The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-02-20

"T HE doctor had made his last
visit for the night and the
nurse was left alone with her
patlent-a typhoid fever pa
tient, muscular and raving. It was n
private Contagious" ward; room
that was always like ships deck
stripped for action, with Its metal bed
Of white enamel, its metal table and
its gray green wall, decorated only
with "colored supplement" prints be-
cause these could be changed frequent
ly and burned easily. 1t was n room
OF dim light and a tempered shadow,
one Of those bare hospital rooms where
you feel that the flame Of life, though
1t burns low, burns without flicker,
being protected and watched in its
feebleness with no sentiment OF love,
but with the skilled care and the cool
eye Of unimpassiOned science
The nurse sat at the bedside, her
hands folded in her lap. like nun at
meditation. There was something
nun-llke in her face, In her placldity
beside such suffering, in the almost
melancholy sweetness OF the face of a
woman who had looked many times on
death alone at midnight and who had
lived for long year now In the con.
slant companionship of pain.
But, indeed, the expression belied
her. She was watching her patient
for the signs Of n hemorrhage, listen
ing intently to his breathing, with the
subconscious alertness Of the engineer
who will sit musing with an eye
ON the steam gauge and an ear
strained for the slightest change CT
note in the regular swing and cadence
OF the machinery. The poor fellow IN
the bed tossed and muttered fretfully.
She stood looking down at him,
smiling with a motherly pity. His
eyes were closed
He had been as self-willed in his III.
ness as n 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 staggered 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 lie had
been at first Here he lay now, strug.
Cling against death itself
Although she was not aware Of It he
had changed for her; from being a
Cease" he had become n human being
with a claim OF interest on her, and
she frowned at his mutterlng of pain.
H0or fellow! Life must have been so
full for him Of interests, activities.
promises, achievements. To have #
all end this way, futilely! He had
given the college cry once in a delIr.
lum and struggled, painting, through n
football game. And once he had been
standing on the platform of debate
Another time he had been writing on
an examination in law. And still an.
other time she thought that she heard
him speak Jim's name in the tumble
OF delirious mutterlngs.
Jim was to have been a LAWYER
Poor Jim! Her eyes filed at that old.
tear-stained memory Of Jim and her
father drowned together in that borri-
Die accident on the Delaware. Well
she at least had not been a burden on
her mothers small income, and soon
as soon as she was graduated from the
hospital-she would not only be self.
supporting but an aid to the others
There were two long years of hard
work before her yet. She bit her lin
The untiring run and babble of his
1eiirium 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
semed almost rational 1t was only mo.
mentary; he called her "Auntle." and
began childish prattle.
"Night-nlght," he said. "Slss me
nlghtnight"
She touched his forehead with her
finger tips.
ssh she said, and bent down TO
him, The line screen at the foot Of
the bed hid her from any one who
might pass In the hall. She touched
her lips to his forehead. "Nigbt.
night" she whispered.
He looked at her with a childish
smile pointing his lips. 1t hardened
slowly into pursed mouth OF perplex.
fly.
Hello, old man, he said. "Where
-"
ne closed his eyes on q frown.