Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-12-08
Short STORY
ct the Day
THE ANGEL OF THE WARD.
BY Robert Halifax.

BY Robert Hallta&.
How comes it she's never got mar
ried?" | ask. Explain it. A woman
with that face that voice, that touch
ah. YOU can't tell me, Call her walk
ing iceberg here, don't they? Know
what | call her? lis written on this
here wall, in letters they can't rub
out-'Angel of the Ward Laughin',
are you? 'Scuse me, mate, you're a
born fool! I'm old, as things go, and
know what ! know. There's a secret
somewhere--a mystery with heart
still beatin in it; and timeli bear me
out"
Outside lay deep darkling reach
of the river that wound away toward
the sea and eternity. Here inside all
was light, hope, and warmth; subdued
whisperings and low ripples of daugh,
ter came from the group of nurses at
the far end of the main ward. Pre-,
suably the angel was not among
them; the grizzled, brown old sailor
in the corner bed shifted and resumed
his husky, strenuous mutterings to the
wide eyed young fellow in the bed ad-
joining.
Grimly crude, but terribly earnest,
the old salt had sprung a subtlety up,
on the other patients.
Your hospital nurse" he insisted
with warmth, was a woman-and
ip6 nj hof
What! 1t sounded in her steady step,
in her clear quiet voice: it was the
soothing deep in her calm eyes that
could make the boldest man feel some
how less than a man. And he said
this after Sister Lou had lowered over
his bed for two silent, burning, awful
nights in succession, while fever strug-
gled for grip, and the pendulum
swung between life and death. I'm.
known to her, he had noted many little
facts that set him wondering whether
life was what it seemed after all.
Anyway, a great knot stopped all the
words in his throat, when, one cool
morning, she put hand on his fore
head and whispered:
"Tere. Doctor says you are to have
your lease renewed Thankful Go
Going to make the most of it this
time? No dead mother to rememher?"
Such hand" he muttered in awe
like a wisp o lost snow strayed on to
gasping desert. And such a whis-
per, as if she read all his past and his
bit of future, As long as he lived
he'd never understand why-why-sh
wasn't welded, to make some mans
life paradise"
That was his queer point of view.
There was another of course Women
dive for reasons when a man is con-
tent to bask in the mere effect The
other nurses were definitely agreed
that stately silent Sister Lou had a
past of her own and was living with
the sole determination TO forget II.
They loved her at dstance-and.
possibly were Jealous Of her glorious
calm, and of the many touching little
keepsalles gurtively left in the lobby
for Sister Lou"
That night-that particular night.
when, as they say. she came back to
lfe-Ststere Lou had been assigned to
relieve the Q o'clock nurse in charge
Of the incipient fever ward.
1t was fifteen minutes to the hOm
when she came into the main ward,
bathed hands and face in antiseptic
fluid donned the gown and hood that
made her look like pale nun, took
her instructions in mechanical silence,
and rustled down the long corridor for
the night as softly as a breath OF sum-
mer wind. There was just one new
case, matron had said II might mean
anything or nothing; developments
must be watched and recorded All
was SO quiet in the building now that
sound from the world outside could
be felt.
Perhaps sixty seconds had elapsed
when, after gauging the temperature oil
the main ward the matron stepped
down that corridor to open a window
she paused to glance out at the river
lying like web Of silver sequins in
the moonlight and in that brief mo-
ment something happened.
She heard a swift confused little
rush OF feet and a succession of suffo
eating gasRs. Then one Of the divid-
ing curtains had flashed back. and was
framing never forgotten picture
Sister Lou, her slight figure drawn tip
III trembling rightly, her face white
as whitest marble, queer little sobs
clicking her teeth. her wide eyes star