Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-15
rhe Broken Barrier.

There is no likelihood Of any change
during the next FIVE or six hours. Should
there be-call me UP. You're on the tele-
rhone aren't you?"
The Young doctor who for the last two
hours had been waging war with the
grn visitor that, euding all Samuel Jex's
vigilance had crept into those hot rooms
above the shop where the creaking, swing
ing sign Of the Toby jug made melan-
obov music o nights took up his coat
and prepared to go downstairs
rbe shaded light standing on the basin
Stand threw a long, wavering shadow OF
him across the wall over against the bed
and on the ceiling above it. where it
seemed 10 hovar menacingly over the
.till figure that lay below. Samuel lex,
noticing this laid his hand on the doctors
arm and drew him a little aside The
movement brought the young man within
sight Of the couch at the foot Of the bed,
where the red haired little girl lay
asleep
Even in sleep her face had lost nothing
NJ It's pert unchildlike look II was
dirty. and tears had made long. fantastic
channels through its grime-but these ev.
dences Of grief did not make for pathos
She looked like some gnome that had
stumbled on the capacity for tears and
had been making experiments with It,
Something uncommonly like aversion
crossed the doctors face as he glanced
at the child He turned to Jex
Is there no other room where this child
can Sleep" he asked "A sick room Is
not the place for a child. "
lex shook his head In the half light
he looked very old and wan There was
something witchlike in his profile the
doctor thought, giancing al him, and shiv-
cred family at the thought of this trio
the grim old man, the elflike child, and
the woman on the bed who, motionless
now had for these awful hours been
struggling with the dumbness Of her par
alyzed throat as with some giant hand
that compressed 1t.
A Ghoulleh Child
She won't rest. like. away from her
MANY lex said She's faithful-like
dog
The doctors shoulders elevated them
selves Morbid little beast" he said to
himself mot a spark Of affection in tht
ghoulish little wretch" He had looked
up once and encountered the childs eyes
as she watched him across the bed, and
the look he had caught in them had been
very ugly one
She mustn't be allowed to disturb her
mother. he said. CURLY, as he left the
room
For moment Jex stood looking at
the child
"Jenny's child, he nnurmured to him
SELF Aye but it's hard to believe her
lennys child
H gave no definite form to the thought
that was IN his mind vet he was con
scious not by any means for the first
time despite his fondness for his daugh-
ter s child Of a strange feeling that she
vas something less than human Just
Tor moment, a. he stood there, he
seemed to see in her the naturalization
Of the ugly spirit that inhabited the body
ot the man the world knew as Paul SAKE,
Ana al that thought a light that was
almost hatred shone in the old man s
ewes then as quickly passed He drew
me rug that covered the sleeping child
more closely over her with a tender
hand, and went softly back TO his watch
by the bed
As he stood there looking down at the
eAlia SO now he stood looking down at
me mother The woman lay motionless
que tdu lam since me doctor had
sven the last injection of morphia save
i'f he heavy breathing broken now and
again by a sound-half moan, half sigh,
u might have seemed that the enemy at
me gate had claimed his prey
No likelihood of any change-the doc
,of had said-but already it seemed to
leA nat a change had come That there
VAS deepening of the shadow on the
MFeaaed face a sharpening of the feat
Ees' always finely chiseled that gave
thsm he look of a suffering face carved
" stone tear clutched at the old
NiJ =.