Show i T THE H r B BATTLE A TT L E THE BY STORY JAMES OF OPPENHEIM A E DOCTOR l J 3 Copyright I Dr Morris Rast returned home at li ii lip t p m ra Home was a fourth of the ther f r ground floor Ao or r In an Eat at Broadway telie j menu m nt H He Be found ouM hta hili wife In to his the front room sorting papers at his kitE 1 desk dik beneath the ue brilliant blase bIe bI ae of ut a i I light She se wheeled in the re ye revolving reI I chair to get his kiss kI kIAre i Are you OU tired MorT Morr she Ithe asked aske Her Het face was w unusually thoughtful Why anything wrong Nell tr He Be dropped wearily Into a large soft sott arm ann armchair armchair 1 I chair Nothing wrong she said eald kl slowly except that you are tired and then ste added wistfully but are you too toot t He B smiled Not too tired little wife Swing out oute o ate ae She e drew her bel chair nearer his Her bund kad we wore inn full of ot papers paper Jape t Ive i ye been reckoning all aU evening she shep p f slowly as a he fondled her free tre freehand hand I rand and nd Its terrible I know he acknowledged It la Is awfuL Im a wretch But ut you really re are Morris she shep p MM MId softly touching her lips II Uj to his kits haid Youve worn wom my 37 husband out outA A c mid worried his h wife to pieces and wea we weM a M 1 getting poorer every day da Now Us Its MR t she aile went on How much mud rent do dowe doI I wi we pay And then she aM lidded added in a undertone I know its Us mean of Y II to bother you yeN He ge smiled dollars a month What 4 also 7 Five dollars a month for gas she Wat Wt on en with slow five dollars d for laundry dollars for tor table dollars doUar for help how fe to Is that than Gues r he M i exclaimed his eyes twin Dout Dont Morris she cried Inwardly t f hurt hart You must mut think of money to tonight tonigHt night You must mu t Poor POOI little wife he M exclaimed re t I always put the whole burden b on you How much Is ia it U 7 S She e looked at him gravely Its on one hundred and two dollars He whistled f Think of It she ahe went on And be between tWeet tween us we need fly five dollars a week I p for tor little things twenty dollars a 8 i month and three hundred dollars a ayr I year yr y r for clothes more a I month Altogether she said id very so soberly soberly berly emphatically one hundred and dollars a month And that doe nt count going to theatre and pres pros presents to our relatives and vacation catlon v money noney and dentist bills and things for your office and books book and a hundred other things thing We really use uee about one onehundred onehundred hundred and eighty dollars a month He took out his pipe filled It and lit it One hundred and eighty dollars lit little lItI I tie tle manager he cried Well Wen youre I a trump Now listen Usten she said s Jd glowing with pride at his hI words worda Heres what my doctorman earns She picked up a anch bunch b of carefully compiled index cards Tiey fey f were in her handwriting Three months tbs back one hundred and thirty two dollars and fifty cents ent two months one hundred and dol dot hm ke last month mouth one hundred and sev soy seventeen enteen dollars and fifty cents this one hundred and eighty dollars donars 5 Pretty good It 1 he smiled cheerfully Wait she ahe warned him at at you earned but you get thet Three months back baek dollars were paid in two months back f exactly one hundred last lat month ex ox exactly 1 eighty this month so far en tave dollars But get more of He B puffed silently Well what have you to say she She seemed greatly trouS trou S Wed beet Hm pretty bad How much r have we drawn from the bank Three hundred and dol dot dollars c 1 lars re In other words word were running 1 t eighty dollars doIla behind each month i She sat eat baek back They were silent for a full minute i 1 The world outside and above them I the night niaM and the human beings asleep Jeep Ei t i in it was intensely silent Their nick mOd clod alarm alwn clock throbbed as ne It if It had t palpitation of ot the heart The white i light fell sideways on their faces mak inch makI inchIng Ing I them stand tand out in vivid relief they r were wore two very fine tacos faces the womans and with large if dark eyes and hair the J mans s strong and dark and determined c Ids his ht firm lips without mustache his hair hall j bushy b and black blackIn blackIn t In the silence the light seemed to V sleep steep upon them then pervading the room with a weird atmosphere thick and full fuU i r of the feel leei of home Every Svery motion then was Wa full of meaning the slight puff of the pipe the quiver of the hands bands the vibration v of their breathing So thickly 4 charged cl arged was the air that Morris almost hesitated bj to whisper er erOh Molt Oh Nell he said MId at length It U Is blessed bl to be with you I love you ou so sor r tremendously tilts Its wonderful she breathed quick ly They caught the meaning In each eacho t others o r eyes and became steeped in hap happiness happiness It was good for them to sit there in their home late at night and L know k w each others presence pre ence But Dut Morris she said at length I smiting wont you worry a little We W t L must we must Dont you see sos Its ln Im f Ie 1 i p i He lIe tried hard to see flee Is anything impossible Impo to my little i manager T i she Rite weed forced