The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-04
THE EVENING STORY
An Emergency Case.
(By Dorothy Blackmore.)

(By Dorothy Blackmore.)
When Allan Donaldson opened his
eyes to behold a beautiful sunrise on
the morning of the Fourth of July, his
heart gave a glad bound. Bright
weather on this, the gayest of all sum-
mer holidays, was to him a matter of
vast Importance.
He was the manager, as well as the
inventor, of novel scenic railway that
he operated on the large pleasure
island where he spent his summers.
During the winter he took charge of
concession in southern resort. In
either climate he found it unsafe to
operate the cars in the rain, even
though there were passengers willing
to take a chance. He was too con-
scientious to take risks with human
life, even for the sake of a great deal
of money.
He sang. he as made a careful
toilet and found his way to the cool
dairy kitchen where he was accustom-
ed to eat his breakfast. The .remem-
brance of the preceding holiday with
its gloom and rain, and the attendant
financial losses, made him even more
thankful for the brilliant sunlight
everywhere. The Fourth had dawned
hot and clear.
This was his sixth week at the
island resort. He had insisted upon
testing every bit of machinery as it
was ready to operate. He was care
full to see that not a flaw existed in
any part of the tracks or plant. 1t was
to this that he owed a clean record
of not a single fatality on any of his
roads. AS owner and inventor. this
meant much to him.
At times he found the noisy, gay
life at the pleasure resort distasteful.
The constant music of summer bands,
the shouting of the orders for vari-
Gus attractions, the tinsel-bedecked
performers, the too bright lights and
ia Y71nuincr fhrnnp all har2
monotonous. They wearied him.
OF the vast numbers of men and
women with whom he came in contact
there was one who interested him.
And she-this little nurse in the ener-
gency hospital-seemed as far re-
moved from the life of the island as
did the sacred receSSeS of a country
church. 1t was on the occasion of her
daily recreation that he CHANGED to see
her.
He learned to watch for her and he
invariably saw her turn straight from
the hospital gates toward the sandy
beach and the great stretch of ocean
beyond. Never once did she wander
amusement village The brilliant
spectacle seemed not to attract her. On
the contrary, it seemed as if it were
distasteful to her. Why, Allan Don
aldson wondered. had she chosen such
place?
In a quiet way he had tried to find
out who she was and who were her
friends, but aside from the fact that
she was Miss Winifred Atwood, the
most capable nurse in the institution,
he could learn nothing.
Occasionally he met her face to
face as she walked by the sea. and
once, when she looked into his face in
passing, he saw that she was more
beautiful than he had suspected. The
salt breeze had whipped color into
her face and the little tendrils that
wandered about her forehead were
girlishly pretty.
Over his breakfast, the young man
thought of her. The very elements
over which he was rejoicing+the
beauty of the hot, sunny Fourth
and which meant success to him and
his enterprise, meant extra work and
confinement for her. The larger the
crowd, the greater the percentage of
accidents to be reckoned with at the
hospital. Added to this, the list of
fireworks accidents would be suffi-
Gent to keep indoors a few extra
nurses.
the island by boat, train, trolley and
motor, and the young proprietor of the
scenic railway watched his ticket
agent busily handing out admissions
to the platform. He walked about
the premises with gratified smile
and saw one after another of his min
iature cars disappear down the steep
incline and into the mysterious cave
beyond. Then he saw them emerge,
breathless and laughing. The spirit
of the day and of the place was in
them.
The white streets were fairly alive
by early afternoon and all concessions
were being patronized to their capa-
city. Children dashed torpedo fire.
works to the pavements; lads shot
punches of flrecrackers; girls waved
flags and footed horns and all drank
lemonade, ate peanuts and had them
selves weighed. The gala Fourth was
being celebrated in a way to stir the
blood of the forefathers who helped
to make it day renowned.
But-Allan Donaldson. inventor.
owner of one of the best patronized
in the village, felt utterly
lonely. There was no one
see not one familiar face in the vast
He almost longed for the
good old Fourths back in the small
Ohio town where has father had
taught him how to handle fireworks.
Suddenly, he heard the changing of
separate. The ambulance was APP
it's rubber-tired wheels
whirled over the hot pavements.
In front of the scenic railway en-
trance a small boy was struggling with
an obstinate frecracker from which he
had lost the fuse. He had broken it
open, boy-like, to see If there was pow
der inside. Then, with his bit of punk.
he was intent upon making a "fizzer''
when the ambulance, swerving as
quickly as possible to one side to avoid
him, passed over his hand
Allan Jumped quickly to his side and
gathered the screaming lad to his
shoulder. telling the surgeon on the
back of the ambulance to drive on. He.
himself, carried the boy to the hospital.
for he knew that the rubber-tire
wheels could have done little damage.
The child was more frightened than
hurt.
At the hospital he placed the little
fellow in the hands of the proper au-
thorities and was rewarded for his
trouble by a sight of little Miss Atwood
hurrying noiselesoly through the cor
ridor. She gave him look of recog-
milton when she saw his small charge.