The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-06-17
LOVE AND THE
PAY PATIENT.
BY L. e. EBERLE.


He signed his name Robert W. Ed
wards, NJ. D, and had paid several
greatly valued dollars to have it put on
a 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 ears hear the
words. When she spoke to him or of
him she was most punctilious and re-
spectful.
Miss Eleanor Blake was DR.. Bob's
Office nurse. Their attitudes toward
one another were impcccably profess
sional, but 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 occa-
sions. which were numerous.
Miss Nurse Blake was we'll born.
She had perceptions. 1t went to her
wholesome heart to see with what
smiling poise DR.. Bob waited-and
waited. He did not adopt bravado.
He never grew embarrassed or apo
logetic. nor did ne finch in meeting
her eyes day after day in the empty
rooms.
So she loved him, quite hopelessly,
she assured herself, for his quiet pro-
fessional manner never broke through
once
Then came the first call. Eleanor
answered the telephone and kept all
the citation that was humping up and
down in her heart out of her quiet,
businesSIike voice as she reported to
Il ,,
patient had not come to the office. so
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 we'll DR.. Edwards"
The address did not Indicate n very
good part Of the city. He could not
expect n rich call from that quarter
But 1T was n besinninS-a beginning.
1t took DIR. 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 n
hall. There was no response when he
knocked. but a frOwsy boy from the
next office appeared.
you DOct' Edwards?' he asked.
DIR. Bob admitted that he was
He told me Z give you this here
said the boy and handed him q folded
paper, then disappeared. Or. Edwards
opened the paper. The words "Fcoled
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
ice. Eleanor as she saw him return 40
soon. with his face more quietly com
posed thnn ever. conjcctured that he
bad found his patient beyond human
help. She was sorry on his account.
She tried to work Off her vague feel
Ing OF sympathy, for she did not know
what, by going into the opera ting room
and cleaning again the often cleaned
but never used Instruments She stay
ed at her work till after hours, till
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.
Or. Bob was sitting at his desk, his
arms across it and his head on his
arms. There was Il stiffness about him,
look OF having been motionlcss 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
fenred
That foolish joke had brought down
cruShinGsy on his head all the burden
OF al that waiting and hoping. and the
slSht or 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 a mechanical way: Let me
help. Let me help. Let me help" But
She was scarcely aware of it.
DE- Bob looked at her with light in
MS eyes. lie laid his hands on her
shoulders and cnzed down at her with
a face wise and loving.
When the first patient comes" he
said
Eleanor decided against the new
summer suit. She was saving very
srehuouSlE, for she had q purpose in
view.
one day she counted her money
men she put on her hat and went to
call on cousin. The cousin had mar
RED poor. had 4 swarm of children and
vas chronically i'll. When Eleanor
came away the cousin said she'd 90 to
tween kisses, hugs and fearful maun-
oeflheS That she'd never, never tell
who had sent her
Inc pati"nt-the first patient-was
TO arrive the next day. The weather
was The hot. soCCy kind that encrvareS
spring feverish world in May The