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Page 43
"Without half trying," laughed Dr. Furniss the young physician who had
gone out to camp to attend the Man-killer victim.
As they were seated together over their ice cream, Dr. Furniss inquired:
"By the way, do you ever see my one-time patient nowadays?"
"The fellow we exhumed from the Man-killer?"
"The same."
"I see him every morning," laughed Tom. "Really, I can't help seeing
him, for the man puts himself in my way daily to say good morning. And
as yet I haven't learned his name."
"His name is Tim Griggs," replied Dr. Furniss. "He's a fine fellow,
too, in his rough, manly way. He's wonderfully grateful to you, Reade.
Do you know why?"
"Haven't an idea."
"Well, Tim's sheet anchor in life is a little girl."
"Sweetheart?"
"After a fashion," laughed the young doctor. "The girl is his daughter,
eight years old. She's everything to Tim, for his wife is dead. The
child lives with somewhat distant relatives, in a New England town. Tim
sends all his spare money to her, and so the child is probably well
looked after. Tim told me, with a big choke in his voice, that, if the
Man-killer had swallowed him up, it would have been all up with the
little girl, too. When money stopped coming the relatives would probably
have set the child to being household drudge for the family. Tim has a
round dozen of different photos of the child taken at various times."
"Then I'm extra glad we got him out of the Man-killer," said Tom rather
huskily.
"I knew you'd be glad, Reade. You're that kind of fellow."
"Tim Griggs, then, is probably one of our steady men," Tom remarked,
after a while.
"Steady! Why the man generally sends all of his month's pay, except
about eight dollars, to his daughter. From what he tells me she is a
sharp, thrifty little thing. She pays her own board bill with her
relatives, chooses and pays for her own clothes, and puts the balance of
the money in bank for herself and her father."
"Does Tim ever go to see her?"
"Once in two years, regularly. He'd go east oftener, but it costs too
much money. He'd live near her, but he says he can earn more money down
here on the desert. Tim even talks about a college education for that
idolized girl. She looks out just as sharply for her daddy. Whenever
Tim is ready to make a trip east, she sends him the money for his fare.
The two have a great old time together."
"Tim may marry again one of these days, and then the young lady may not
have as happy a time," remarked Tom thoughtfully.
"I hinted as much to Griggs," replied Dr. Furniss, "but he told me,
pretty strongly, that there'll be no new wife for him until he has
helped the daughter to find her own place in life."
"Say!" muttered Tom, with a queer little choke in his voice. "The
heroes in life generally aren't found on the high spots, are they?"
"They're not," retorted the doctor solemnly.
Half an hour later, after having eaten their fill of ice cream, Dr.
Furniss and Engineer Reade parted, Tom strolling on alone in the
darkness.
"I can It get that fellow Griggs out of my mind," muttered Tom. "To
think that a splendid fellow like him is working as a laborer! I wonder
if he isn't fitted for something better--something that pays better?
Look out, Tom Reade, you old softy, or you'll be doing something
foolish, all on account of a primary school girl in New England whom
you've never seen, and never will! I wonder--hello!"
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