Middletown transcript., 1911-03-18
BY IzoLA FORESTER

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for the life, she echoed his words
rebelliously. / want to stay
here, and you know | try hard to
conform to the rules. Perhaps
after a time / will be cold blood
ed like the other nurses. too. |
must stay, truly, truly. Doctor
Newell. There isn't any other
place for me to go.
He looked at her keenly
through bis rimless eyeglasses,
at the curious little break in her
voice.
Can't you go back home?
No. l have no home. My
mother died just before | entered
here, and my father has married
again, married in less than a
year, think of il. lean never go
back home now. And if you
won't let me stay on here, don't
know what l can>do.
Newell bit his lip and tried to
steady his judgment.
If you will come to me the day
you leave st. Clements, I think
I can get sou another position.
AS Office assistant to some
doctor? her tone was eager and
almost pleading.
Yes, agreed Newell. AS as
sistant to some doctor.
just here the head nurse came
quickly, lightly down the hall
paused a moment to lay one
hand on Amy's arm.
Miss Alston is ill and has gone
home, she said. You will take
her ward tonight, nurse.
Amy's face frightened as she
assented.
The little girl is there, she
told Newell as she left him. I
think l make her forget her pain
a little bit.
You could make any one forget
anything, even their head, Newell
said laughingly. I have two
patients in Ward Al and will see
you tonight.
1t was eight when she went on
duty. The ward was very quiet,
except for the little impatient
means of the child and the steady
buzzing Of the electric bell in
Room IL. Amy 'felt sorry for
the woman in II. She was still
young, and surprisingly lovely,
even with the pallor of her des-
perate fight with death still on
her face. She had only been in
the ward three days. Amy had
known Of her coming, hearing
the nurses talk at table aboDt
her. st. Clements was far
down in the business section of
the town. Nearly all it's patients
were poor. Yet this woman was
young, refined, delicately nurtur-
ed, and her clothing was of the
best material. She had been
operated on for a blood.clot on
the brain the third day. There.
was still faint odor Of ether
about her room when Amy en-.
tered it, as if the scent had ac-
companied her from the operat- |
ing. room. She had a private
nurse, and Amy only paused at |
the door to ask after her.
We cannot tell yet, said the
nurse pleasantly, in a low voice.
She has been dangerously ill for
months. 1t was feared she
would lose her reason. She
could not articulate or think
,oherently. And it is pitiable.
She is young and has everything
70 live for. If she wakens from
5he ether rational, there is hope
If a recovery. Otherwise, she
will die.
Tonight? Amy was startled
o spite Of her effort to be imper.
sonal. In the soft, shaded light
she could see the face on the
pillow. The wealth of blond
hair had been braided in two
ong plaits and hung on either
side of her shoulders. Her
breath came in deep, spasmodic
efforts through shut teeth. Her
lands we're clenched as if still in
pain.
How very lovely she is, she
'aid softly. Whose patient is
'he?
Doctor NewelI's answered the
nurse. Didn't you know? She
s Mrs. Newell.
Amy went her rounds with
,hrobbing pulses and a bewiid-
cred feeling of unnatural calm.
She soothed the little girl in
Room IL, told her some stories
md petted her, until she fell
'ontentedly TRANQUILITY asleep.
\ new patient was brought in, 4
Il i - n u