The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-10-02
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Cherished Fee
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By ALvAH JORDAN GARTH
Copyright. 1919. by thS Western News
paper tnion.)


threshold of professional practice, fac
ed a group of half a 6gzep women and
children who bore liz their midst the
figure of an exceedingly beautiful girl,
but limp, lifelesS, her fsce devoid Of all
color.
ut was at the alley, Doctor Reeves"
babbled forth one of the women. "She
was passing its end when Murphy's
horse ran away. She was brushed
against the wall and she went down
like q broken flower. She is so still
and white. Is it dead she Isl"
The poor of the neighborhood knew
the young physician well in time Of
Illness and trouble and were friendly
and familiar. Doctor Reeves spoke a
reassuring word.
mo bones broken, one shoulder
bruised quite badly, but there's the
shock" he said to Mrs. Hannlgan.
"Just hold this phlal TO the nostrls
and fan the young lady till I go to the
drug store and get some medicine I
find | have run out Of"
The young doctor moved with celer-
ity. He was not a man given 10 triv-
ial impulses, yet his whole soul was
enlisted in the present case. Never
ir his life had a lovely face so Impress
ed him as that Of this hapha2ard pa
tient. lie wondered who she could be,
obtained the remedy he was after and
was not gone from his office more than
ten minutes. His face clouded as he
entered it, for his absence, brief as it
was, had been Of sufficient duration to
mark the return to consciousness Of
his mysterious patient and her depar-
ture:
81 couldn't stay her, doctor dear"
explained Mrs. Hannigan. "She was
all nervous and troubled She said
she must hurry to a train and that her
sister had her railroad ticket And
when / told her of you she looked at
your picture on the wall there and
said you must be a truly kind-hcarted
man. Then she said something about
having no money and after she'd gone
found this lying on the little stand
yonder
"This" was a small pretty finger
ring holding an amethyst surrounded
by small pearls. Along its inner rim
was the inscription: "Anice from Sis
ter" Doctor Reeves traced an ele-
ment of pathos in the situation. This
AniCe, whose fair features were so
powerfully impressed upon his mind
had left the ring in lieu of the money
for his fee. He made n great many
vain inquiries regarding its owner the
next day, but it was of no avail
Pietro Santos, q settlement fayorte
who made and peddled plaster Of paris
images, was brought into his office
that afternoon with an injured limb,
and this distracted his thoughts from
this provokingly beautiful and persist
emily haunting Anice. She was back
in his memory and cherished regard
however, within few hours. Reeves
attached a ribbon to the ring and wore
it hidden from view.
Goa de country, doctor" announced
PietrO a month later, all mended up
ono staring on one Of his usual
trips away from the city "Owe-a for
you fiX-a Pietro up so fine. Pay-a
when ! come back"
Don't you worry about that" said
the young physician, waving the CRATE
full itinerart an encouraging adieu.
Two afternoons later nj the edge of
n little village Pietro came across a
gang of rough lOafers who attacked
him, took his hard-oaned money
bound him and, setting his pretty
wares on fence posts as targets, pro-
ceeded TO demoIlsh them. An hour Ia
ter, passing the spot, a moan attracted
rho attention Of n fair. gentle-faced
girl, DIR. Allen Reeves would have Civ
en- good deal to have seen, for she
was the patient who had disappeared
so OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Merrill.
Her true sympathetic soul was re-
vealed as she set the victim Of bru-
tally and havoc free and heard his
pathetic story. She led him to her
home, cared for him until the next
day and even provided him with the
money to pay his fare to his city
home
You sav-a my courage, my life" he
told Anice. 81 never forget When I
come again brlng-a you a great work
OF art All, you have inspired the poor
mock sculptor. lie mak-a your beau
tiful face liver
It was two months after that when
Petro appeared in the office Of Doc
tor Reeves. He was thin and showed n
strain Of incessant hard work, but his
eyes glowed and his face was irradl-
ated.
Doctor" he said, placing on the
table an object done up in a cloth, 81
never pay-a yet, but now 90 out
with a new image-oh, such beauty
All It sell-a everywhere. Soon | will
have for you the glad-a pay. See, you
are my good-a friend. Is 1t not beau
tlful?"
And removing the drapery Pietro re-
vealed to Doctor Reeves his marvel
of handiwork-a statuette in which ge-
MUS and gratitude had portrayed true
to life the dazzling features Of Anice
Merrill.
After that there were two cherished
objects in the household when Doctor
Reeves and Anice Merrill were install.
ed In home Of their own: the little
amethyst ring and the statuette which