Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise, by David Graham Phillips

straightened his stocky figure and began to mop the sweat from hisface, hands and bared arms.When she saw that her verdict had not been heard, sherepeated it more emphatically. "The child's dead," said she, "as Itold you from the set-out." She made the sign of the cross on herforehead and bosom, while her fat, dry lips moved in a "Hail,Mary."The young man did not rouse from his reverie. He continued togaze with a baffled expression at the tiny form, so like a whimsicalcaricature of humanity. He showed that he had heard the woman'sremark by saying, to himself rather than to her, "Dead? What'sthat? Merely another name for ignorance." But the current of histhought did not swerve. It held to the one course: What would hismaster, the dauntless, the infinitely resourceful Schulze, do if hewere confronted by this intolerable obstacle of a perfect machinerefusing to do its duty and pump vital force through an eagerlywaiting body? "He'd »make« it go, I'd bet my life," the young manmuttered. "I'm ashamed of myself."As if the reproach were just the spur his courage and hisintelligence had needed, his face suddenly glowed with the upshooting fire of an inspiration. He thrust the big white handkerchiefinto his hip pocket, laid one large strong hand upon the small,beautifully arched chest of the baby. Nora, roused by hisexpression even more than by his gesture, gave an exclamation ofhorror. "Don't touch it again," she cried, between entreaty andcommand. "You've done all you can–and more."Stevens was not listening. "Such a fine baby, too," he said,hesitating–the old woman mistakenly fancied it was her words thatmade him pause. "I feel no good at all," he went on, as if reasoningwith himself, "no good at all, losing both the mother and the child.""»She« didn't want to live," replied Nora. Her glances stolesomewhat fearfully toward the door of the adjoining room–thebedroom where the mother lay dead."There wasn't nothing but disgrace ahead for both of them.Everybody'll be glad.""Such a fine baby," muttered the abstracted young doctor."Love-children always is," said Nora. She was looking sadly andtenderly down at the tiny, symmetrical form–symmetrical to her andthe doctor's expert eyes. "Such a deep chest," she sighed. "Suchpretty hands and feet. A real love-child." There she glancednervously at the doctor; it was meet and proper and pious to speakwell of the dead, but she felt she might be going rather far for a"good woman.""I'll try it," cried the young man in a resolute tone. "It can't doany harm, and––"Without finishing his sentence he laid hold of the body by theankles, swung it clear of the table. As Nora saw it dangling headdownwards like a dressed suckling pig on a butcher's hook shevented a scream and darted round the table to stop by main forcethis revolting desecration of the dead. Stevens called out sternly:"Mind your business, Nora! Push the table against the wall and getout of the way. I want all the room there is.""Oh, Doctor–for the blessed Jesus' sake––""Push back that table!"Nora shrank before his fierce eyes. She thought his exertions,his disappointment and the heat had combined to topple him overinto insanity. She retreated toward the farther of the open windows.With a curse at her stupidity Stevens kicked over the table, usedhis foot vigorously in thrusting it to the wall. "Now!" exclaimed he,taking his stand in the center of the room and gauging the distanceof ceiling, floor and walls.Nora, her back against the window frame, her fingers sunk inher big loose bosom, stared petrified. Stevens, like an athleteswinging an indian club, whirled the body round and round hishead, at the full length of his powerful arms. More and more rapidlyhe swung it, until his breath came and went in gasps and the sweatwas trickling in streams down his face and neck. Round and roundbetween ceiling and floor whirled the naked body of the baby–round and round for minutes that seemed hours to the horrifiednurse–round and round with all the strength and speed the youngman could put forth–round and round until the room was a blurbefore his throbbing eyes, until his expression became fully as