a frown r Now no more of ot that she be said mid I e sternly Listen dear deir Please listen listens L sensibly s Heres the whole secret of it II ft you have a perverted sense of duty dut t What Sat could you OU ever have done if It your youx our j C r father left you four tour thousand S lj j dollars after alter he be saw you through col eel i lege and the hospital bo pItal Morris if you L r quit charity and set yourself to It It you I It t could earn a decent living Charity I His eyebrows went wont up I Yes charity she he continued with I It ll t great emphasis You had bad me come com comedown comedown r down here with you why To make c money You know you dear it You thought you owed a service to your yourI h own people and and ehe he made a L I z grimace they seem seem to think so eo too Why Wit been sponging ng on you I Sponging He knit his hie forehead fOr Yes sponging I 1 seen it a s L f thousand nd times time She was wag fully rully aroused I i now no You only charge fifty cents i apiece for the office patients sad and time Umi I and again Ive heard hoard some acme old sponger 2 I say Y Ach dear Doktor you would to please plea walt walL I 4 have no money i Her imitation was no so lively with such sul r lifelike grimaces and gestures e tures that he f j laughed uproariously i Do that again apin he commanded She seemed a little angry anery I And what do you do she con continued Ignoring his amusement Why Whytt tt you YOli pat him on the houlder and say Never xe pr mind m IrdI I understand I He HI I laughed j You a he be mocked k d Now Morris that wont do The Th I 1 II I lit t tn I n j I p i I i I I p A I sq I I I j t r v Think of It ItTen Ten Acres of Ground a Dear Little tittle Cottage Beautiful Days Day And Lovely Neighbors Who Are Peaceful and Happy H py whole w hole neighborhood is 18 fleecing you And worst wont of all it is wearing us ua both out these incessant calls these the e bad hours these the e money y troubles this overwork and a nd these the e vile lie people He stopped smoking he suddenly felt how h ow tired and worn he was Its true Nell NeJl he said bitterly Im tired to death work work work ork all work and no life it she exclaimed All work and a nd no life This life lite to be on a n treadmill Its a deadly grind g its killing all aU the good there is Isn in i n us What will ill we be in five years sears eBnI And A nd is la it doing any good god Do you u think that hat t you ou can accomplish aCC anything a in this sore spot Why Wh you ou dont do anything A life lifetime lifetime time ime t of ot work wont do anything You cant ant c change conditions or human na nature nature ture t ure His face looked white and dejected Ive felt that lately too he said slowly lowly s Ive been going through a re reaction reaction reaction action Oh Ob Im sick sick sick of ot it Jt ithe the he t nauseous crowds the dirty streets street the t he stinking tenements the grind I Iguess guess guese after all al he added weighing each ach e word if a fellow looks lockE out for his wife and brings up a family decently and a nd does doe his duty toward relatives and friends f and does his work thoroughly and votes with a clean conscience hes doing the state a better service than to neglect n these and potter away at the infinite I eternal disease e Oh youre oure right Thank God you say that t at she cried fervently Oh Nell he burst burat out suddenly If I we could only get away from It all get out to clear skies and dean clean mead meadows and home and find peace peRM Peace what we need Peace This Th clamor lamor c and rush ru h and excitement drain draina a man of his very soul It is IsIt it is killing us She suddenly looked radiantly happy I wanted you ou to say RaY that ever since you came home I knew you felt that way Now listen she went on excitedly excitedly edly Just as you left this evening a letter etter l came from Minnie Minnie Shan sky you know her hershe she moved up to Hartley Conn Coon a couple of years ago 0 and Ive written her often otten Listen oh this is great gr t news She pulled out a letter and he sat SIlt forward as she read it Dear Little Nell Heres some good goodnews news our old doctors dead Now dont be shocked little Nell NellI I mean men good news for you You see he was the only doctor for miles around and he made a fortune or rather a fortune f fell ll Into his lap for all an he had to do was to sit eit at home and wait walt till people got gotsick gotsick gotsick sick Then he h hitched up his horse and buggy and later his automobile and took a pleasant plea ant drive It matter whether he killed people or cured them he was a trust Now heres a proposition I guar guarantee guarantee guarantee antee that if It you ou and your handsome husband come coma out here now right now the field will be yours Your husband cant help making money m ey Of course coure COU even if It there were competition hes so darkly handsome that we e would all aU pre pie prefer fer for him But there competition and there wont be beIll Ill see to that So he can step into a fortune Make him i come do make him come You are sim rim simply simply ply stuck in the mud where you OU are you cant even oven imagine what country life Ufe means m how glorious sane sweet complete it is Youre bound to be b I happy hapP here think of it Itten ten acres ot of ground