| Show fy i loc kinq iby fateh bryant Bv yant UCH weather and christmas but a few dae away the city was properly dressed for the occasion snow covered the streets and the steps leading to the beautiful homes on the boulevard where every hoi iday wish of the people would be gratified the bright eyed thinly clad boy on the steps of one of these beautiful homes was not wasting any time in envying the rich he had waited there for some minutes for the big automobile to he knew was dua to arrive from the hospital about that time each day the big car pulled up beside the curb A big kindly faced man stepped from it and started up the steps say are you the doc the surgeon paused half way up the steps and glanced at the small bit of humanity balanced on the stone bond rail why yes my little man what can I 1 do for ou ha asked tenderly as he stepped over and put a hand on the lads knee he was familiar with the type of boy who had greeted him and it was a type of boy he liked a fearless independent little wait of the streets in the great hospital of which he was the head they were his most uncomplaining and appreciative patients even it they were not the profitable ones fer beselt its fer me brud der the little fellow emoke earnest ly and looked straight into the eminent surgeons kindly gray eyes your brother oh I 1 see well the matter with your brother cripple the one word with the saddened tone told the whole tory to doctor harrlson he knew the rest of the tale from long experience and asked no further questions come in the house and let a talk it over say doc I 1 dont believe ou want me to come in I 1 aln t got no money why that s just the reason I 1 want you to come in the doctor replied with a merry twinkle in his eye and an up the steps close followed by the small urchin As the door closed behind them he seized the youngster in a playful bear hug anil landed him in a heavily upholstered leather chair it was such a chair as that boy bad seen in the great shop windows but had never thought of sitting in and the warmth of its soft cushions gave a pleasant thrill to his shivering little body what Is your name tom mcguere you know pat me guare that td ar MM in idest t downey street tio 1 don t believe I 1 do well he a me uncle and he says you set bis leg time of the big rail road at hanover yes I 1 remember going out to han over with a lot of other doctors at the time of the accident but that was years ago that dont make any difference to uncle pat he never forgets favors guess be aln t had many in his life did your uncle pat send ou to see me asked the surgeon naw but its because what he told me bout you made roe think it might be all right to come and see bout petes leg where Is your brother thomas aw don t call me that I 1 aln t thomas I 1 in just tom tom they call me round the square I 1 sells on the southwest corner of the square business ain t so bad this time 0 year and I 1 m breakly ln in pete I 1 he can walk then can he the 7 physician had seated himself chloee to his small caller and was ghang hla whole attention to the case in hand tell me more about pete S t i pete was born that way doctor y one 15 t PO good and never was coln to be BO when pete got big enough I 1 saed me pennies and bought him a crutch and after while be got so s he could use it then I 1 took him down to the corner and he aelred me sell in rush hours he lakee to be doln son thin but he gets awful tired holdan the and hangan on to his crutch does he atay there all day naw not all the time business aint rushan only moraln s and nights and pete stays home part of the time on cold days he gits shivery cause be cant get round very fast sos to keep himself warm Is there any news stand on that corner the doctor asked becoming still more interested naw we dassett das sent put one up billy icahn hes the feller what had that corner before me he tried to get leave to put up a stand alongside of the fountain where there s plenty of room but the aldermen turned him down he t have no pull and I 1 aln t got none neither me and pete was up on the northeast corner and when billy got wet feet and pneumonia and died we come down to bis corner tom are your father and mother maw is I 1 dunno much about paw he aint no good uncle pat baya he toes him hangan round once in awhile maws got two younger n me and pete I 1 m ten and pete s coln on nine maw works awful hard taken care of the kids and sew in fer a department part ment store she says to me one time tom you look after pete and take care of the young uns maw cant hardly get enough to buy cm clothes so I 1 chip in when biz Is good say doc I 1 read in my kapea bout that kid ou fixed up last week and bet ten cents pete s leg s just like that thinks I 1 when I 1 read that 1 I m coln to see doc harrlson and tell him bout pete now doc on the level how much do you charge for a job like abat I 1 received 3 for that opera alon there was a merry twinkle in the doctor s eye that was lost on his little visitor aw say doc wot yer me lou dlan t make all that in one day yes in two hours tom the youngsters eyes filled with tears and he bit his up to hold back the bobs A good leg meant BO much to pete and he would gladly give for one for him it that were possible but the doctor have as well asked for the moon in payment for that leg his vision of pete