The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-11-19
CHAPTER 1.
Cot IL, Ward Is.

A heavy fall of snow, followed by
a thaw and then a decided drop in
temperature, iced over the city's
walks and pavements with coating
which threatened the lives and limbs
of those who ventured forth. Skid
ding taxicabs, unmanageable private
cars, and an al" collision had added
their grist to the hospital mill; and
in the surgical wards rows Of bed
springs placed temporarily upon
chairs bore mute testimony that our
ambulance had been hard at work all
day.
@Looks like busy night before us,
Mr.. Macdonald" commented the
night nurse of Surgical Is" as she
slipped out of her blue cloak and tuck
ed stray lock of black hair beneath
the little white frill that Bellevue
nurses were pleased to call cap.
"Indeed it does, Miss Prendergast,"
! answered as / took over the keys
from the day attendant and eyed the
row of Springs" which stretched down
the center of the ward.
The day nurse and her two "pro-
dictionaries" put on their wraps and
picked their way down the crowded
aisle The big door banged shut be-
hind the day attendant.
Through the partly opened north
ern window came the rattle of supper
dishes across the way. Then came
family the muffled boom of the big
bell in the Metropolitan Tower.
It was seven o'clock. Twelve hours
of strenuous, soul-racking labor lay
ahead of the brown-eyed night nurse
and me-twelve hours during which
I'd miss my usual nightly. dip into
the fat volume on anatomy which
] kept on the top shelf of the locked
medicine cabinet.
1t must have been about eight
when the telephone bell jingled.
was about half through taking
temperatures Miss Prendergast was
at the far end of the ward, trying to
calm down an ether-crazed postoper-
alive, so l answered.
Surgical 10; Attendant MacDon-
aid speaking" said 1.
"This is the Reception Division"
came back over the wire. "We've
got an urgent for you. Coming
right up"
"Best we can do is spring, said /
1.-THE wards just about chock-a-block
now"
"But you can't put this case on a
spring." objected the admitting sur
geon speaking. you'll have to rout
one of your convalescents in favor
of this fellow. He's about ready for
the basket"
whats the name?" / asked, to
make sure that the right person would
fetch up in the designated ward.
"You can search me-" came up from
Reception. you'll know the case,
thought-stab in the back, broken ribs,
contusions.
There followed click as the speak
er hung up.
Switchboard gave me the ward sur
geon's room, and / reported the ex-
pected arrival Of the urgent case;
then gave my attention to the mat
ter of making ready for the sufferer
A husky Calabrian with a badly
mashed arm occupied Cot IL. He
seemed the most likely one to move.
Grudgingly, mutterinx curses up
on my innocent head, the Italian drag
ged himself to a vacant spring hast
lily arranged, while Miss, Prendergast
flew to the linen locker for fresh
sheets.
Barely had she safety-pinned them
into place before the door swung open
and our nameless patient was rolled
in.
He was a sun-bitten, big-framed
man Of apparently fffty-five. At one
tlfIic nc ulubb nhNc Occii pOooCooCo VA
extraordinary strength, but now, as
we swung his pitifully light body
from the wheel-table to the cot, we
were dealing with the mere husk of
what had once been a mighty man
indeed.
He was half conscious, and-as his
rolling, staring brown eyes attested-
was suffering intensely.
While l stretched screen around
the cot and arranged an extension
light, the night searcher went rapidly
through the pockets of the torn coat
and vest of the sufferer.
"Not even a pipe and matches" he
pronounced. Pockets all empty and
already turned inside out"
Together we barred the bony frame
of the injured man, but the slit and
torn trousers held neither valuables
nor ordinarv paraonaI nronarfv IF