After a brisk walk of many blocks he turned into a house with a doctor's sign on it. The office was crowded; he sat, outwardly submissive, to wait his turn.  "Blessed Mother," he prayed, "make him mak'er well. Mother of the Saviour—" his thoughts were a chaos.  "A gold heart!" he promised rashly, even while he remembered the unpaid grocer's bill. A woman with a pallid skin and hacking cough crept from the office. Across from him a boy exhibited a burn to an interested neighbour. "Blessed Mother,—" entreated Jeremiah, even while his eyes saw the burn and he wondered how it had happened. 

 A crisp young person in white, who gave an impression of great coolness, said, "Your turn next."  Jerry jumped and got up. Two little girls, at the Sheraton period in legs, giggled loudly at his jump, but Jerry didn't notice. He stopped on the threshold of the inner office. He twirled his hat in his hands. "Mister," he said, "it's my wife I come about."  The doctor had been up all night. Added to his fact was the fact that he was fitted, emotionally, to run a morgue. 

 "Name?" growled the doctor. Jeremiah Madden sank to a chair and told his name, of his wife, and how sick she was. He also interspersed a few facts about Irish moors, love and business in America. And he ended with: "An my doc he sez' no one can save her but Doctor Van Dorn. He's the cancer man of New York. The only one who can possibly save her! He sez that," repeated Jeremiah. "Oh fer Gawd's sake, Doc! I can't pay yuh now but—" 

 The doctor swung about in his swivel chair. "My time is entirely mortgaged," he stated curtly.  "I can't keep up to my work. Your wife will probably die anyway; accept the inevitable. You couldn't pay me, and I haven't the time. All New York bothers me. Good morning." 

 He turned back to his desk. Jeremiah went toward the door. His step was a blind shuffle. Hand on the knob, he paused.  "Doc," he said, "I love her so, an' the little kids, they need her. I feel like she'd live if you'd help her. I promise I'd pay. All my life I'd pay an' thank Gawd I could—" he stopped. The doctor moved his shoulders impatiently. 

 "The Virgin will reward yuh—" said Jeremiah. "Oh, Doc! Fer Gawd's sake!" 

 "Good morning," answered the doctor with another impatient move of his shoulders. Jeremiah left. A young person in crisp white said, "Your turn next, Madam."  Madam went in. "Oh, Doctor, my heart—" she began. The doctor got up to move her chair so that the light would not 

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