Two conspicuous ornaments of Worthington"s upper world visited Worthington"s underworld on a hot, misty morning of early June. Both were there on business, Dr. L. Andre Surtaine in the fulfillment of his agreement with his son--the exact purpose of the visit, by the way, would have inspired Harrington Surtaine with unpleasant surprise, could he have known it; and Miss Esme Elliot on a tour of inspection for the Visiting Nurses" a.s.sociation, of which she was an energetic official.
Whatever faults or foibles might be ascribed to Miss Elliot, she was no faddist. That which she undertook to do, she did thoroughly and well; and for practical hygiene she possessed an inborn liking and apt.i.tude, far more so than, for example, her fortuitous fellow slummer of the morning, Dr. Surtaine, whom she encountered at the corner where the Rookeries begin. The eminent savant removed his hat with a fine flourish, further reflected in his language as he said:--
"What does Beauty so far afield?"
"Thank you, if you mean me," said Esme demurely.
"Do you see something else around here that answers the description?"
"No: I certainly don"t," she replied, letting her eyes wander along the street where Sadler"s Shacks rose in grime and gauntness to offend the clean skies. "I am going over there to see some sick people."
"Ah! Charity as well as Beauty; the perfect combination."
The Doctor"s pomposity always amused Esme. "And what does Science so far from its placid haunts?" she mocked. "Are you scattering the blessings of Certina amongst a grateful proletariat?"
"Not exactly. I"m down here on some other business."
"Well, I won"t keep you from it, Dr. Surtaine. Good-bye."
The swinging doors of a saloon opened almost upon her, and a short, broad-shouldered foreigner, in a ruffled-up silk hat, b.u.mped into her lightly and apologized. He jogged up to Dr. Surtaine.
"h.e.l.lo, De Vito," said Dr. Surtaine.
"At the service of my distinguish" confrere," said the squat Italian.
"Am I require at the factory?"
"No. I"ve come to look into this sickness. Where is it?"
"The opposite eemediate block."
Dr. Surtaine eyed with disfavor the festering tenement indicated. "New cases?"
"Two, only."
"Who"s treating them?"
"I am in charge. Mr. O"Farrell employs my services: so the pipple have not to pay anything. All the time which I am not at the Certina factory, I am here."
"Just so. And no other doctor gets in?"
"There is no call. They are quite satisfied."
"And is the Board of Health satisfied?"
The employee shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands. "How is it you Americans say? "What he does not know cannot hurt somebody.""
"Is O"Farrell agent for all these barracks?" Dr. Surtaine inquired as they walked up the street.
"All. Many persons own, but Mr. O"Farrell is boss of all. This Number 4, Mr. Gibbs owns. He is of the great department store. You know. A ver"
fine man, Mr. Gibbs."
"A very fine fool," retorted the Doctor, "to let himself get mixed up with such rotten property. Why, it"s a reflection on all us men of standing."
"n.o.body knows he is owner. And it pays twelve per cent," said the Italian mildly. He paused at the door. "Do we go in?" he asked.
An acrid-soft odor as of primordial slime subtly intruded upon the sensory nerves of the visitor. The place breathed out decay; the decay of humanity, of cleanliness, of the honest decencies of life turned foul. Something lethal exhaled from that dim doorway. There was a stab of pestilence, reaching for the brain. But the old charlatan was no coward.
"Show me the cases," he said.
For an hour he moved through the black, stenchful pa.s.sageways, up and down ramshackle stairs, from human warren to human warren, pausing here to question, there to peer and sniff and poke with an exploring cane.
Out on the street again he drew full, heaving breath.
"O"Farrell"s got to clean up. That"s all there is to that," he said decisively.
"The Doctor thinks?" queried the little physician.
Dr. Surtaine shook his head. "I don"t know. But I"m sure of one thing.
There"s three of them ought to be gotten out at once. The third-floor woman, and that brother and sister in the bas.e.m.e.nt."
"And the German family at the top?"
Dr. Surtaine tapped his chest significantly. "Sure to be plenty of that in this kind of hole. Nothing to do but let "em die." He did not mention that he had left a twenty-dollar bill and a word of cheer with the gasping consumptive and his wife. Outside of the line of business Dr.
Surtaine"s charities were silent. "How many of the _other_ cases have you had here?"
"Eleven. Seven deaths. Four I take away."
"And what is your diagnosis, Doctor?" inquired the old quack professionally of the younger ignoramus.
Again De Vito shrugged. "For public, malignant malaria. How you call it?
Pernicious. For me, I do" know. Maybe--" he leaned forward and spoke a low word.
"Meningitis?" repeated the other. "Possibly. I"ve never seen much of the infectious kind. What are you giving for it?"
"Certina, mostly."
Dr. Surtaine looked at him sharply, but the Italian"s face was innocent of any sardonic expression.
"As well that as anything," muttered its proprietor. "By the way, you might get testimonials from any of "em that get well. Can you find O"Farrell?"
"Yes, sir."
"Tell him I want to see him at my office at two o"clock."
"Ver" good. What do you think it is, Doctor?"
Dr. Surtaine waved a profound hand. "Very obscure. Demands consideration. But get those cases out of the city. There"s no occasion to risk the Board of Health seeing them."
At the corner Dr. Surtaine again met Miss Elliot and stopped her. "My dear young lady, ought you to be risking your safety in such places as these?"