Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-10-09
DOCTOR"
By Mary Roberts Rhinehart
CHAPTER 80

spreading beyond the block into the
ward and from there slowly rxtend-
ing. On her afternoons at home he
would come in, eat hmriedly and go
out again, closing the door into the
back office with firm finality. Some
times she did not see him at all, and
the house without him meant nothing
to her. It seemed untidier than ever,
and after a visit home she would go
back to the hospital, grateful to it
for its order and quiet
Chris was mentally wretched and
physically highly uncomfortable, for
Lily had lapsed even from her prev
ious state of inefficiency. Her wrap
pers were more bedraggled, the ac-
emulation of unwashed dishes and
dust everywhere greater. There were
times, too, when she acted like a wo-
man drugged, although She angrily
denied it.
Drugs? What sort OF drugs, and
where would l get them?"
He took to locking his medicine
closet then, but Lily knew a trick
worth two of that. There were al
ways the samples left in Chris's alb
sence, and one day she let in a lock-
smith and had a second key made to
the closet.
Now and then Chris brought in a
colored woman from the alley behind
the house to clean up, and for day
or two the brass plate on the front
door would shine and the house be
orderly. But soon it would lapse a.
gain, with Lily shut away in her up
stairs room, rocking slowly in her
comfortable daze.
One day Chris saw the Lewis car
on a downtown street and knew that
Beverly was back from Europe. It
made no appreciate difference in him
save that he began then to develop
those deep lines from nose to mouth
which were so characteristic of him
later. But very soon after that he
had one of those experiences that set
many a medical man to wondering
just where right and justice lie, and
which caused him many sleepless
night for weeks to come.
He walked into his office one night
to find a young woman waiting for
him. She had an intelligent face and
was well dressed and he had no sus-
picion Of the situation when she fol-
lowed him into the consulting room.
Her first words enlightened him.
Il am in trouble, Doctor. l sup
pose you know what that means. And
l imagine you will refuse to do any
thing about it." She smiled gravely.
Il know, because I've tried before.
There's law against it isn't there?"
Its rather more than merely a
law, isn't it,"
She nodded. Much more. I know
all the arguments. Nv had several
months to think them over. Alone"
she added with a slight emphasis.
Then the father of the child"
Has been away. He didn't know
about it, you see. Not that that
would have made any difference. I
thought once he would marry me
eventually, but-well, that doesn't
matter now. l think now that l will
have the child, Doctor" She smiled
again. I'm not being pasticularly
noble, but you see, l happen to care
for the man"
She was SO carefully matter-of-
fact that he kept his own face i'm
passive. you are being very brave
now. It's the best thing, of course;
the only sensible thing"
She had not finished, however. She
was still calm, but he saw that her
hands were clinched tight on the arm
of her chair.
What l want, and what think is
fair, is that the-the man in the case
shall see me through it and support
the child later. That's not being
mercenary. | support myself-ImI
a stenographer in one of the mills
and I shall have to go somewhere
else to live. Unfortunately he does
not see it that way. He thinks it will
give me hold on him, be sort of
blackmail." She flushed. "In other
words, now it might be anybody'sI
child; if he sends me money or
checks, it is his"
''And what else does he suggest 2"
"He thinks 1 need not have it at
all"
Chris was puzzled. Apparently
she wanted nothing from him; but
there was a determination in her
Al L