The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-11-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

sleep, then; go to Sleep" as if she were
talking to child. There was no sign Of
nervousness or anxiety about her. Only
once, when she rose to take his pulse, she
stood moment to smooth down the stiff
bingham of. her uniform with a slow palm
in an endeavor to loosen the starch in it
so that it would not rustic. The patient
was making a dry clucking in his mouth.
She took a piece of ice from a bowl
among the medicine bottles and glasses
on the table and put it under his tongue.
He sighed a breath of grateful weakness.
She stood looking down at him, smiling
with a motherly pity. His eyes were
closed
He had been as self willed in his illness
as a spoiled child. He had been almost
convalescent when, against all warning
while the day nurse was chatting with
the doctor outside the door-he had stag
gered from his bed to a basket of fruit on
the table and eaten two peaches before
he was seen. The result was a relapse
into a far more critical condition than
he had been at first. Here he lay now,
struggling feebly against death itself.
She wondered whether he had q sister
who was fond of him, or sweetheart,
who had been sending him these baskets
of fruit
He was breathing regularly in fitful
doze. She returned to her chair and
leaned forward to look at him with her
chin in her hand.
Although she was not aware of it, he
had changed for her; from being ease"
he had become a human being with
claim of interest in her, and she frowned
at his muttering of pain. Poor fellow!
Life must have been so full of interests,
activities, promises, achievements. To
have it all end this way, futilely! He
had given the college cry once in a de-
lirium and struggled painting through
football game. And once he had been
standing on the platform of debate, and
another time he had been writing on an
examination in law, and still another
time she thought that she heard him
speak Jims name in the tumble of de-
lirious mutterings.
Jim was to have been a lawyer. Poor
jim! Her eyes filled at that old, tear
stained memory of Jim and her father
drowned together in that horrible acct
dent on the Delaware. Well, she at least
had not been burden on her mothers
small income, and soon-as soon as she
was graduated from the hosp;tal-she
would be not only self supporting, but an
aid to the others. There were
two long years of hard work before her
yet She bit her lip.
The untiring run and babble of his de-
lirium had been growing louder. She
went to him again to calm him with the
sound of her voice, and he looked up at
her with a smile that seemed almost ra-
tional. 1t was only momentary; he call
ed her "auntie" and began a childish
prattle.
"Im not sleepy" he said. 81 don't
want to go to bed, auntie." And he tried
to raise his head from the pillow.
She took her cue from him. Yes, you
are" she cooed. go seepy bye. Auntie
will tuck you in" She arranged his blan-
kets about his shoulders, patting and
smoothing them down.
"Night-night," he said contentedly.
kiss me night-night."
She touched his forehead with her
finger tips.
kiss me-" he demanded. kiss me
night-night." And he struggled to free
his arm from the covering.
"Ssh," she said and bent down to him.
The linen screen at the foot of the bed
hid her from any one who might pass in
the hall She touched her lips to his fore
head. 'Night-night," she whispered.
He looked at her with a childish smile
pouting his lips. 1t hardened slowly into
a pursed mouth of perplexity. Hello,
old man." he said. "Where"- He closed
his eyes on a frown.
She was still blushing hotly when his
regular breathing showed her that he had
fallen into quiet slumber.
He was sitting in his armchair taking
O sun bath at window that looked out
on the dazzling white of melting SHOWS.
His visitors had just left him, at his doc
tors orders He was waiting for the re-
turn of Nurse Blakeey with an i'm
patience which he might have recognized
as longing if his physical weakness had
not disguised affection in him as an irri
table lack of what he wished to have.
She came in light footed.
He crowed a feeble 'Ah, ha! Did you
hear what the doctor said?"
"What did he say?" She arranged his
pillows to ease the strain on a weak back.
He was grateful for that, and his graft
tude shone in his smile.
"I'm to be humored, the doctor said;
I'm to have my own way in everything"
care your" she said avoiding his eyes.
"You certainly had your own way about |
the fruit"
He laughed now at the folly that had
kept him happy prisoner in The hos
pital for the past nine weeks. THAT
rruitw he SAID. "That was the most de-
licious-the most - Do you know, Nurse
Blakeley, thought those peaches would
kill me, but l was dying for something to
I
reply "a mans a fool when he has d
fever isn't he?" he added, with apologize
seriousness.
"Only them" she retorted with obsti- |
nate hippancy.
She was busying herself about the
room. He was watching her every |
movement with an eye of Invalid tender
ness. "Oh, l say" he protested, you !
don't make any allowance for fellow |
being illr'
She affected professional cheerfulne.s
in the matter.
ooh, you're we'll on your way to |
health" she said "We'll soon have you
back to your friends
Nurse" he said, you're the best |
friend | ever had-or want to have"
Her clustered loneliness rose ON her in a
surge of bitterness.
swat till you've been away from here |
about a month. One feels very depend |
ent and-and affectionate when one is i'll. !
1t soon wears off"
"That's the way you always talk" he |
said modify; then, Frightening: IN |
report you to the doctor. You're not |
humoring me-"
She did not answer She smiled, hav
ing warded off the danger which his mild i
er manner had warned her of. She seat
ed herself in a chair and took up book
which she had put down on the table
when his visitors had entered.
"What's that?" he demanded peevishly. !
"What are you readingF
"Don'ts," she answered laconically.
"Don'ts?"
"'One Hundred Don'ts For Nurses"
she read from the cover, things we are
not to do"
"Well, don't worry. Your sins have
been all of omission. It's the things you
haven't DONE She smiled serenely at
the page.
"You might read it out at least" he
said
"Let me see." She turned the pages.
81 think that is probably included in the
prohibitions, Don't let others know the
secrets of the profession.
He clutched the arms of the chair.
you're teasing me. Let me read that
book or III get up"
She laughed and passed 1t to him. He
began to read, Don't sit in rocking
chair and rock while resting" Don't in
jure the furniture in any way, and be
careful of all fancy decorations" He
looked about him. 1.-The wreckage has
been appalling in this palatial apart
ment." He. read again. well, great
Eli!' he cried and looked up at her
'WhT. it was 4yOu!"