Bloomington High School - Aepix Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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1920 The Aegis must eat to live, and l knew you wanted to live, so what else could I do P he smiled down on her. llut l can never pay you, Dr. Madison, Nan protested. Thats what l'm coming to now, he returned. I find that I need a helper in my office and l thought maybe you might like to help me. Your duties would be light and l don't think it would be too hard on you- Nan's eyes were shining. Oh, Doctor! How good you are ! Madison was touched by her gratitude. How little effort it required to make people happy l XVhen do you want me to start ? she asked. Oh, there's no hurry, take your time about getting well,', he replied. 6'Go0d- liye. Goodbye, Mrs. Maloney. Goodbye, they chorused. Aint he the angel ? Mrs. Maloney asked devoutly. You just ought to see his office, Nan. .Xnd he ain't charging people nothin' unless they can afford to pay it. l wonder where he gets his money. He must be rich, Nan replied thoughtfully, 1 wonder if he could operate on mother and make her well. 1 asked him if he ever operated on people and he looked sorta sad like and said he used to, but he didn't any moref' Mrs. Maloney said. I've a notion to ask him, anyway, Nan decided, I want to hurry up and get well now so that l can begin working for him. The next week found Nan settled at her post and very happy with her new position. The ramshackle old building had been transformed into a model office. Madison had accustomed himself to this new state of affairs and was becoming in- tensely interested in this work. The people of this district accepted him gladly and turned to him for advice. On finding out that they were sensitive about ac- cepting charity, he took their money and returned it anonymously. All his ex- penses he paid from the money he had saved and he dreaded to think of the time when this money would be gone. By careful spending he thought it would last a year. l-le found Nan to be most helpful to him and he accepted her worship of him unthinkingly. She was such a child, he thought. One day, having received no calls, he stayed in his office to help Nan straighten out his account books. Then she decided to ask him what she had been waiting to. Dr. Madison, she began timidly, Couldn't you operate on mother and make her well F lrle started, Why, Nan, l'd rather not. XN'hy?', Sometime perhaps, l'll tell you! l have operated on people, it's true, but I'm afraid to try it again, he explained. Oh, l see, she said, although she didn't see at all. Just what is wrong with your mother, Nan? l've never seen her, he asked. 'fShe had a very sad life, Dr. Madison. She was of a very good family, but when she married my father they turned her off. Father died and she had to sup- port me. Une day when I was about sixteen she was struck by a machine. lt in- jured her spine and a doctor said that only an operation would cure her. We Page TTUUII-X'

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The Aegis 1 920 woman said gloomily. They ain't got none and none of the neighbors have either. Shes got to have some, anyway. Here, take this money and get some good nourishing food for her. She needn't know who paid for it. And, by the way, is there a doctor around here ? No sor, there's not. This ain't a very good paying district, you know. But if you're thinking of settlin' here don't let me discourage you. Goodness knows we need a doctor bad enough. She lingered, following her natural bent for talk- ing, Are you thinkin' of settlin' here ? I might if I could find a place for an office, Madison replied. Right down here bout a 'block there's an empty building you might get. It's just a little shack, but it would rent cheapf' Thank you, Mrsiah-LaiMrs.l Maloney's my name, doctor, Molly Maloney as used to be. t'Yes, yes, thank you for your suggestion and now you'd better go and get the food for Miss Allen. Illl leave it to your good judgment what to buy. I'll come in tonight and see how the sick girl is.', I-Ie left the building and went to investigate the prospective office. This he found to be in a rather run down condition but habitable, and ,as Mrs. Maloney had promised-very cheap. So without pausing to think, he rented it. Only 'when he was on his way back to his room did he consider what he was undertaking. Was he a fool to attempt such a thing? VV hat were his prospects? But how these people needed medical attention and advice. Anyway it was too late to stop now. By night he had some of his belongings moved to his new residence. He found a man to do his papering and painting for him so, by industrious work, he had it looking presentable in two weeks' time. In the meantime Nan had been slowly getting 'back her strength and she, as well as the rest of the people in the neighborhood, were very much interested in the new doctor. She pestered Mrs. Maloney with questions about him until that good lady was almost crazy. One day Mrs. Maloney appeared at the door of the dingy room with an appetizing bowl of soup for Nan. It was then that Nan broached the subject that was troubling her. Mrs, Maloney, where does the money come from to pay for all these good things F she asked. Mrs. Maloney drew herself up, Can't a body do an act of neighborly kind- ness without somebody else buttin' in P she demanded. Nan laughed, But I don't see where you get the money, she persisted. The doctor gave it to me, it slipped out before she thought. y Just what I thought,' Nan groaned. VVhy did you let him? I'd rather starve than take charity, and you know it ! It was at this unpleasant moment that Madison entered. VVhat's the matter here ? he asked in surprise, uhas my patient had a set- back P Nan turned toward him, How dare you, she exclaimed, My mother and I are not looking for charity, proudly. My dear Miss Allen, don't be foolish. It's a well known fact that a person Page !Y'I'lIe'?ll'E?lI

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The Aegis 1920 couldn't afford that, and she has been a cripple ever since. She just sits in her room and will see no one. Yer sad, Madison agreed svm atheticall f You sa ' she was hurt when 'ou Q Y , as . v W 5 I were sixteen-that wasn t over a year ago, was it? H.-Xlmost four years ago-I'm almost twenty-onef' she replied. That old l he exclaimed, XVhy, you seem like just a child l VVhere does this money go F she asked, changing the subject swiftly. 'fTo Mrs. Carr-, he was interrupted by the hurried entrance of a woman of the tenement next door. Doctor l she cried, My daughter is sick-will you come quick ? He followed her out and reappeared in a short time. f'It's the Radburn girl-Qbad case of appendicitis-she ought to be operated on -I wonder-H Nan came over to him. If you can, save her, won't you? She is all her mother has. Haven't you instruments PU He nodded. 'lYes, I have com ilete operatin a aratus in that back room. 1 , g pp Do you suppose you could act as nurse? I I'll do anything l she exclaimed passionately, Hit you'll save her. You'll not fail-I have all the confidence in the world in you. Please l All right, he assented, Sterilize the instruments the way I showed you. I'll rig up a stretcher to bring her down on. And Nan, pray that I won't fail. Two hours later Dr. Madison found Nan waiting in the office for him. You're a brick, Nan, you stood by in that operation like'a trained nurse. She smiled wearily. I'm glad I did all right. Is she getting along well P Fine, he answered. She came out from under the anesthetic feeling as well as could be expected. f'Didn't I tell you you wouldn't fail F she asked. e After this Dr. Madison performed several skillful operations and at the same time trained Nan to act as nurse. He had been there almost a year when one day after an exceedingly difficult operation, she said to him: . Are you going to make my mother well, ever FU He hesitated a moment. It's a very dangerous operation Nan, but I'll try it next XVednesday if you want me tof' Oh thank you. How can I ever repay you for what you've done for me! Nan said with tears in her eyes. V M dear Nan he Jrotested, You have done more for me. You have Y . ' . ,, helped me to regain confidence in myself: The next Wednesday he went to the Allens' rooms, where Nan met him. I've told mother and she's so glad-come in here. I want you to talk to her. He followed her into the inner room where a white-haired lady sat in an in- valid chair. And this is Nan's great doctor F she asked. 'Tm so glad you have taken my case. Anything, even Death, would be preferable- to having to live all my days in a wheel chair. Page Twenty-one