without the hated crotch was fast disappearing but he would not let it get away entirely don t you never charge no less the boy managed to ask without giving away to the burst of tears ready to flow at his disappointment oh yea indeed but you asked me how much I 1 received for an operation like last weeks and I 1 never per formed one just like that before it was very difficult and peculiar tom slid out of the chair as it to go I 1 guess its all off doc I 1 aint in our class tom sit down there the doc tors tona f command was filled with more laughter than severity lets talk business the youngster obeyed watching the eminent surgeon with a puzzled look uncertain whether the great man was really going to anaki a concession or upbraid him for taking his time faint though it was a new hope sprang up in the small breast possibly there might be some terms of payment that he could meet as be grew older and could earn more than the few pennies that meant the da s profits on bis paper sales tom the doctor continued 1 I know pete you know pete tom aped in L 1 amazed u lea I 1 have seen him down by the fountain at the square you know we specialists always keep our eyes open for anthina an thing in our line BO I 1 have noticed him several times as I 1 passed the corner of course I 1 can t say lively but I 1 think an operation will ghe pete two legs instead of one now how much can you afford to pay for such an operations 9 the youngsters eyes shone like two ahe coals so the doctor knew pete and thought he could cure him was it a dream tom pinched him self to make sure it was all real yes he was awake all right how much could he afford he felt he could at ford anything to give pete a new tee but how little that was compared with what the doctor would expect both sat in silence for over a minute the surgeon knew what was going on in the youngsters mind but thought best to let him come to his own conclusion the boy tumbled his cap nervously while he considered the great ques tion and at length looked up suddenly into the surgeon s face there was no doubt or uncertainty in his face or tone as he announced bis decision doc the only thine ive sot in the tho physician had seated himself close to his small caller and was gl ang his whole attention to the caio in hand world Is me corner down by the foun tain where me and pete sells papers I 1 can t give you all that for I 1 wouldn t have for me and pete to live on and to help maw with the kids tell you what do doc let you have halt 0 that corner you can alro a kid to sell for ou and have some dough left but ou mont make no in kingdom dome the doctor knit hla brows and tom imagined he could see a quick refusal of his proposition but the kindly gleam came back into the doctors eye and tom began to hope again as the doctor pondered over the proposition for a moment then the doctor said all right tom accept that proposition and well draw up the agreement right now let s bee ihla Is december eighteenth we 11 start the new arrangement beginning with january first in the course of a quarter of an hour the paper was duly prepared and signed and witnessed and tom saw the doctor alle it carefully in the strong box in his safe alth a hearty hand shake the burgeon bade adieu to his ten year old man of affairs and turn ed to a patient waiting in the outer office tom mcguere had known all too little of happiness in his hard ten years but this asis surely the climax of his earthly bliss A new leg for pete I 1 could anything be fineal he ran most of the vicy back to the square and nearly knocked the cripple over in his eagerness to tell the good news say pete youre coln to have a new leg what the bewildered pete was too intent oo 00 tellene papers to bother i about new aega A new leg I 1 eay doc harrlson what I 1 told you bout is coln to mako one fer you aw gwan wot yer me grunted the skeptical pete ignoring the ent husla m of the head of abo bouse corre on show you naw you don t you don t get me losin what leg I 1 ve got honest pete I 1 m on the level the doc saya be bets he can fix you up good as new fer me im ter keehln me bum prop I 1 reads how a doc saws ott a boy s legs just for fun aw pete dont be silly the doc wont hurt you dont you belleba belleva it pete replied and started down the sidewalk to get away from temptation tom knew petes stolid strength of will and de ceded on another tack he felt in his pocket and found sixteen cents count ing out five pennies he ran across the street and soon had dr II arrison on the wire hello this you doc pete wont come naw hes afraid aull hurt him hes read how a doc cut oft a fellers lee lust fun sand no a sure but boull have to hide yer sign or he won t never come in all right III send him up please ion t hurt him will you doc good by tom ran back to the corner hey pete he called as soon as he was within earshot of the cripple a guy just told me to hustle a star up to aiden avenue get on a prince street car and hurry up here s a dime carfare there aln t no profit in that pete grunted go eiselt an eave the dime do as yer told I 1 m boss 0 this corner the young financier retorted shoving pete toward a car as fast as the cripple could hobble get off at walnut street and walk west halt a block he shouted as he helped pete on the car platform for the first time in twenty two years dr