New Britain herald., 1915-10-07
A Quiet Decision.

the scene about Jacks letter l aWoke with a violent sick headache, such as I have been subject to since child hood. I lay still, wondering if Dicky would think I was too angry to get up and get breakfast.
 I heard him splashing in the bath room, and then I heard him go to the kitchen door. I thanked my stars that I had carefully put the kitchen and dining room in perfect order the night before.
 He waited for several minutes Then he came to my door, which stood ajar.
 Are you sick, Madge?" His voice was conventional, but he came rush. ing into the room at my answer
 "Yes, Dicky, I am quite i'll. I am afraid you will have to get your breakfast at the restaurant"
 "Never mind the breakfast, sweet heart. Tell me what I can do for you. I'll phone for doctor right away"
 Here was the old Dicky kind, inn petuous, the royal lover I caught him by the sleeve as he was dashing out to the telephone.
 Listen, Dacky. have had these headaches for years. I know just what to do for them"
 "Ill stay at home, then, and take care of you"
 The Nurse Refused.
 Indeed you won't with that cover on your mind. I couldn't talk to you anyway, and you couldn't do anything for me. If you will just do two or three little things for me this morn ing, so I won't have to raise my head from this pillow until about noon, I'll be all right. Luckily those cooks whose advertisemen I answered will hardly get their mail in time to come this forenoon. Oh, will you telephone that employment agency not to send any one else up here
 But you cannot be all alone here, and il1.' ...f
 "You do not understand, Dicky. I am not really i'll, and if keep quiet this headache will have disappeared by afternoon. So don't bother me, there's a good boy.'
 "All right, sweetheart. Tell me what you want me to do.'
 Please put that small table over here by, my bed" I directed. "Get that small electric plate from the dining room and connect it with the socket here You see have a ribbon attached to the chain so can pull it on or off, while lying here. Fill the small kettle with water and put it on the plate, and put beside the plate a glass of cold water, and a cup with a teaspoonful of tea leaves in it. When the pain begins to leave my head, I olx falx sleep"
 Don't you have any medicine?'' r "Only the powders you'll find in that little lacquered box. If you'll give me one now, and put the others under my pillow with my watch. won't have to think of them again for two hours
 The Headache Passes. Dicky gave me the powder and ar | ranged the table. He was evidently unaccustomed to doing anything o1 the kind.
 T am afraid Pm a poor nurse," he said ruefully when he had finished. I reached up my hand and patted his cheek. The pain in my head was ! very bad by this time. "Run along now, Dicky," I whis l pered "I don't want to talk an. more, it makes my head worse" 1 He bent and kissed me tenderly. l 'He's a nice gorilla" he whispered "even if he does look as if he had the mumps. I'm sorry I was so cross about Jack. After you go to dinner with him and prepare him gently for l the revelation that you have a hus- band, I'll appear on the sscene, an6 we'll show him the town. After all I suppose you would have married him if you wanted him. And you did l marry me" t Dicky's tone was triumphant. his ! face nnischievously tender as he went 1 softly out of the door. At the end of two hours I took another powder, and ! in another hour the pain began to get lighter. With the relief there came 1 rushing swiftly to my mind the thoughts which I knew would come as soon as my brain was able to dwell upon them.
 What was the reason for Dicky's sudden change of attitude toward the letter from Jack? Was he sincere in accepting my feeling toward my olt friend, or was he adopting my tactics toward Lillian Gale? Was he deter. 1 mined to eliminate Jack from my life as I had planned to shut out Mrs