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Phillips, David Graham

"Susan Lenox"

You couldn't hire _me_
to go there."
Susan turned upon him. "Why not?" she asked.
"Oh, if a man's poor, or can't pay for nice quarters, they treat
him any old way. Yes, they're good doctors and all that. But
they're like everybody else. They don't give a darn for poor
people. But your uncle'll be all right there."
For the first time in her life Susan did not close her eyes in sleep.
The young doctor was so moved by her worn appearance that he
impulsively said: "Have you some troubles you've said nothing
about? Please don't hesitate to tell me."
"Oh, you needn't worry about me," replied she. "I simply didn't
sleep--that's all. Do they treat charity patients badly at the
hospital?"
"Certainly not," declared he earnestly. "Of course, a charity
patient can't have a room to himself. But that's no disadvantage."
"How much is a room?"
"The cheapest are ten dollars a week. That includes private
attendance--a little better nursing than the public patients
get--perhaps. But, really--Miss Sackville----"
"He must have a room," said Susan.
"You are sure you can afford it? The difference isn't----"
"He must have a room." She held out a ten-dollar bill--ten
dollars of the eleven dollars and eighty cents. "This'll pay for
the first week. You fix it, won't you?"
Young Doctor Hamilton hesitatingly took the money. "You are
quite, quite sure, Miss Sackville?--Quite sure you can afford
this extravagance--for it is an extravagance.


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