South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-07

ed his cheerful grin to June. who sat
down primly at the head Of the bed
The man sank back when the head
nurse left and looked as feeble as he
could. His nurse was smoothing the
pillows VIXEN the door opened. and
there came in a large, heavy jawed
woman with a long ostrich feather on
her hat half a dozen cheap rings on
her fingers and two buttons hanging
loosely on her coat. one by a single
, thread
well. well. JOer' she said in a heavy
voice. and she stared at June. Didn't
! always tell you you'd get it," She
bent over and kissed her husband as a
matter of propriety. Hurt you much?"
Something fercer' huskily murmur-
ed Joe and half closed his eyes.
Tough luck" said the woman.
'YOu wouldn't take out that accident
insurance | wanted you to, and now l
suppose l can starve"
"Oh, well. you amt done it yetr OBJ
jected the man, his tone losing some Of
its feebleness. Il guess you can get
along till can get out Of this. l give
you every cent / ever make"
Il guess that's lotr And the wom-
an sat down with a thump.
Thirty dollars last week"
and how much the week before?"
well, it was a rotten week" And
the man turned his eyes toward June,
who looked steadfastly out of the win
dow. There being no help from that
quarter, he proceeded in helping him
self. You got enough to run you for
ten days. You know you have. Come
on, Alice, be sOciable."
"Oh. / can come on all right, and 1
can be sOciable all right, but sup
pose you don't get out of here in ten
days! Then what do l do? Starve. L
guess. Say how do you come to be in
a private room?" She looked at June
and shifted. And with a private
nurSeT"
The good sport that picked us up
put me here"
The woman surveyed the bare little
room. There were no curtains at The
windows. no uphOlstering, no softening
graceS of any kind on the white enam-
eled fittings. but it had an immense SUI
periority, the cause of which she could
not fathOm. 1t was absolutely clean.
and she paid an unconscious tribute to
that phenomenon.
why, it's better than I got it at
homer she complained TIE man
turned his head over and back again,
but he said nothing.
Say" the woman went on. 1.-THE fell
low that spent the money for this room
and the private nurse would have done
better to let you go in the public ward
and give you the money for your
wife.
June, at the window. moved impa-
tently.
Nurse" said the man, "can you get
me my pants?"
June opened the door of the tiny
white enameled wardrobe in the corner
and brought out the mans trousers,
handing them down with the tips Of
her thumb and forefnger. The wO-
man took them and deftly ran her
hands into the pockets.
Seven ffty-fve," she reported and
clicked the money into her purse. She
hung the trousers in the wardrobe and
shut the door "Thatll help a little.
Did you get your pay for this driver"
Not yet. Alice
We'll, you tell me who it was, and
I'll go after it, She had turned from
the wardrobe and was regarding a
tray which stood on it's folding stand
by the wall She lifted the napkin
My Godr she exploded. "a hot
house peach! And you didn't eat it all
at that! You know what l had for my
breakfast? Coffee and sinkers and
hash. And here you are living on
the fat of the landr
"Looky here Alicew The man had
raised up in bed. and there was a
twitch of pain at the corners of his
lips rs he stretched out an oil black
ened fOrefinger.
June whirled from the window with
n snap of her big eyes She still car
ried the thermometer which Or. Remert
had given her. Now she thrust il in