.
My own son? he repeated. |
couldn't have done half as much
for my own son. Id have thrown
up my old hands III the very be-
ginning and turned the case over
to the best man who would take
lit. And then I'd have sat by the
door and waited trembling.
The woman slowly nodded as
if she understood.
I've never had q 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 doc
tor he had trusted had fought
again for 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 interesting invalid had gath
ed sufficient strength to be
propped up with pillows. She is
a wonder in her little sphere. It's
lucy 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 q lot Of peo-
pie through where I've got the
Hnearned credit. When Jim Ian.
don 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 q lazy vagabond,
and it wouldn't have been a bad
idea to let some more of his worth.
less blood drain out of him. But
Aunt Hetty saved him-and she's
done a big share toward saving
you. She hasn't gagged you with
thermometers, nor doped you with
hypodermics, but she's been
Hetty en-the-spot right through
the whole fracas
How can / pay her for all this
care, doctor? the invalid asked.
You can't. She asked me to-
day if I thought $7 a week was
too much to charge you. She
said you had been fussiug about
the bill. / told her to make it
so, but she wouldn't do it. And
you mustn t hurt her feelings by
to pay her more than she
asks you. But wait She has a
niece that's named for herEa niece
Of whom she is very fond. She
wants this girl to have a musical
education, and thinks she shows
3 taste for it. She's actually been
giving her what she calls lessons.
The mufied wall of the old
nelodeon came to them through
he partition. Aunt Hetty's slen.
Ter hands were wandering over
he yellow keys.
Lessons on that! he ehuckled. ,
The eyes Of the convalescent j
uddenly frightened. Il
Get out your notebook, doctor,
e said. | want you to write an. t
ther letter The girl shall have q
er musical education, and there In
something else have in mind.
The doctor drew out bis note b
ook and stubby pencil. III
Go ahead, he said. I'm willing :
} do anything for you that / can b
ut into the bill. .
The white face smiled up at !
i'm.
Doctor. said Creston, I con-
der you an old humhug. How 4
any visits have you made meY p
I refuse to have any dispute i
ith you on this point. returned q
le old man. I've putt all down m
and you'll get the bill e
due time. And don't fatter q
,urself I have been calling on - -
~ merely for exercise, or be- IN
use your conversation is fasci. q %
ting. Every call, sir, has been las
professional one, as you will nll
ID when you see he sum total. b.
The invalid scowled up at him. .l 10
Don't make me laugh, doctor.
strains my neck. Here, ri
I you what Ill do. You have n