Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-24
The Vigil
T,HE doctor came. and as lie examine
=, ,.,, i: e,,o cre,y serious,

vu>,Ir i,ct,r came, and as he examined
i tbe child his face grew serious.
"Pneumunin, he pronounced grave
". 81 was afraid Of this. Are you
the rhild'S mother:'
He stared at Anne ruriousIy' ~ the
slim fgur, in the dull blue dress. at
thc childish head with its CLUSTERING
curls and the wide agonized eyes Ana
nc he looked his keen eyes s"tlehea'
There was n mystery Of some Kind here'
h,,, ,ho, this was the mother, and thar
sbo loved the child dcvotedly. was se''
evident.
"Wrpl do what we can, h" sa'a
kindly, but it's ouly fair t" tell you
! that it viii hc a battle.
,nro nodded She had not spoken
! .ov. ;, murmur love words int" 'he
| hohv's cnrs as she had held the 'itt'e
! h,d, ,l,sc in her arms before the doc
! .or's arrival. But Elinor h"d no.
, Lnowr her, Her checks were hhshr"
,,ith fryer. and her dark eyes. =" IN
! NLe Arnp'a tuwny ones. we're Siahe"
! and dnI She moved her mead resi-
lcssly on the pillow and occ"sioh"''s
r..,n vhimncrs came from her. small
,,,.,,ls thar tore Annes heart. anu
,,oro almost more thun she could bear
"Cnn you ,nke care % hey; h'
1or,or's tone was again professionals
.,f ,on think il will b" too much for
! ynu we'll get u nurse. it,,
! IT,, Anne shook her head quicht!
o,i q. sLr answered him her tones w''e
almost tl"rc" +, .or,
II want (" do It. lwant to DO every
thing can" Her eyes met A,I ''t M
nn,,I,.ut and then went bh"N 80 ~,
small restless body in I'll" h'S n"'' u
Tlinor should die Anne ieit p"n",
, nj fear We'll up in her. hut sue 'Iu"n''
Il hach Elinor ~hohldn ne. II "'>
. unthinkah!c .,. 49,, l,..
And through ia" night. aii"r ti,' I?o
,or haJ gone. ana Mrs. Higgins wa
asleep in the next r""!"' N''hr "a -"
rnyoring over her baby with that "n'
,Lnu.L, in her heart. God conidn
tnI.n EIinnr now. because II lie did sh'
would ." mad L,
Nprriiuly, Anne's memory ot "h"
hal taken place that afternoon wa
h,urrsL For the present every though
she had was rrnterrd on the buoy, ah'
oa she .at .hrrc beside the bed. CT Wen
obou, mechanically fulfilling the do'
tor's orders. her thoughts Travelled oac'
tn tl,. Ilmc before She had met JONI
Stccla that time that she had sh'ih
1.rcd away from even in her thought
and ,hat even now brought a look "
concentrated fear into her eyes.
One ricturc after another rose brt"r
hcr ns though % mock her for beIi''
ing that she could ever bury the paS'
She SAW herself nS sh" had been thrc
wears ago girli-hly innocent. ana cage
for whntcver life had IN store for he'
Then she had marri, d Stanley fnr'"l
Il and for three years had dragged on
) an existence ot such utter uegrada'Io
1 Tint her sirlho"d And l"il her t"rrr'
d and she had become Il Woman; WISE
=, the wuys Of the world. and utterl
i skept!cal concerning love. What :!
7 had not known "t men, S'an'rE Ia
d taught her. f"r she learned I" think
q all men ~ she thought Of HIN VII
=. utter lontAing. Every dream Of beHn'
y ,Ent had ever been hers, lie crush,
I rl,thlrSsly hcneuth his heel, and II
{ had no, been for her pride. >omrthlI
q in hcr THAT Stanley couldn't rrac
= She would never have survived her Il
:, :, with him. IIuHdrcdH Of times she h;
% been on Me- rolnt Of running ava,
= hu, she had brcn afraid 10 do tina
4 afraid ,Eul he would lind her and bril-
r. her back. afraid Of the punishment th'
ne m.xh' devise for hrr when he b;
her again IN his power
Stanley Barton was L"t only cruz
mud brutal; h" wa" cunning and ST.
IIr had 10 intention Of letting An'
=. get away from him. and hr eiIphasiZ'
that fact by telling her that she'd be
ter nos rr, unything Of IA" kind If 81
"A knew what was good for her
~. T,tunrrOw-InCing the Plst