Photoplay (Apr - Sep 1918)

The Light Within 59 Laurel soon established herself as her father's successor, and spent many happy hours in her laboratory him," he said glaring at her angrily, his eyes steely. The next morning Laurel and Donald motored out to a nearby farm. Here it was play for them both, from morning to night. Donald must swing in the rope-swing — and so must Mother. Might Donald feed the pigs? Well, then, Mother must come along. "Tell me that story, Mother — about the giant — " And so on until the child's eyelids closed, and he was dreaming of the adventures tomorrow would bring, to be shared of course with his adored one. But very soon Laurel heard Dr. Leslie's voice over the wire, telling her that new cases were arriving at the hospital each day; that they were overcrowded and quite distracted. Laurel was needed; the time had come to test her serum ; she must come. Laurel's duty was plainly with the little sufferers in town; she didn't like to leave Donald, of course — but when she had engaged a trained nurse and enlisted the supervision of the farmer's wife, she had no hesitation about leaving him. "Be a good boy, dear — and always do just as Nurse tells you; be sure to obey her just as you would Mother — especially about your overshoes." His lungs were not strong, and Laurel left minute instructions regarding his care, particu^rly infection from colds. Then she hurried back to town, there to administer her discovery to the little victims at the Children's Hospital. Durand was maddening, after that. He feared that Laurel might carry infection to the country, and forbade her to visit the boy. Durand himself hurried to the farm "to take full charge of Donald," he said. "I'll make him love me — candy and toys and indulgence will do it; he's got to love me." And he set about to harden the child, instead of "making a mollycoddle of him, as his mother had done." He insisted on long, damp walks through muddy country lanes, tiring enough for an adult. The boy would be hardened indeed, if he survived. Tramps, too, The Light Within 1VTARRATED by permission from the photoplay, written by Mrs. L. Case Russell, produced by Petrova Pictures Corporation with the following cast: Laurel Carlisle, M. D.. Madame Petrova Clinton Durand Lumsden Hare Doctor Leslie Thomas Holding Donald Durand Freddie Verdi Joe Fred C. Jones Doctor Green \ . .Frank McDonald through brooks and over wet fields. Soon Donald was a fretful little invalid — although the country doctor that Durand insisted upon summoning instead of a specialist from town, said that the child was merely ill from a bad cold and too much candy. But Laurel was to blame. Hadn't she infected the boy with the plague? Hadn't she deserted her own child to take care of the miserable wretches at the hospital? It wasn't long before Durand had completely convinced himself that such was the case. Donald, however — Donald wanted his mother. He tossed about on his little bed — until the trained nurse took it upon herself to send for Laurel. The minute she arrived, her trained eye told her that Donald was the victim of pneumonia; — but, unwilling to trust her own diagnosis, she wired for the best lung specialist in the city. Durand laughed when told that the great doctor had confirmed his wife's diagnosis — "You doctors would lie for one another, any time." Durand was sure of it. "I tell you it's not pneumonia; it's your damned germs!" Many times that night, from her place at the bedside. Laurel cried in her agony: "Why didn't you send for me sooner? Why didn't you? I could have saved him, if I'd only come in time." But now it was too late. Even Jean, the big collie who had been Donald's dearest playmate, knew. She cuddled close to Laurel, scratching sympathetic paws against her hands. Her big eyes were intent on the little still figure on the bed. Laurel's heart and head were numb. She went about dazed, Jean always at her heels; too stricken to heed Durand's bitter accusations. He blamed her for Donald's death; persisted that she had infected him. But Laurel neither heard nor cared. There was a lump in her throat that refused to move. She couldn't even cry. It was on'y when Jean rubbed a cold nose against her hot face that Laurel came back to life.