The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-09-18
Continued from page 50
A WAY-sIDE PATIENT.

All that was best in life he had long
since flung away. but there were still
human ties to which he could appeal.
From his friends unconscious face he
glanced, in some hesitation, at Doctor
Sanborn
"Will he be better soon?" he ven
tured, speaking softly.
"No, fear not" The doctor hest
tated. It seemed cruel not to offer
the comfort of simple friendliness.
ct is all l can say he added with an
impulse of good will. AT best the
matter is serious and can't tell what
may be back of this"
'Is it pneumonia" Dick asked,
after a short silence.
mo, it's worse than pneumonia"
DIR. Sanborn returned to his patient
It was time for some improvement,
but an hour passed by in apparently
fruitless ministrations. Never had
disease seemed SO merciless' or the
strongest drugs so 1mpotent.
Dick stood by, ready to give aid
when needed. Presently he dropped
upon his knees and impulsively
clasped his friends hand. It's very
touch seemed to awe him, and looking
up, he asked one tremulous question:
Doctor, is he dying?"
There was no answer, and shaken
by an irresistible sob, the man crept
away. With every sense intent upon
the slightest changes of pulse and
breath, Doctor Sanborn took no heed
of his going. The silence grew OPP.
pressive. Dick soon returned, and
sitting down, bowed his head upon his
hands.
81 hate to lose Will this way" he
said mournfully. We've been to-
gether long time now. Will ran
away from home because he thought
his father was working him too hard,
but it wasn't easy to find work else
where, and he took to tramping with
me.
"This last year he's been getting
tired of it.
"Many time of late he's said to
me: 'Ah, Dick, man can't get any
thing worth having unless he works
for it-steadily, mind you, Dick, he
would say; steady.
All this passed the doctors ears un-
needed. He was reading more OBJ
sorbing story, and its climax was near
at hand. There lies the romance of a
physicians fife. The night adventure
and it's strange surroundings scarcely
moved Doctor Sanborn's imagination,
but it stirred his blood to feel the
pulse growing stronger under his
fingers and the deadly chill passing
away. 8
For almost incredulously, he ad-
mitted the fact. It had been a long
fight, and his eyes sparkled with
triumph.
Dick was still talking. It was only
a variation of the old, sad story, but
something in the manner of speech
seemed incongruous, and the doctor
flashed critical glance over him.
"You were man of some educa-
tion," he remarked abruptly.
"I?' Dick queried in surprise.
ooh, had an academy course. They
used to think I'd study for the minis
try"
where are they ,now?" asked the
doctor quietly.
/ Dead" A moment passed in
4 silence. There wasn't any trouble
with my scholarship. I lacked some.
thing else, guess. Well, I've spent
my chances.
A shade of genuine regret clouded
his face, but he turned the subject,
i and went on: at was different with
WILL He never forgot the old folks,
and maybe, if they were kind, he
might pull up again"
"Then his parents are living?"
| "Yes; that's why he came this way.
Will wasn't meaning to be. seen him
self, but just to be around till he
caught sight of them. 1t will do me
a world of good just to look on my
mothers face, he kept saying, yester-
day, and he was full of plans to get a
job somewhere and then come home.
Well, we made a long day of it, but
Will was sickening all the time, and
we had to stop here, though the For
rest house is not far ahead"
i What is his fathers name?" de-
manded the doctor.
Nathan Forrest. Do you know
him?"
Indeed l do! But / didn't know
his house was SO near. have always
come around the other way.
With a new interest he studied his
patients face. Under it's mask OF
pallor there were familiar features
Il know there was some trouble in
the Forrest family" he unused. "The
mother is broken by her sorrow. The
father has pent his grief into silence
i ct seems to me his folks ought to
know of this Dick suggested. He
made me promises I wouldn't tell
them"
81 haven't promised the doctor
rejoined decisively. However,
can't leave him yet. There is good
chance for recovery now and we must
flight it out alone
1 An hour later the sick boy opened
his eyes and half-consciously raised
both hands to his temples. MY head
aches," he muttered drowsily and soon
dropped to sleep again.