Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-17
THOUGHT TO BE UNCONSCIOUS


Understand That Their Plans
Would Fail.
4 strange story relating to we'll
known young woman, hospital, the
nurses and an undertaken. all in this
.iiy, came TO light yesterday. The
Tnung woman, whose friends ask that
her name be withheld. was taken sud
denly Ii recently, and hurried to the hos
oitai. apparently in an unconscious con-
sition. but being able to hear and vividiy
remember all that was said. but unable
TO open her eyes. or speak.
The resident physician. after careful
examination Of the patient said to two
" the nurses present: BE mighty care
III of this patient, she is such sweet,
good. little woman. and ! am afraid that
she will not be with Us in the morning.
After carefully diagnosing the case, and
giving many particular directions to the
nurses Gil OF which the young woman
overheard. The doctor left the ward.
The patient lay for some time in this
state, studying carefully all the time
aer own condition and all that the doc
or had said both Of her case and his d.
.ections to the nurses. She was aroused
by hearing voices of strangers not pres
cnt when the doctor made his eXamlna-
lion and gave his directions.
Listening to this converse ton, she
learned that the strange voices were
those of nurses from other wards in the
hospital, VINO heard that young and
beautiful woman had been brought into
The hospital, suffering with strange
affection. This, OF course, aroused the
curiosity of every nurse in the institu-
ton. and it was but a short time unit!
they were all in the room with the youns
woman, and believing her 10 be uncon-
scious discussed her case freely.
All the time this discussion was going
on the young woman lay there hearing
every word and carefully noting its
meaning. After considerable discussion
and one or two examinations ON the part
of some of the nurses, they al finally
agreed that she could not live until morn
ing
SELECTED UNDERTAKEN.
The next question by them was what
undertaken should be given the business
of preparing the body for burial This
brought on quite lengthy discussion. as
one nurse said that an undertaken, whom
she mentioned, was in the habit of send
ing nice baskets of fruit to the nurses
who summoned him. Another nurse
named an undertaken whom she said al
ways sent a gallon Of ice-cream to the
nurses who summoned him. The nurses
were equally divided between ice-cream
and fruit, and the selection of the under
taker represented by these two gifts.
Champions Of fruit and champions OF Ice
cream each had their say, and at one
time it looked as if a third undertake.
would have TO be chosen in order to
break the deadlock Of these erstwhile
iurists. One of the nurses however. Won
the case in favor of the undertaken who
gave the ice-creatn, by declaring that the
undertaken who gave the fruit had the
last body from that institution. and fur
thermore, that some of the fruit received
from him was not ripe and had made her
sick This was followed by brief, but
able, plea in favor of peach ice-cream,
and the unoertaker whose custom 1t Was
to give the cream won by a unanimous
decision IT was then decided that as
soon as death claimed the young woman
this undertaken should be summoned. and
Immediately after his arrival the rela-
tipes of the young women We're to be NO,
tilted.
THE PATIENT ALONE.
After settling. the whole matter the
nurses dispersed to their respective wards
and the patient was left alone for brief
period.
She forgot all that the doctor had said
of her case and his instructions to the
curses, and there was but one thought
i1ppermost in her mind-the fact that
The nurses We're TO get ice cream for turn
ing her body over to the undertaken.
This thought evidently had the effect
of restoring all her faculties. and with
the restoration Of sight and speech came
the determination to live and cheat the
nurses of their ice cream treat from the
undertaken at her expense.
Again mind triumphed over matter, and
she began to feel better right away.
Shortly she heard footsteps approa ching
her room, and, closing her eyes, feigned
Inconsistencies in order TO hear what
further might be said
She heard two Of the nurses who were
with her when she was first brought in
the hospital approach her bed, and she
felt their warm breath on her cheeks as
they bent over and examined her She
wanted linen to open her eyes and smile
at them, but by almost Superhuman
effort controlled herself. though trem-
bling from head to foot with suppressed
emotions.
The examination was soon over, how
they felt sure of their ice cream for to-
morrow.
PATIENT LAUGHED HEARTILY.
They were just about turning TO leave
the room when the supposed-to-be UNI
conscious woman opened her eyes and
burst into q hearty laugh. The nurses
turned quickly and looked at her, when
she informed them laughingly, that she
had determined to cheat them of their
Ice cream treat this time.
The nurses fed out into the hail. but
shortly returned with several others They
first peeped in at what they thought was
the unconscious patient but We're much
surprised when their awed and curious
gaze met a smiling countenance.
they finally entered the room. and
heard from the lips of the patient de-
tailed account Of all that had been said
in her presence.
The account was related by the patient
with smiles and laughter. at her good
Joke on the nurses The nurses soon saw
the joke. and joined in with the patient,
and suppressed laughter reigned for some
moments in the room. Time, coupled with
the strong will of the young woman. and
the careful attention or both doctors and
nurses. brought the patient around until
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