The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-22
By PHILIP KEAN.
Copyright, 1919. by the Associated
Literary Press.)

Fieurette was eighteen, and she had
! never owned coll.
OF course i ain roo old for one
now, sne Woula Say, wisduiiy, DO
she pissed tie snop WiAuu"s On hef
/ way LUtlie from work.
fIeuietle was az apprentice IN
+ miini4eiy sAop. NOW ana then little
f, I leuIeeLe s4ened Tor iuAuE!es.
i nave never reany lad a good
. time, you kAoW. motner,' she wuu4a
Say, ANA her mutnvr Moutd hias her
! ana sisA. II unly your father httd
! ANeu, ieurelte."
Iae Iuture seemed To hold nothing
/ Tor them except The pussIDlnty VI
I rieutelte's sact.ss as a lu4hii-ef. she
mac been protIlisea tnree uottars
! v eek, as soon aa sac isarred the
I hast pFIAc4ptes OF her traua.
Wv isrti, therefore,. she came homo
! one night wan q sore throat. there
/ Was Confederation. Il Simply can't
/ De sick, fIe4tette said, esierateiy.
"Aaadaine WI get some enc else IN
my place il l stay away"
she went To bea that night with
her throat wrapped up. ana when size
struggled to her feel. IN the early
/ aaan, ner head was hot with fever.
But / must go" she insisted. and
at last her mother helped her into
! her clothes, ana started her on he
I way.
The day was one of deadly and ex-
| cruciating effort. t1eurettes hot
| head anu heavy eyes seemed to
weigh her down. Her needle in her
trembling hand seemed to take
+ stitches mat accomplished nothing.
! Madame spoke 10 her sharply severai
! times. ana. at last sent her home.
/ And don't come hack until you are
/ rid Of that cough. she said.
/ Fleurette. STAGGERING hoineward
felt that she DIDN'T care II some one
else did take her place. she wanted
only to get To her mother, to lay her
i hot head oh the pillow and sleep.
Her 1eet were so heavy that at
+ last she stopped, and held on to the
railing that ran In front of one or
! the big windows Of the shop where
F., there WAS displayed box after box
( Of blond and brunette bisQue dolls.
! oh, you pretty babies Fleurette
/ whispered. Tiff only was little
enough to curl up III that pink crib.
how nice it would be-
( She said 1t out loud. and Il man
/ who had stopped beside her looked
down at her sharply.
Hello" he said quickly. Is she
swayed, and would have fallen, hu,
I Tor his helping hand Look here,
! kiddle you're i'll d bad way"
! Il think" said Fleurette. LOOKING
( up TT him with fever bright eyes, Il
] think / am very i'll. But IL am 60
/ Ing to die, think I'd just as soon
, DO it right here. please. You--see
J I've never had a DOLL"
~ cure not going to die he said
hriskly. You tell me where you
! live. and I'll have you home and In
/ bed before you can say Jack Robin
! SON"
Il don't want to say Jack Robin
| son. Fleurette protested. weakly
but she gave him her number and.
! leaning on his arm. was led down a
side street to her waiting and anx-
ious mother.
The big man stayed in the front
! room, while the Erl's mother made
/ her comfortable in the inner room.
and Fleurette could hear him hum
ming like a big bee as she went off
| into dreamland.
She had lapsed i4to unconscious
ness by the time the big men had in
/ PRODUCED himself To her mother. MY
name is Jack Rodman." he said. MY
boat came in this morning after a
weeks fishing on the banks. / own
my own boat and IN my own town
! you could find plenty OF people who'd
1 tell you that I come of honest folks
/ and that / haven't gone back on my
name. / walked uptown this after
noon and ] saw the little girl talking
| to the dolls. She seemed too big for
! that sort Of thing, so ! listened, and
I saw she was out OF her head--but.
say. Is 1t true that she never had a
| doll?"
mot since she can remember" said
/ F1eurette's mother.
RoaIraa a. hooked. around THO plain
! l. az
t here, may'I come again and find out
how she is?"
! Mrs. DeBois knew that she could
| trust those frank. blue eyes. YES"
! she said. land thank you very much
| for bringing my little girl back TO
me-"
He came in an hour later with
some fruit. Il thought IL she was
feverish the oranges might taste good
to her" he said. Let me help YOU"
he went on eagerly. Here l am in
this old town. my boat has to so to
! the drydock for repairs and my time
/ hangs on my hands,"
In her extremity Mrs. DuIsois>l
| turned to him gratefully. I'VE have
no friends and ] cant leave f1eurette
for q moment" she said. II must
have doctor and medicine at once"
He was up and away in II moment.
coming back with kindly, compe-
Il tent physician. and running out again
to fill prescriptions. to get a chicken
for broth and milk and eggs.
Look here" he said to Mrs. Du-
Bots. you let me do the cooking. I've
done II lots OF times on my boat
and you let me watch when you get
worn out"
In the days that followed Mrs. Du-
Bots often asked anxieusiy. isn't !
your boat ready to sail?" and Jack
Rodman always answered with his
big laugh. There's = lot more to
do on her"
1t was not until F1eurette began
TO come back to life that he spoke
OF his return voyage I'm another
week I must be getting home" he
said,
How can we ever repay your"
Mrs Dubois said.
Forget Il" said Tack slangiy.
but his eyes were wet You .must |
remnmhar Ehat ION - nay ad0pted !