The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-03-19

81 bis cheerful grin to June. who sat
Town primly at the head Of the bed
The man sank back when the head
nurse lefG and looked as feeble as he
could. His nurse was smoothing the
pillows when the door opened, and
there came in large, heavy jawed
woman, with a long ostrich feather on
her hat, half dozen cheap rings on
her fingers and two buttons hanging
loosely on her coat, one by single
thread
well, we'll. Joer' she said In heavy
voice. and she stared at June. Didn't
always tell you you'd get it?' She
bent over and kissed her husband as
matter Of propriety. Hurt you much?"
Something fierce" buskily 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 |
suppose can starve."
ooh, we'll, you amt done It yetr' OBJ
| Jected the man, his tone losing some Of
Its feebleness. II guess you can get
along till can get out Of this. / give
you every cent ever make"
Il guess that's lott" And the wom-
an sat Down with hump.
Thirty dollars last week"
"And how much the week before?"
well, 1t was rotten week" And
the man turned his eyes toward June,
/ who looked steadfastly out Of the win
| VNhnr0 hnfnO hnl
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.''
Ion, | can come on all right, and !
can be sociable all right, but sup
pose you don't get out of here in ten
days! Then what do / do? Starve, !
guess! Say. how do you come to be in
a private roomY' She looked at June
and shifted. And with private
nurSe?"
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 l got 1t at
hOme! she complained The man
turned his head over and back again.
but he said nothing.
Say" the woman went on, 1.-The fel.
low that spent the money for this room
0nd the private nurse would have done
better to let you go In the public ward
and give you the money for your
wifer'
June, at the window, moved impa-
tiently.
Nurse" said the man. "can you get
me my pants?'
Juhe 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 deftIy ran her
hands into the pockets.
Seven f1fty-fve," she reported and
clicked the money into her purse She
hung the trousers in the wardrobe and
shut the door. "That'll help a little
Did you get your pay for this drive?"
Not yet, Alice"
well, you tell me who 1t was, and
I'll go after it, She had turned from
the wardrobe and was regarding a
tray which stood on its folding stand
by the wall. She lifted the napkin
my Godr' she exploded. "a hot.
house peach! And you didn't eat 1t all
at that! You know what had for nv
breakfast? Coffee and sinkers and
hash! And here you are living on
the fat Of the land!'
"Looky here, Alicew The man had
raised up In bed, and there was a
twitch of pain at the corners of his
lips as he stretched out an oil black.
ened fore6nger.
June whirled from the window with
a snap Of her big eyes She still car
ried the Thermometer which DR.. Remert
had given her. Now she thrust II in
the mans mouth. put hand at the