a dear little cottage fresh vegetables delightful woods and brooks beautiful days stormy or clear plenty of ot books lovely neighbors who are i never Dever In a hurry hUlT and are peaceful and happy Besides the doctor is so highly respected JN ted Hes the first man in the i county his word is law Jaw Now think the minute you get this thle I and act quickly The least delay may m spoil all You must come rome YOUR LOVING MINNIE Morris glowed with a new excitement Oh thata a tremendous opportunity great my outlet Net XeO Ne stood tood up triumphant And why I made my m poor tired husband stay up with me inc until she glanced at the alarm clock 1 I knew you mind I He leaped up and clutched her I r in III his hi p arms ann and arid kissed her fervently Oh Nell youre a trump a brick Youre a great t manager manser ma er Well Ven take it ii well take it Write her sit down and write her hertl MI her were Oh I IeH eer eH everything be bt all an right Well Vl something out of ot life yet ye it glori glorious lorl ous otis Perfectly glorious she cried crl in her hez delight Yes I shall have my husband now and well be young lovers rs In the wilderness Oh if you yo I kilt kue how happy I am amAnd amAnd And th n ra can am TW the th f hi b shrill I Ihm loti Ln thie U he amee hm They The I broke from each other i I There there listen to that Nell Neil cried fiercely A great anger welled up in i n her he Morris uttered a groan and opened the he t door A little boy In loose ragged clothing came in Say he said In a frightened tone Mrs gittin a kid kM Ill l be e right over Morris jorris said some somewhat somewhat somewhat what too strongly Now listen boy boyTell boyTell boyTell Tell her bel husband that to do ex ox exactly exactly as I told her understand ex exactly I run all the way said the boy breathlessly and was wu gone Oh O and d youre all tired out cried Nell angrily I cant stand it There Then theres the same ame old ok story stol And nd I 1 bet bel belyou you wont get a cent for it itHe It ItHe ItHe He was wag packing his instruments in hi L his grip rip Its tough kid it he muttered Drat It ItHe ItHe ItHe He kissed ed her herBut herBut herBut But oil oh Morris site said sold looking up at him this will wUl all chango change Well i be so happy Yes yes indeed f Now go to bed kid Its Hs an Job go goTo goTo goTo To please plea e you Doctorman s right He H kissed hissed her and she ski closed clo ed the door after him nim He walked very briskly kly through the keen air all The streets were empty and absolutely silent He seemed to move movi i through a deserted city where the foot footprints footprints prints of the extinct people still showed in the thin mud from pavement and gutter cutter A moon glowed coldly over Jer head and the stars stare were faint and far tar Most of the windows window were tight shut and very black blak and very still He buttoned up his coat turned up his kib collar and tried trie 1 to forget how tired he h was This he soon did by reviewing the fix i case of the They were a very vera r unfortunate family the husband a 1 I a sweatshop w wreck unfit for foi even trivial labor He was waa I and frail and and the earth I and her people glimmered but dimly dImi and in Iu watery flashes bes through his brain But he had a good heart he never com complained complained The oldest child there were weri ere two was also She was 13 and learning the ABC rudi rudl rudiments ments mena In hi the atypical class ela s in the pub lie lic school schoola a sweet girl who loved loed needlework and her teachers 3 a sore sot trial to her mother who some times beat her unmercifully For mother sent her on a simple errand that required the returning of change for k R purchase the poor fat fal little girl would come back penniless And this to utter pov poverty poverty poverty erty was wa a terror and beyond endur endurance sues ance aD e The second child also a girl was very young and too small to help Hence Henc alt all the burden of the family fell tell on the t e fat stouthearted mother She did washing and undoubtedly continued it despite incessant agony up to the last hour She was wu a great noble soul fitted out with weak flesh and bad brain and the world had un tin unconsciously consciously con made a bad job worse by overweighing her with care and labor and pain She struggled down at the Fea ea bottom through tons of black ocean and yet through all aU the years never once stuck her head above the waters never once got the release the sun Bun and I wind the glory lory of vista vJ ta and scenery I the health of the sea ea But she was no n in I ble and a d very great she e rarely cried out she Me bore her husband patiently she washed vigorously she abe beat the girl only when shen ben the last Jut limit had kiwi bees bee passed she was sober Iber she endured pain Her only real joy was Dr Rest Hast He was the one human being who was human with her who encouraged her heI who held her up who sometimes put his hand in tn his h pocket to pay PRy the grocers bill who was always alaYs to be had when the need came As he along his eyes clouded He knew every eV ry fact in the ease case and not least Just what he be e meant to the woman ft And finally he lie said saki though h imme Immediately afterward he hated himself for 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