The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-14
SELECTED STORY.
p. p. c.

said; "leave her alone ii she seems-er
to desire it. Let her do as she likes
from now. l shall come early in the
morning. You had better not leave
the room Tonight. Sleep in there with
her. The easy chair-er-"
"Oh, l can sleep anywhere. You
think there's no Improvement this
evening, then?"
"None. Frankly-er-I consider
that anot, err twenty-four hours will see
her through"
"YCu mean"
aShe will not last longer than that"
The nurse watched him down the
first of the two hundred and fifty steps
There are no lifts in the North Ken
siucton Mansions), and then turned
hack and re-entered the sick room with
that never-failing air of subdued cheer
fulness which fitted her for such occa-
sious.
She noticed that the door which she
thought 10 have closed, stood ajar, but
draughts could not matter on this hot
July evening. Besides, nothing was to
matter any more.
The patient was lying with her face
to the wall.
Nurse" without turning around.
"I'm here"
81 want to go to sleep-by myself,
please"
VERY well. Shall 1 draw the
blinds?"
mo, thank you"
The nurse went quietly into the next
room. The patient lay wonderfully
still, with her face to the wall.
The clock on the narrow sea-green
overmantle, which was considered one
of the attractions of this unsubstantial,
cramped modern fiat, licked through
an hour.
Then the nurse put down her pen
(she had been writing letters on her
knees) and looked into the other room.
The patient heard her-her hearing
was quite marv, lou ly acute OF late
and said, "Come in. Can l have some
wate?"
"Of course you can" And as the
nurse came to the bedside with the
glass, the girl turned suddenly and sat
upright saying: II heard what the doc
tor said"
For moment the nurse could only
pale little without answering. Then
her professional tact came to an effort
at rescue, and she said, "Wen, we
won't talk of that. Lie down, please.
Doctors aren't infallible, you must re-
member. And while there's life there's
hope"
''No. While there's hope there's
life," said the girl.
She was only girl in the sense that
she was unmarried, for she was over
thirty. Her face was so worn by this
illness that it was impossible to tell
whether it had ever been beautiful or
the reverse. But the reverse seemed
the more likely, for the nose was clum-
silly shaped, and if ever there had been
beauty, it must have been several years
ago, at the age when nature paints is a
superficial charm on the face of almost
every woman.
She drank the water and sank back
again, her narrow gray hands lying par
ellel on the counterpart.
The nurse busted herself nolselessly
about the room-moved the medicine
bottles from the bedside, since they
were useless now, took out half-emp-
ty cup and saucer Strengthened the few
bits of Tettenham Court Road which
served as furniture. 1t was soon tidied,
this veIy small room-the best in the
udt, WDiCu COholobSu hlbOBSthOh VI WV
minute sitting rooms and three more
minute bedrooms; the girls, the SER
wants and the one where the girls
brother had slept till he went East to
understudy war corr espondent, and
where subsequently giil friend had
slept until this illness had made pro.
fessioDal nurse imperative.
There was no effort at luxury, but
rather feeble struggle for art, which
came out in patches, as it were, about
the place, and took the form of profuse
Aspipalling.
But there was no actual discomfort,
and there was as much cleanliness as
London and Annie, the servant, would
permit.
Only this last visit of the Doctors
had made horrible difference in the
atmosphere. The nurse was tactful
enough not to overact her cheerful
part, and the slences were brimful.
She was thankful when the time came
for lighting the candles. After they
had burned into the silence for few
inutes the girl turned on her side
and called "Nurse."
eyes" Down went the piece Of
linen that she was mending.
"Will you please write letter for
me. III dictate. Take my things and
sit near"
The nurse fetched the writing mate
rails and wrote, the girl debating. The
letter was to that brother, leagues
away in place that the nurse couldn' t
pronounce. There were long pauses
between the sentences that were to
prepare him for such Homecoming as
her former letters had never allowed
him to dream Of She cried twice be-
fore it was finished, and the nurse
shifted manfully. e,.%
Then there was another of those aw-
full silences till the girl said: "And
now give me the blotter, please, and a
pencil. I've got to write letter my
self"
ooh, but yc1're not-how shall you
manage? l ought not to let you. Can't
do this one for you, too?"
mo. That's just it. must do it
myself"
Tho pursa aaid No nora hut pulle Il