The Holly chieftain., 1906-11-16
Nurse Helen

her was very hazy.
There had been the fight outside Of
Kid Murray's. He remembered that,
every detail Of 1t. For nearly week
he had been waiting for it to come of,
On q tip from the union secretary. And
1t had all come true. The very night
that Barker had landed from Pitts
burg they had prepared his reception
In memory Of the speeches he had
made before the coal barons. He had
been faithless. Barker had. He had
dallied and parleyed and dined and
hobnobbed and, as Murray said, play
cd the fool generally, and the wine of
It all had made him heady. and this
while thousands of strikers waited on
his word and their children and wives
waited for daily bread.
1t was not wise of Barker. Even
Derrick could see that, and Derrick
was merely reporter for what Murray
called the pink sheet" So the night
that Barker returned to make his ex-
planatory address in Central hall Der
rick was on hand to see the fun He
saw 1t. Not only that, but he was
right down In the middle of 1t, and
when the boys made dash for Barker
as he tried to glide out the back win
dow he went with them, not knowing
exactly why. but crazy with the sight
Of the running fox, like the rest of the
hounds.
They caught him outside Of Muir
rays, and those who could not get
their hands on him began to throw
things. Some of the things went
astray, and when the melee was clear
ed and Barker had been thrown up BY
the tide into an ambulance Derrick.
ths pink sheet reporter. was beside
him with battered Uranium and =
faintly ffotouS SSnss of viEtof5, ~ hS
dropped into Inconsistencies, Of hav-
ing got a beat on the other papers.
But the 4'beat" never came out, be-
cause for days the pink sheet re-
porter lay up at Bellevue, and the
world spun round him In gray circles
like view Of the fifth heaven. Then
gradually out of the circling grayness
he distinguished one shape that came
and went with more tangibillty than
the other dreams. And one morning
hs opened his eyes and saw two real
objects clearly, without the gray film.
They were Nurse Helen and Barker.
Barker lay couple Of beds away
from him. He could see the face on
AH,~ ho1 lD%t
and some Of the unctuous mildness.
The outline Of the profile looked harsh
and almost forcible against the white
pillow. And he was asleep.
Derrick glanced up at the nurse. She
was dressing the wound on his head
swiftly, deftly, easily, impersonally. A
ward surgeon in white came by, stop
ped and bent forward to examine the
wound.
"He can leave tomorrow" he said
briefly and went on.
And suddenly Derrick changed his
mind. He did not want to leave. He
wanted to stay there forever and let
this girl in gray and white pat him
and wrap him up and ease him. Then
he thought Of Barker.
''Is he badly hurt?" he asked.
The nurse looked startled for an in
slant. At least her eyes lost their I'm
personal look and met those Of Der
rick. Then she understood.
"Yes. He will not be out for several
weeks" she said quietly.
Derrick remembered swiftly. Sew
eral weeks! That would carry him past
the 10th, and the 10th was the decisive
day In Pittsburg. And If Barker were
not on hand at that arbitration meet
ing to daily and parley and fool around
generally something definite might re-
suit. There was only one man to send
In his place, Strogund. and II Strogund
went there would be no parley, no fool
ing. He would win the strike.
"Have been here longT he asked.
The nurse was clearing the table be-
side the bed of bandages and bottles.
Derrick noticed that her hair was red
dish brown beneath her cap. He could
see the little curls around the edges.
1.-TWO weeks ago yesterday you were
brought in" she replied. ut ID the
oth."
Derrick tried to sit up In bed.
Two wseksl' he gasped and dropped
heavily back on his pillow.
you must not do that" said the girl
severely. You have had high fever
and are stu very weak. Don't you sit
up again"