The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-22
TIE EVENING STORY
Drawn.
(By Grace Leyy.l

Inc little clock struck twelve. Hell |
en- Peters stumbled from her couch
snd slipped into her dressing gown. |
She moved mechanically-the outcome
of training-for she was exceedingly
sleepy. She had had difficult day.
A week before Frank Libbey. on his
way West. had been suddenly stricken
Ill in a small town where he had
planned to spend only a night. The
doctor, hastily summoned, had shaken
his head and ordered nurse. Helen
Peters, young. but efficient. had re-
sponded, and from the first had found
her hands full, for her patient. self
indulgent bachelor, was unaccustomed
to the restraint of illness.
Three mustard plasters tonight, at
intervals, beginning at Midnight the
doctor had prescribed on the succeed
ing days, and Miss Peters had tried to
snatch few moments of rest before
that hour.
Now awakened from her sleep by
the striking of the clock, she sped to
the little room at the end of the hotel
corridor where she quickly mixed a
| connection characteristicaIly sticky
and ill-sn1elling.
| Then. keeping it warm, she turned
| TO go to her patients room when puff
of wind extinguished her candle.
Sure of her ground, however, she re-
traced her steps without relighting it
and fastened down the hail.
| Cautiously she bent over the bed
and sighed in relief to find that her
patient slept. ALI day long he had
| been fretful and impatient. With ex-
pert care she pulled aside the cover
| ings and applied the plaster without
SO much as awakening him. Then she
| left him.
| Meantime the slumbers of Mr..
by an ugly vision. Mr.. Libbey had
fastened on to see his stricken broth
| err. Some evil power had converted
his back into a pincushion and was
putting it to practical use. He awoke
shortly to a sensation sharper than a
mere dream. Something was crawl
| ing the length of his spine, singing
rim numerically as it went.
He made frantic clutch in the.
darkness, and a mysterious semi
liquid substance which panic persuad
ed him, must be his life's- blood ad-
hered to his hand. He grabbed again
with a jerk that nearly wrung from
| him a yell Then he bounded out of
remains of an effective mustard plas-
ter. First he stared, then he swore,
then, compromising. he laughed un-
til he cried, until his breath was gone
With the offending mass in hand he
| tiptoed to his brothers room adjoin-
:ng. The latter awoke from fitful
! doze.
| James," the patient called queru-
| lousy, I'm sure it must be after
| twelve. Would you mind stepping
down the hall and asking Miss Peters
about my plaster? She's so neglect
| full"
mot Observation-Disclosures energy"
| corrected James, holding up the rem
nants to view. Here, Frank, is your
plasteri''
The door opened. Nurse Peters adj
| vanced, carrying a fresh, warm plas-
! ter She passed one hand over Mr..
| Libbey's back to remove the old one,
| and paused, bewildered. His skin felt
dry and clean. A slight stir at her
| back caused her to wheel about pro-
| fessionally alert.
| "Who's there?" she demanded
IA VICTIM, came the answer with a
i chuckle.
mo nonsense, please! Who are
Eyou? What are you doing in my pa
| tents room?"
"a thousand pardons," said the
voice ''I am his brother James. I
got here late this evening. You were
off duty when arrived. Frank woke
UP few minutes ago. and do hope
] haven't transgressed!"
"Strike light!''
Mr.. James Libbey obeyed, sublime
~. unuindfu1 of his costume. The
candle sputtered, then flared. He saw
a piquant face crowned with wavy.
ltumbled hair. Miss Peters eyes, riv-
| eted on his hand, widened with aston
ishment to dismay as the appalling
truth burst upon her. With an mar
ticulate gasp she dashed wildly from
complaining call. She had put the
plaster on the wrong man!
Regardless of physicians orders, it
was a.good quarter of an hour before
she found courage to revisit the in
valid. This time she took a light to
guard her MI Libbey made no re-
mark as she applied what should have
teen the third treatment, and as his
face was turned aside she could not
fathom his feelings. A sound from the
bed arrested her as she moved away,
and she turned back.
| Nurse" her patient whispered as
che leaned over him, cit was worth all
the pIasters! II feel much betteri'
and he laughed SO genuinely that she
responded.
cat least she comforted herself,
sit has put him in good humor:"
| Tomorrow he continued, ct will
present my brother James to you
| formally, and then
"I refuse Mr.. Libbey, to meet your
brother said Helen firmly.
But Frank Libbey. left to court back
plans for his own delight, and so fin
ally lost his troubles in an easy sleep,
which benefited him more than any
medicine.
Morning found him blistered but i'm
proved, to the doctors qualification.
i The latter ordered applications of cold
cream at the patients pleasure. and
MT. Libbey took care to exact con-
slant attendance from his nurse. It
was inevitable, under the circum-
stances, that she should encounter
| James, leE ss.---.s54
/ my brother Jim. Miss Peters," said
Frank triumphantly, when they finally
met at his bedside.
i Mr.. James Libbey essayed to face
i the girl and rise from his chair stimuli
i +aneously. The savage fnroads OF the
4 plaster interfered and his involuntary
j groan scattered what little bravery
she had collected to meet the situation
1 Thus he discovered the rich coloring
j of her cheeks and the length of her
| lashes, so that once again he exc1aim-
ed and breathed deep.
Frank he said abruptly, you've
had enough coddling for this morning.
Miss Reters needs a breath of air, and