The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
STOCK TAKING SALE
Eek S TEIN'S
The Great Stock of Silks,
THE BALANCE OF CREPONS,
The LOVELY DRESS GOODS,
The GRAND linen STOCK,
The FAST BLACK HOSIERY,
The Fine Furnishing Stock,
THE GLOVES, THE CORSETS,,
THE SHIRTINGS and PRINTS,
The LaCGS and EmbrOidOriGS,
Must Be Sold AT Once
AT A GREAT SACRIFICE
PRIOR TO TAKING STOCK.
GuStaVo ECkStein & Co,

In the Catherine ward the fifty blue
coverleted beds effaced themselves In the
gloom Of the long room, Here and there
the freight illumined the bland, unemo-
tional features of a nurse under her smooth
hair and white cap-the sexless features
Of a woman who has learned to witness
suffering without a sign.
on seeing Sir Kenneth Brandon Sis-
ter Catherine. "a long-nosed woman with
bright eyes, hurried forward as superin-
tendcnt OF the ward.
The doctor introduced the two women
to each other, and for while Lady Sib.
thorpe, note book in hand, was absorbed
with statistics.
Now, take me round to your patients.
Sir Kenneth" she said when She had
done Sister Catherine moved forward,
professional look on her bright face. They
stopped at every bed. Lady Sibthorpe
asked questions in a business-like way,
and Sir Kenneth, whose hospital man
ner' was proverbial addressed the pa
tients In the same tone he would have
employed to a duchess His way with
women was one Of the things for which
he was justly famous. They had come TO
the end of one of the lines Of beds, and
were now turning up the other side OF the
room.
Meth" said the sister, mo. ga hope
less case-the last stage of consumption,
aggravated by want and dirt They
brought her In from one of the common
lodging houses. Poor creaturel she was
I'm a terrible state when she came
Indeed" calculated the great physi-
clan, IN his ENmpdtnEtlc voice.
All three approached the bed The pa
TENTS back was turned to him, but as
steps approached she tossed over and lay
on her back, her weakly vicious face,
with It's flush of color on each cheek bone,
looking sharply emaciated against the
whiteiess of the pillow. There were
streaks of gray in the dark hair and the
eyes-dull. slaty eyes. which had once been
blue-were bloodshot and red lidded.
Sir Kenneth leaned forward and their
eyes met in a long stare. The years
heart stood stin. Great Cod Could this
horrible wreck of womanhood be his wife2
=. And she was going to speak? 1t was
a fateful moment.
But No. 20 only laughed-an unmirthful,
coarse and empty laugh. "Oh, Lordi Are
you here?' she muttered, and tossed over.
The doctor drew a long breath; he had
grown a little paler before he spoke.
"Poor creature; she mistakes me for some
one else. They often do at the last" he
whispered, and then, taking down the
usual card hung above the bed on which
the patients age, disease and diet, as well
as the Doctors name in charge Of the
case were written he added urbancly.
quite right-perfectly right Or. Brown
has ordered that everything that could
possibly be of use. Sister, look after this
case specially"
Lady sibthorpe said something gracious
and passed on. Not a feature Of the
strange scene had escaped her. 1t was
evident that something extraordinary had
happened. That these two--the fashion
aDle physician ana the pltlaDle Oufcast on
the hospital mattress-kneW each other
she had now not the smallest doubt. But
the three moved on to the next bed, smil-
ing and chatting as they went. Presently
Sir Kenneth Brandon urged q consulta-
ton at the other end OF London at
O'Clock and offered TO drive Lady Sib-
thorpe back, as she had sent away her
carriage. They were both rather silent
as they were bowled along westward.
A few nights afterward they met, by ac-
cident at dinner. IL was a brilliant par
~. The talk, like the food was stinulat-
ing the wine, like the beauty of the women
was rare. II was IN gracefully artificial
moments Ike these that Sir Kenneth
pessimist though he was, felt tenderly to-
ward all the world. Sir Kenneth, i'm fact
was delighted, for he was deputed to take
Lady sibthorDe down to dinner. She was
woman who looked specially well by
her shoulders and her diamonds were
proyerbial-three things which added 10
her native wit, made the widow a much
coveted dinner companion. Sir Kenneth
indeed, had never realized how devoted
he was to her before. And yet there was
an expression in Lady Sibthorpe's eyes to-
night which he had never seen there, and
which he could not quite understand.
II see from the papers that you have
been in Paris the last few days she said
as they ate their soup; Il hope you have
saved Europe one of its ex-crowned
heads?'
20 anyone but you ] am professionally
tongue-tied." whispered the doctor. gal
lantly. Her majesty is now out of dam