Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-04-24
CHAPTER SEVEN

Il will indeed Henry Its a prom
Use"
Henry weakly put out his hand and
Chris took it.
Shortly after that Henry died. Lily
stood by the bed looking down at him,
more shocked than grieved, but Katie
threw herself into Chris's arms and
cried Historically, her head on his
shoulder.
Hes all right, Katie. He's not sick
any more"
She still held to him, however, and
he had an uneasy feeling that while
she was grieving, she was also dram
atizing that grief. He released him
self and led her out of the room.
After the funeral, it occurred to
Chris then that he was now all Lily
and Katie had, and that he had prom
ised Henry to take care of them.
It was the next day that he saw a
small personal advertisement IN the
newspaper: "Dick. Father is dead.
Please come home"
So far as he knew there was no
answer.
Life went on after that, but with
a difference. Lily moved about like
a ghost, starting when the doorbell
rang and even standing sometimes
at the street door, looking up and
down as though Dick would come at
any moment. Chris was sorry for her,
but Katie was impatient.
"Why on earth worry about him
He never worried about you"
Glow do you know what he wor-
ried about?"
Chris, carrying this new burden as
best he could, would hear them bick-
ering. Fortunately, with the first
heavy rains in late September, the
epidemic began to fade. Emaciated
survivors in the hospitals began to
eat, to move about.
The hospital had suffered, too.
Dickinson had had a narrow escape,
and Bergman VIGOROUSLY careless a
bout himself, was gone after long
battle. When he knew that he was
losing the fight, he reused one day
from a coma to ask that Chris be put
on the general surgical staff to fill
the new vacancy, and having thus
dedicated not only the years of his
life but almost his last breath to the
hospital, lay back quietly and waited
for the end.
Chris was not surprised therefore,
when one day early in October ne got
word over the telephone that at a
meeting that afternoon he had been
elected to the surgical staff. 1t was
Williams, the head inferno, who called
him.
you'll get the official notification
later" he said Il thought you'd be
glad to know"
"Thanks, l am, of course. A bit
scared, too. Pm as rusty as an old
nail"
you'll get over that" said Will
liams cheerfully. "How about lit
tie party at the club tonight to cele-
brate? l don't mind saying that
lot of us are proud of you"
1t all warmed him, not only the ap-
pointment, but Williams hearty voice
and the applause of his fellows. For
the first time in weeks he found him
self whistling as he went up the stairs
to look over his clothes. He was still
whistling as he carried his dinner
Jacket over his arm to Jake, the lit
tie tailor around the corner, and ut
terly reckless when, on the way down
town, he bought new overcoat and
a new hat.
"Where shall ] send them, sir?"
"Send them? Pm taking them,
man! Pm wearing them"
He wore them home, and Katie in
the front hall stared at him with open
admiration.
You're looking pretty grand, DOG
tor, aren't you =!
You're not so bad yourself, Katie"
He surveyed her, grinning. In her
new black she looked older and rather
subdued.
Good heavens, Katie, I believe you
are growing up!"
ITS time somebody in the family
grew up And l wish you'd call me
Katherine, Doctor. hate Katie"
"Well, l don't hate Katie" he said
lightly, and went on up the stairs.
If he had happened to look down
at that moment, he would have seen
that Katie was furtively stroking the
new overcoat.
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