harrisons Harrl sons sign was hidden as the cripple struggled up the stepa and rang the bell here s yer pape he said in a mat tone holding out the first edition when the maid opened the door paper asked the girl pretending ignorance step in a moment and see it it belongs here pete stepped inside and took off his cap the girl disappeared but return ed presently and pointed to an open door down the hall pete hobbled in the direction pointed and entered the doctor s outer office sit down a minute came a pleas ant voice from somewhere and pete crawled up into one ot the large chain the next few minutes were about the the W cr pictures statuary books furniture never in his short life had he seen such an array how could he possibly remember all to tell tom before the sune was halt however a tall man with a kindly face stood before him and held out his hand for the paper pete banded him the star and arose to go hold on a minute how much do I 1 owe you two cents two cents the doctor shouted so loud that pete feared bo had over charged him dlan t you pay cantara to bethere ge there yes tom paid that pete smiled with relief tom chos tom hes me big bradder br udder this time the smile bespoke pride and thank falness likely sort of chap yes sir tom s all right the smile was wider than ever do ou know who I 1 am the doctor asked in his kindliest kind liest tone placing his hand on the boys shoulder no I 1 am dr harrlson the smile als appeared and the boy begun to trem ble at mention of the awful name possibly you have heard of me ye es pete whispered too beaded to realize whether he was saying yea or no now pete take a good look at me the doctor continued as he arose from bis chair and stood in the middle of the room for the cripple s inspection spec tion I 1 m not really such an awful man am I 1 pete N n 0 0 pete answered more because the burgeons tone needed negative reply than because he knew what ha was saying pete I 1 like little boys the doctor went on ignoring the lad a terrified expression and I 1 kind of think some of them like me do you think ou could ma a abbe the youngster as doing bis best to be brave the doctor glanced at the open door and nodded to the maid tom mcguere Is out at the door and ants to see ou she said send him in the surgeon answered heartily ell I 1 never hel lo 10 tom I 1 hello done anything to petes leg tt by no ve ha ent mentioned legs have we pete ot yet said pete with a feeling that something vas still to come say doc look at it now rill you tom exclaimed and be gan to take off his brothers shoe hold on a minute tom this the place to examine legs and besides I 1 never make an examination without the owners consent tell the doc ou want to have yer leg looked at tom commanded in a lone that bore authority before pete could answer the stoc lor interposed a good oo 00 j ejection 1 you keep out of this tom is petes leg and he shall have the whole say about what Is done to that leg this announcement was a revelation to pete who had had visions of being bound and gagged while the doctor attacked his leg with a common hand saw Is that straight he asked look ing up dubiously into the surgeons face absolutely the doctor exclaimed 1 I wont touch a finger to that leg till you give me your consent there pete what d I 1 tell you tom broke in but the doctor frowned at him to keep quiet the eyes of both tom and the surgeon were now on pete what 11 it coett the cripple seemed about to yield but wanted one more obstacle cleared away never mind the cost tom and I 1 3 have arranged that between us the look of appreciation and gratl tude that the cripple brother gave tom at that moment would have repaid any sacrifice yes even the whole of the corner paper privilege petes ees glistened with teardrops ashe turned to the doctor go ahead doc do anything ou v ant only don t hurt me too much say ala t tom all right lou bet he Is the doctor replied and motioned the to the inner office tom as busy as he could be on christmas eve and it was well after midnight when he cradled into his lit tp bed tired and lonely for fete had gone to the hospital three days before he knew away down deep in his heart that it would do no good to hang up his stocking but hope dies hard in the young and the stocking was to the side of the chair the sun had shone tor an hour or more when tom awoke and realized that it w as christmas day he hardly dared to glance at the stocking but summoned up courage and looked at the chair where it hung the stock ing was empty tom reached over and felt it to make sure and then crawled back under the bedclothes for the first time in bis life the rough ness of the world had overcome him and in spite of all the strength he could muster the great hot tear crowded into his eyes and flowed down bis cheeks he burled his face in the pillow and cried great big soulful cry tom tom it waa his mother calling but ha only pulled the bed clothes over bis head and pretended not to hear he would not for the world let maw know that he would cry he who was supposed to bear the burden of the family on hla dera tonal tom hoail arnn na cm aw awn wot alvn mr tho act pct vs jr ain nere s a letter tor you A letter for tom such an event bad come into ats life only twice once hen the fresh air society of him a week in the country which be could not afford |
