The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-02-25
LIFE FOR LIFE.
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

Copyright. lel5)
! John Cranborn was one of the idle
| poor. He had spent the greater part of
his twenty-five years in silent condemna-
ton of those people who had CHANGED
either by their own endeavor or by that
| of their forefathers to have acquired
| wealth. Cranborn was one of those men
who believed that the world and the Idle
rich owed him a living.
| On Cranborn's side, however. and a
circumstance that somewhat lessened the
conclusive evidence against him, was the
| fact that he had been orphaned at an
early day in his life. Being of retiring
nature, he had never inveigled himself
| into a circle other than one of indiffer-
| ence to his own welfare. Those within
| his circle had no ambition Of their own
and, therefore, none to instill into any
one else. Cranborn drifted into manhood
without an influence for good or evil
having left its mark on him. If his nina
was undernourished from lack OF energy.
so also was his body, and Cranborn
found himself at twenty-five lying in a
hospital without the necessary strength
to undergo an operation.
Perhaps for the first time in his life
Cranborn desired to go on living. He
wished that he had spent less money on
cigarettes and more on bread. so that
his body would not be in the humilating
position of abject weakness. 4 spark OF
anger famed in his eyes. All the strength
Of his mind concentrated itself in con-
domination of the rich and idle. who had
not only food in abundance but all the
luxuries that he lacked.
The soft burning of limousine at the
hospital door only augmented Cranborn's
grievance and he turned his face to the
wall He would not have believed had
he been told at the moment that the
young lady stepping out Of the limousine
had come that her blood might be trans
fused into his. CraHborn's veins.
When he turned his face from the wall
at the command of the surgeon, Gram
born shrank within himself.
Beautiful and glowing with wonderful
vitality and health was the girl who
stood beside the surgeon.
This young lady Is going to give You
a new life DR.. Lyman said. II am going
to transfuse some of her pure blood into
your body"
Il won't have her do it," Cranborn
muttered weakly and turned his
shamed face away from the radiant
girl in whose eyes shone a great pity.
But you will not deprive me of
the pleasure It wifi afford me-" she
said quickly In a voice so musical that
Cranborn vibrated with the rhythm of
it You see / have been on DR.. Ly-
mans list for long tiAe and never
before have / been allowed to give my
blood to any of his patients. Now he
has called me here because my blood
agrees in certain pathological particu-
lars with yours, and i do so want to
do this little good in the world" She
was looking with actual pleading now
into the eyes she had compelled to meet
her own. Il have everything in the
world save the knowledge that l have
saved a human life. Surely you VIII
not rob me of this desire?
A weak sob shook Cranborn's body
and he closed his eyes.
Dr. Lyman motioned the girl to re-
move her wraps. The surgeon then
prepared his large caliber needle by
which the vein to vein sewing and con-
seauent soaring is avoided, but Gran |
born must have been unconscious dur
ing the proceeding, for he knew no
more until a warm. contented sense OF
well being permeated his body. The |
room had grown dark and he was alone
except for his nurse, who sat quietly |
beside him.
Cranborn would have spoken save |
that a sense of complete shame held !
him silent. A woman. or rather mere |
girl, and one OF the idle rich he had |
SO systematically condemned. had given |
her life to save him. His useless. good |
for nothing body had been purified. |
and made whole by the
act Of charity that not one out of a ]
thousand persons could oner. Pure