The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-07-26

friends, ever"
'.Friends, ever" echoed rFindlay, as
he took the warm palm between his
chill fingers.
Goodnight, John, my friend"
Goodnight"
The door between the long, wide,
waiting-room and the operating room
opened, and "Old Ice," leaning heav-
lily upon the arm of the fair-faced
young student, emerged from it. The
hazel eyes were not as bright as
usual, and the generally ruddy face
of the great surgeon was ashen. He
was helped into his Office, where he
took glass of wine, after which he
seemed to recover-some of his old-time
| spirits. He left the hospital after
wards-and inside of ten days was
dead man. The cause of the old sur
geno's death was pronounced to be
blood-poisoning.
Upon the evening of the day of the
surgeons funeral, Henry Morse was
taken to st. Marks ill, weak, nerve
less.
"There seems to be something
wrong with the boy" said Findlay,
after his friend had been placed upon
one of the snowy cots, in cool, quiet
room.
A white hand was laid upon the
sick mans brow. Findlay turned to
meet the calm gaze of the Canadian
nurse.
"Yes-it is now a struggle between
life and death. I pray God will win,"
she said, softly.
| "You?"
eyes, I shall be his nurse"
| 'There are others who can nurse
him.
''There is no one but myself who can
do so much for him." said the sweet,
low voice of the fair girl.
'Why you, more than any other
nurse?"
"That, no one but he has right to
ask" replied she, as she pointed to-
ward the face upon the pillow.
| And then commenced the great bat
tie for the mastery. Medical science
said the brave young fellow should
die. Close, careful and skilled nurs-
ing. backed up by youth and man.
hood that had never known any
i'll, said he should not die. Every
change, no matter how slight, was
watched by his friend, John Findlay,
who seemed to be always by the sick
mans bedside.
side until Findlay went out for his
meals or to snatch few moments of
| sleep.
1t is midnight, and the crisis is at
hand. The face upon the pillow is
livid. The blue lips are drawn back,
and the white teeth CLEAN in the
shaded light. By the side of the bed
sits the young student, Findlay, hold
| ing the feverish hand of his friend.
The tinkling of the fountain falls upon
his ears. The rafting of wheels
over the pavement comes from the
distance. The sleeve of the sick mans
robe is pushed back, and the arm
with the turgid veins is disclosed. The
small figure in hospital garb stands
with back turned to Findlay. A long.
lean finger produces from the vest
pocket something that glitters in the
| light. A careful hand guides the OBJ
ject to the thick part of the forearm,
and then-like a phantom, as quick
| and as noiseless-a small figure leans
over the bed add pushes one slender
| white hand between the Instruments
keen point and the barred arm. A pair
| of black eyes are raised to the now
livid face of Findlay, and pair of
tightly-drawn lips huskily whisper:
"Do it, coward! You dare not!"
The instrument is withdrawn, and
John Findlay leans back and begins to
push his inky mustache out of sight.
Again, the figure of the nurse stand.
| ing upright, and with arms folded
| acorss the breast, and pair of
| searching eyes penetrate to the in
| nermost heart of the false friend.
The sick man stirs uneasily, the lips
| part, and upon the quiet air Of the
room there falls softly, slowly;
"Friends-e-ever."
The nurse laid her cool hand upon
the forehead. and gave sigh as of sat-
isfaction. The brow was no longer
hot and feverish. 1t was cool to
| the touch.
$50, please; I can attend to him
now without your help" she said.
Findlay rose, gave one glance at
| the sick mans face, and then left the
room, fussing with his mustache in
| the old, tiresome manner.
Up in the Canadian woods, where
Henry Morse went with the fair girl
he married, he found health rapidly.
Once-only once-he asked her why
his friend Findlay had left him so
suddenly. His wife shrugged her
shoulders, and said nothing.
81 had an idea, dear, that he
fancied you"
81 did not fancy him."
"John is queer-but he and I are
to be friends ever"
But the two were destined never to
meet again upon this world. Good
Literature.
Decidedly Up to Date.