The Colorado statesman., 1915-02-20
MARK and HIS Wife
BY GEORGE A. ENGLAND.

flush! Not so loud!"
"She can hear, them"
"Yes, she's conscious-how much
.onger she will be can't say"
Sinking, Malcolm?"
Now, now, no questions! You
better go out in the hall"
"Never!" Marks redeemed eyes
glinted defiance. mo, no, Pm not 60
ing to leave her while she's gasping
like that" His voice shrilled hys-
terically.
But you're only harming her by
staying!"
mo, no, she's my"
Malcolm slid a broad palm over the
protesting mouth; his other hand
gripped Marks elbow.
Out you go!" he commanded, try
ing to thrust Mark into the hall, but
Mark clung and the doctor could not
shake him off. He had perforce to drag
him out. When they were both in the
hall and the door was shut:
Hang you!" said the doctor in a
voice tense as steel, you get out and
stay out! Don't be crazy fool!'
"Mally, Mally! She's my wife and
you're my friend-my best, Oldest"
'All the more reason why I'm going
to keep you out of there till she-ral-
lies! Till then, I'm not your friend
I'm the doctor, nothing else, nothing.
Remember
The hand-grip was gone from Marks
angular elbow; the hall door was shut,
the man was alone. He leaned against
the wall for minute, shivering as he
heard the windows rattle with the jan
uary gale; then he shuffied to the
stairs and sat down.
His air was that of man who has
been painstakingly mangled on the
rack and then given five minutes re-
spite, The gas fame over his head cast
a high light on his salient cheek
bones. After while he nodded and
dozed, with pendent arms.
Malcolm's hand on his shoulder wax
ened him in half an hour he started
up wild-eyed and shivering.
"What-what time is it?" he STAN
mered in confusion. rs Dorry-is
she"
Come, now, pull yourself together"
said the doctor, sternly. I've got
some work for you. Get your things
on quick! You've got to go down to
the dispensary."
What, And leave"
Yes. l can't go, Miss Abbott here
can't go, and somebody's got to go, so
you see how it is. We've got to have
for Il Of ;0I,t
"What?"
Oxygen. 1t comes in big steel cyl
inders like soda water tanks, painted
blue, with valve at the top-you've
seen 'em. The quicker you can get
one up here, the better it will be-"
''What-what are they for, those
tanks"
We'll, when there isn't anything
else to do, we give oxygen to aerate
the blood and stimulate the heart;
sometimes it keeps the patient up
until the congestion begins to resolve
and then"
Her lungs, YOU mean, are" he
began; but Malcolm interrupted
Now, you see here, Mark, if you
want your wife to die, stand right
there where you are and discuss
things. If you want her to live, hustle
into your overcoat and get a wheel
barrow and bring up cylinder of
oxygen from the dispensary just as
quick as the Lord will let you! Un-
derstand?"
Yes, yes-but can't you telephone?
Can't /? We can save no end of time
that way"
Tried it, and can't Central says
the wires are going down all over
Hampton. This storms a record.
breaker. No, you've got to go for it
yourself. Hustle out with a wheel
barrow and follow the car tracks. The
snow plows have probably kept 'em
clear. There's fellow named Tim.
othy Foley for night orderly down
there this week. He knows me. Just
say l sent you, and he'll let you have
1t all right Now get along! If you're
not back in half an hour"
"All right All right" said Mark,
and tiptoed shakily downstairs.
Tim Foley, reading an old magazine
IN the dispensary office, under the yel-
low circle of hooded electric light,
became vaguely conscious of curious
sound as of some one struggling and
foundering up the steps with a bur
den; then, after a minute or two, he
heard fumbling at the door.
Tim dropped the magazine and lis
tened; then he got up, went silently to
the door and opened it.
Through the snow eddy that swirled
in he saw something that looked like
a man standing outside-a snowman,
thin and tall, with teeth that chartered
like castanets.
This man had neither hat nor
gloves; he was gripping the handles
of a wheelbarrow. He stammered
with h1ondlecc line.