Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-09-29
CHAPTER Is

beside the country doctor at the bed,
anxiety etched in his face; it was
Steve's presence that was Linda's Sec
ond shock.
"Yep," Steve could still summon
q smile. "Just Old Mother Hubbard
you can't keep him away from his
kids"
"Ho!" Mickey tried to laugh
%Steve's man; he isn't mother"
"I'm afraid" Linda said, 'that he's
better one than I am"
The doctor interrupted her.
"I'm DR.. Jepson, Mrs. Morton" ne
said. "I'm afraid your little boy has
bad appendix and we'd better get it
out right away. His nausea started
yesterday, followed by mild fever a
round 100. He complains constantly
of abdominal pains and we've noticed
occasional muscle spasm. Surgery,
although unusual for child so young,
isn't :"
Doctor" Linda said abruptly, "did
you take blood count? Forgive me,
but I'm nurse, you see."
"Well, now," DR.. Jepson expanded
himself with dignity, as though his
professional worth had been challen-.
ged. 81 feel I've had enough exper-
fence with such cases -"
"Did you take blood count?"
"Well, as a matter of fact" DR..
Jepson mopped his cleaning brow,
with all the confirmatory symptoms,
I scarcely thought it necessary. Of
course, if you are not satisfied :"
ats not that at all, DOCTOR" Linda
answered. "But please, let's +. let's
be sure!"
At exactly the same time in two
homes-far apart in site and station
two dramatic scenes were being en-
acted. And both of them conferred
about common focal figure, young
Mickey Morton.
In Mrs. Blazers humble cottage at
the shore, Linda Morton and Steve
Hubbard tensely awaited the verdict
of laboratory science; waited for the
report of the nurse who had called
to take the blood count of the strick-
en- boy.
In the stately. Lake Forest man.
sion of the Bradley Mortons of Chi
cago, 1000 miles away, Mike Nor
tons parents were learning for the
first time that they had a grandson.
Since Linda's arrival at Lake Ia
hoe for her vacation visit with the
Blaines, the photograph snapped with
DR.. Blaine by the resort photographer
had lain unused in newspaper "mor-
CUES" throughout the country, to
which it had been sent by the resort.
publicity man.
But when Linda made the dramatic
dash by airplane to reach the sick
boy, the picture was no longer pub
icity. It became news with the story.
To Chicago editors, the magic Morton
name was Page One copy.
That is how it happened that Brad
ley Morton, at breakfast, coughed into
his coffee and upset his grapefruit
from its nest of shaven ice-an epoch
al upheaval of the Morton aplomb
which nothing short of bank failure
or a new surplus tax could accom-
plish.
"ImOgenew he gasped, snatching
: off his pince nez and wildly waving
the morning paper, Michael left a
son."
Mrs. Bradley Morton, so distant
that she seemed to be at the other
baseline of a white linen tennis court,
ready for service, lifted her head in
an attitude that implied lorgnette.
"Don't be absurd, Brad" she said.
"How could he? And stop sputter-
ing sol"
"Why shouldn't sputter?" the cap
tain of finance snapped back. "We
have a grandson, tell you'll"
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Morton retorted
ave know they were childless when
Michael +. when our boy was taken
from us. Maybe that grasping girl
married again or :"
eyes," exulted Bradley Morton,
"OR. That's just it. 1t says here
that the child was born posthumously
after Michael's death. "Look!"
Despite his years and dignity, Brad
ley Morton, banker, made it to his
wife's side quicker than he could fore
close a note.
"Look!" he repeated.
Mrs. Bradley Morton looked.
There it was, indisputably, on the