The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-09-27
= Z

|-srowing hotter from the range and
the concentrating rays of the after
noon sun each moment. That was, Of
course. what made her feel faint. It
would pass away in a moment. She
was of late somewhat afflicted with
vertigo. especially when it was hot. she
rested on her iron looking At her
Suddenly the air shifted n spun. the
little attentive face blurred. the OPP
posite wall drew In and h,ackened be-
fore her sight. She felt herself coins.
cried out. grasped at the air, and fell
crashing, with her head an inch from
the iron. edge Of the stov
Presently she knew a great CON
motion was about her. The telephone
bell was ringing, q doctor was bend
ing over her. In the background ia
miliar faces showed. blurred ONE
softened. but did not care to distin-
guish what they said. Then upon all
this confusion Inconsistencies came
q second time.
Dawn around her. She knew It was
dawn. that gray, cool light which
gathered between blank white walls.
Blank white walls! Why. all her
walls were papered! And the woman
in seersucker-nurse! She moved her
head. spoke:
els this the h%ospital?"
The woman smiled. "Yes. All 10
we'll. But you must not talk. You
must rest"
Cool. competent fingers slipped from
her wrist to her forehead. Something
was held to her lips. She swallowed
and-slept.
Days passed before she was able to
think connectedly or realize exactly
what had happened to her. Then she
learned that her fall was h outcome
Of a physical collapse: that she just
had missed Draining herself on the
had broken three ribs. Two or three
times each week her family came to
see her for a few minutes. Her hus-
band usually brought Katherine. The
boys came singly or together. All
acted shyly in that environment. and
in the presence of her nurse. They
did not talk much. Yet they told her
that they were getting along nicely.
They had Mrs. Griggs IN to do the
work. She came at Z and stayed all
day. She was very good about look
ing after katherine. When she was
not there they looked after katherine.
No. she needn't worry. There was
nothing to worry about-she would
find there wasn't when she go home
again.
Yet she did worry. Lying there in
her cot. carefully tended by a nurse.
who put the personal element into
closed lids every corner and cubby
of her house. Yes. Mrs. Griggs would
look after 1t we'll enough. The FAM
lily would not suffer. They would not
miss her. All! That was why she
worried. why not miss her-she who
had tried to fill 80 large a place. to
make herself indispensable to them,
to impress her personality on their
very souls. She had stepped out and
had never been, but certainly as II
it could get along without her. Some
times she felt that she could not bear
it silently.
In time she came not only to dread
going home, but to feel hat she did
not want to 30 home at all. She had
been forced to see her own made
quacy. How could she go back and
take TAX h ~ What had hs b9en wrenehsd from
without her. They must now learn
to do without her.
The time for her departure from
the hospital arrived. She was still
weak. but better than she had been
in a long time. There was no longer
any excuse for convalescence.
Her husband came with a cab to
take her home. His n was con.
tanned. He seemed to have got a
great way from her. So indeed had
they all.
Her heart beat fast as the cab
turned into the narrow, familiar
street, and faster as it drew up before
the house where she had lived all her
married life. Her husband stepped
out and opened the door. He led her
up the steps and into the house. Her