Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-05-27

few DAYS. Don ltN eAn u" ~ 49,
..HoId your base. now. These croak-
ers ought TO be on 20 their job. They
want 10 do what's best for you. A
croaker. you know, Kid. he does the IN
fightin'. while a trained nurse like me
only does the bottle and sponge act
you might say. They looked into your
case. You been eatin' plenty apples.
guess. and swallowin' seeds"
II double crisscross declare, Bob, ]
amt ct an apple in two months.
That's funny" unused the new nurse
perplexelly. 1T comes always from
eatin' apple seeds. What give you this
pain. then, kidy'
Number Nine drew a long, slow.
quivering breath.
"Nothin' never give II TO me-" he
answered dully-''nothin' I all. Me
fadder sent me here cause | was sick
After n pause ne continued: Me lad
der gimme n sled one Christmas. Me
fadder was good TO me. Three O'Clock,
the doctor said. Bob, and it's most II
now"
McManus laid Number Mines paw
back upon the covers and rose, stoop-
ing over him to arrange the pillow.
kid" he said thoughtfully, "you lay
still and remember that Bob Is goin
TO look out for your interests. I'm
goin' to investigate this business"
The hospital druggist, an anaemic
young man in garrulOus checked
suit and red necktie. was bending over
his counter. jabbing capsules full OF
white powder. Came the new nurse
and leaned upon his elbow two feet
away.
Hospital pretty full for the time Of
year. dOctorT' inquired the nurse in
| sinuatingly and scored a base hit.
"Oh. I'm not one of the physicians"
| said the druggist in tone that init
mated the loss to the institution.
Though if II wasn't for my looking
after things | don't know what the
patients would do. old Fletcher's away
so much You're the new nurse-pro-
| fessionalE'
"Professional-sure! 1t must take a
pretty wise head, now, TO hold your
job. Guess you get on to all the latest
lodges. What's your opinion about
operatin' for appehdiseedus, nowF'
Its a deuced neat caper," said the
druggist, with a critical frown. 81 al
ways assist old Fletcher. He's crazy
about ndl-ci-tis-eNcuse me-cases.
He's writing book on the subject.
He's a brilliant operator, but don't
exactly approve of his plan of ligating
and amputating below the ligature. |
believe in suturing over 1t. Still, he's
been successful"
"Your idea seems to me to be best"
said McManus, with admiration in his
tone. Now that kid Number Nine, they re
goin' to operate on-you think he's got it?''
Well" said the druggist, slowly clos
ing one eye, did Eighteen have necrosis
when Fletcher amputated his leg last
Thursday? And did Five have septicamia
when he lost an arm on Saturday?
guess | can talk to you"
You mean the kid amt got it?" asked
the nurse, with a shade too much inter-
est In his voice. The druggists en-
thusiasm ebbed a little. He shrugged
his shoulders.
"Oh, he's been diagnosed. Fletcher is
supposed to know his business. But
he added in a little furry of self vim
dication, you know yours, too, so just
take a look at the temperature chart
on the wall behind his bed"
you know a first class croaker-er-l
mean doctor-that's got an office close
around here?" asked the nurse suddenly
There's DR.. McIvor on the next corner
below. this side of the street. I'm study
to- ,,t{.n II H., GO,
hours He's AL, but not as daring as
Fletcher"
Half an hour later McManus walked
into DR.. McIvor's office and laid dowr
s4.20 upon the table.
That's my pile, doc" he announced
Take it and write me out on a pec,
of paper full directions how to size W
when a party's got appendseedus, deaC
sure thing or not, whichever the cas-,
may be-"
At a quarter to 3 DR.. Fletcher strollet
into the surgical ward jingling silver II
his pocket and humming a tune in
very fiat key. In his pseudo cheerful
loud voice he rallied the patients play
fully-miserable wretches who much per
force seem visbly grateful for this grati
sick room heartiness-thus performing
the part of the benefactor who con
descends to relax.
Round the room he went, stopping her
and there, pretending to be unaware o
a certain bed, as a cat will sometime
circle, counterfeiting ignorance of
mouse she has caught and laid, disabled
little out OF her reach. While on hi
round he spoke word to an attendant
who put on a big white apron and wen
and busted himself in smaller adjoin
ing room.
AT five minutes to 8 the new nurs
began to hover around Number Nine
bed. AS the clock began to strike he ha,
just completed his fifth or sixth pretend
ed arrangement of the bedclothes. o.
the stroke Number Mines hand closed
with a desperate grip of terror, aroun,
his friends primary digit. DR.. Park
stroled In, initiating as far as his rathe
mean port would permit the benignan
| strut of his superior. Finally, as the ca
abandons comedy and goes to Its meat
the senior physicians stroll eliminates
at Number Mines bedside.
And how does my little man feel?" h
Gsped, with the painful sprightliness O
n stranger to child talk
The nurses finger that the boy he'll
seemed to be In a wise. Number Nine
freckles grew dark against his increasing
| pallor. His eyes, the irises of whc
were completely white encircled, stare
SO fixedly at the distinguished vivisection
list that that gentleman's spurious smil
became almost real as ne noted the mar
velous resemblance of Number Nine I
one of the many rabbits he had seen gaz
thus up at him wired down to his dis
I'VE will take little man in the othe
; room and make UNI we'll SO nice! did
dle-dy-dum -dy-dee! You bring him." h
added to McManus. He seems to hay
| taken a fancy to YOU"
Bob slipped one arm under Numbe
Mines neck and the other under hi
knees The boy gulped a hard breath
t probably to scream, but the nurse whis
, pered to him:
, Don't play off too far kid. Bob ,
bring YOU home when he gets to the haI