It all come up yisterday
through McGaw meetin' Dr. Mason an' askin' him about me Tom; an'
whin the doctor told him Tom was dead seven years, McGaw runs to
Justice Rowan wid the story, an' now they say I can't sign a dead
man's name. Judge Bowker has the papers, an' it's all to be
settled to-morrow."
"But they can't take your contract away," said Babcock
indignantly, "no matter what Rowan says."
"Oh, it's not that--it's not that. That's not what hurts me. I
can git another contract. That's not what breaks me heart. But
if they take me Tom's NAME from me, an' say I can't be Tom Grogan
any more; it's like robbin' me of my life. When I work on the
docks I allus brace myself an' say' I'm doing just what Tom did
many a day for me.' When I sign his name to me checks an'
papers,--the name I've loved an' that I've worked for, the name
I've kep' clean for him--me Tom that loved me, an' never lied or
was mean--me Tom that I promised, an'--an'"--
All the woman in her overcame her now. Sinking to her knees, she
threw her arms and head on the lounge, and burst into tears.
Babcock rested his head on his hand, and looked on in silence.
Here was something, it seemed to him, too sacred for him to touch
even with his sympathy.
"Tom," he said, when she grew more quiet, his whole heart going
out to her, "what do you want me to do?"
"I don't know that ye can do anything," she said in a quivering
voice, lifting her head, her eyes still wet.
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