room an hour later Grant was wide-eyed and
smiling, and seemed so much better that as a reward of merit the Doctor
brought in the morning paper and told Grant he could look at the
headings for five minutes. There it was that he first realized what a
lot of business lay ahead of him, learning to live as a one-armed man.
The Doctor saw his patient worrying with the paper, and started to help.

"No, Doctor," said the young man, "I must begin sometime, and now's as
good a time as any." So he struggled with the unwieldy sheets of paper,
and finally managed to get his morning's reading done. When the time was
up, he handed back his paper saying, "I see Tom Van Dorn is going on his
vacation--does that mean Laura, too?" The Doctor shook his head; and by
way of taking the subject away from Laura he said: "Now about your
damages, Grant--you know I'll stand by you with the Company, don't
you--I'm no Van Dorn, if I am Company doctor. You ought to have good
damages--for--"

"Damages! damages!" cried Grant, "why, Doctor, I can't get damages. I
wasn't working for the smelter when it happened. I was around organizing
the men. And I don't want damages. This arm," he looked lovingly at the
stump beside him, "is worth more in my business than a million dollars.
For it proves to me that I am not afraid to go clear through for my
faith, and it proves me to the men! Damages! damages?" he said grimly.
"Why, Doctor, if Uncle Dan and the other owners up town here only know
what this stump will cost them, they would sue me for damages! I tell
you those men in the mine there saved my life. Ever since then I've been
trying to repay them, and here comes this chance to turn in a little on
account, to bind the bargain, and now the men know how seriously I hold
the debt. Damages?" There was just a hint of fanaticism in his laugh;
the Doctor looked at Grant quickly, then he sniffed, "Fine talk, Grant,
fine talk for the next world, but it won't buy shoes for the baby in
this," and he turned away impatiently and went into a world of reality,
leaving Grant Adams to enjoy his Utopia.

That morning after breakfast, when Laura had gone home, the Doctor and
his wife sitting alone went into the matter further. "Of course," said
the Doctor, "she'll see that he has gone away. But when should we tell
her what he has done?"

"Doctor," said the mother, "you leave his letter here where I can get
it. I'm going over there and pack everything that rightfully may be