Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-03-13


viouSly needed the money. lying IN
bed this SUNDAY morumg. his SympS-
thy grows When he hears the sharp
voice of Katie. their daughter. IN the
next room. When Chris arises. hen-
~ apologetically asks him to use the
hack stairs To the bathroom instead
of going through the room of Henry ;
ne'er-do-well son, Dick, as the latter
is sleeping and has the door locked.
Then he got out Of bed, put on his
old dressing gown, gathered up his
towel-he already knew better than
to leave it in the bathroom-and with
q cautious glance at Katie's closed
door went down the front stairs and
through the dining room to where
narrow flight OF steps led up y the
bathroom Quietly as he had moved
however. Mrs. Walters i'm the kitchen
had heard him, and now she con-
fronted him with worried troWn.
She was a small woman with unudy,
faded. blonde hair and an am Of hay
inc known better days. Now she
looked frightened, as though this new
security for her and hers was threat
ened
Pm terribly sorry, Doctor. I've
tried to get Dick out, but-welL
guess YOU know how it is.
Don't you worry about it, he told
her cheerfulIy. "A little exercise in
the morning is good for me. Later
on. when the waiting line Of patients
extends out into the hall, it might be
awkward! But not yet"
She was very near to tears, he saw,
and he got himself away and up the
steps in a hurry. After all, it was
not entirely her fault that her chill
dren were what they were. Nor, ne
considered, as he ruefully surveyed
the bathroom when he reached 1t, was
# her fault that the tub had not been
cleaned by it's last user the night be-
fore That would have been Katie, ne
knew. The odor of cheap scented soap
still filled the air, and her towel lay
in a damp heap on the floor.
He cleaned the tub carefully, his
mind still on the Walters family and
his own situation. The Walters, he
realized, had been an error, but what
was a man to do? Medicine as pro
% Io 40 oIlo,vaDcnc fO,, nov
ertv. 1t exacted years of preparation
and study, it cared for him during
his interneship in some hospital or
other. and then it shot him out into
the world to sink or swim. 1t gave
him ethics and even ideals, but 1t
made it mighty hard to live up to
them, or even to live at all. And now
he had the Walters and the Walters
had been a mistake.
He bathed and shaved carefully
ard with deliberation. Once some
body tried the door, and he grinned
into the mirror. That also would be
Katie, he thought. Well, let her wait.
He had had plenty of Katie, and he
was likely to have more; for already
he knew that without his help the
Walters family had reached the end
Of the road.
His mind harked back to a sulky
oirI in a ward bed after an operation
for appendicitis, and Henry Walters
beside it. shabby but with the voice
and manner of better times.
81 hear you're leaving the hospi-
tai. Doctor Is that 500"
ayes. My times up pretty soon,
q was going to say that we have
two parlors, if you care to look at
them. They've been rented, but
they're empty just now"
The girl had said nothing. She was
very young and rather pretty, with
two long braids and sullen mouth,
and Chris had smiled down at her.
Glow about it, Katie? Want a doc
tor in the house?"
81 never want to see doctor a
gain."
Nevertheless he had taken the Of
fees. The location was good, and
Henry Walters was a salesman, II
he was not much of anything else.
"Look at them, Doctor! Blaze OF
sunshine in them both. And the
street cars stop right at the door
That's an advantage, too"
tcxT., GOOD sunshine said Chris,