Amador ledger., 1904-10-07
IN THE
HOSPITAL
By CRITTENDEN
MARRIOTT
Copyright, 1901, by T. C. Mcclure
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The man sitting in the darkened
room at the hospital raised his band
aged eyes as the nurse entered. The
month that he had been there had not
served to change the habit of sight
fixed by all the years that had gone
before
cts. for tonight, isn't it, Miss LeeT
be cried, recognizing her step. "To-
night III get rid of these confounded
bandages and see the light of day once
more. Oh, you don't know how this
month has dragged! It's for tonight,
isn't it,
Il believe sO," returned the nurse
gently. But of course the doctor will
have to decide He'll be here soon."
Cad! How glad I'll be to see once
morer' cried the man. Il never could
have stood 1t even for q month if it
hadn't been for you. You've been an
angel to me-
The nurse blushed softly and cast a
very tender look at the man. She an
swered merrily: "All the nurses here
would have been the same Nine pa
hents out of ten think we are angels
while they are in the hospital. They
change their minds afterward"
II never shall. Do you know, after
all, despite all the pain and the anxiety,
am glad this thing happened"
"WhyT
Because it has enabled me to know
you. Oh, of course 1 have known you
to speak to for months and by sight
for years, but that isn't knowing how
tender, how sweet how long suffering,
you could be. Oh, Miss Lee-Ger-
trude''-
"Hush! The doctor said you must
keep cool, you know. Excitement
might injure your eyes"
The man sank back in his chair.
TRUE he said slowly, Il forgot that
l haven't any right to speak now. 1
forget that the result of this operation
isn't absolutely certain and that l may
be blind-nercy, blind!-and that in
any case l must mend my fortunes be-
fore There, is that the doctor COM
ing?"
The nurse glanced out of the open
door into the hail. Yes she said; "he's
just down the corridor a way. You're
not going back to your old position
right away, are you, Mr.. Scott? You
oughtn't to try your eyes for year or
so, you know"
Il suppose not. But needs must, you
know, when a certain gentleman drives
I'll be dead broke when 1 get out of
here, and I'll have to go to work. All,
there's the doctor!"
The doctor entered and stood for a
few moments talking to the man.
"Yes," he said at last; well take the
bandages off tonight, think"
Thank God! And-and there's no
doubt that everything will be all right,
is there, doctor?'
"Well hope for the BEST" returned
the doctor cheerily, his tone a very
comfort in itself, although his words
were not especially so. He passed out
of the door hurriedly, preventing fur
ther questions and beckoning to the
nurse as he did so to follow him. A
few steps down the corridor he halted.
Nurse" he said, with worried look
on his face, "do you know whether
your patient has any relatives near
by?
I'm sure he has not" answered the
girl readily 'I've talked with him re-
peatedly and learned all about him.
He doesn't seem to have a relative in
the world"
The doctors face grew graver. How
is he off for money!
HE just told me that he would be
dead broke when he got out of here.
He said he must at once go back to
work"
Back to work at once! He'll be
lucky if he ever gets to work again"
The nurse grew white "Why?" she
gasped. 81 thought the operation was
a certainty"
"a certainty! Yes, it is a certainty
almost, but in the wrong direction.
There isn't one chance in a hundred
that he'll ever see again"
With a mighty effort the nurse mas
tered her emotion. But, DOCTOR" she
gasped, what will become of him?
Become of him?" echoed the doctor
irritably. Become of him? What be-
comes of blind men who have no
friends and no money? Well keep
him as long as we can, and then I sup
pose he'll have to go to the poorhouse
for the rest of his life"
A flush of anger succeeded the pal
lor of Miss Lees face. "Why have you
deceived him2" she demanded indig-
nantly, with utter disregard of the re-
quirements of discipline. "He is sure
that he will get well. He is building
on it absolutely If he DOESN'T
The doctor looked curiously at the
girl Then sense Of comprehension
came over him. He sighed. He was
an old man, but not callous one "If
you want him to see again, Miss Lee"
he said, ''be sure to keep him thinking
so. In that lies his one chance. Keep
him cheerful at all hazards, and posi-
bly,
The doctor turned away, and the
nurse slowly retraced her steps to
Scott's room. She had known Henry
Scott for year or more and had liked
and admired him from the first In
the month that they had been thrown
together by the accident that had
forced Scott to enter the hospital this
feeling had grown to something stron-
ger than liking For some dayS she had
known what he would say as soon as
he could see again and had known
what she would say in answer. In