The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-23
THE NURSES PARADOX
as9assg.ss 49, $3.50 S9xssSzs,
BY HAROLD CARTER. 7


senior inferno, were In love with each
other. Some of the nurses prophesied
that they would get married when
the doctor started his private prac-
tice in the fall. was not so sure
I was watching them narrowly-you
know how one falls into the habit of
being interested in the others of the II
personnel, in little hospitals. I had II
seen the romance flame out, remain
for one brief and glorious week, and
come crashing to earth.
/ was wondering what had come Il
between them when I played the II
eavesdropper unintentionally that II
night in May. 1t was the sort of night 4
that poets sing about, all lilac scented,
with young moon and an inviting
darkness in the recesses of the hos
pital garden. | don't know what took
me toward the summer house, but l
heard them talking at the door, and |
dared not stir for fear of letting them
know they were overheard.
IF you had told me, Miriam!" I
heard the doctor say.
THAT am married?" she answered |
SO that you need not have fallen
IN love with me, / supposed"
mo, Miriami Heaven knows Inever |
could have prevented that. But at |
least 1 should have lived in no fools |
paradise. You can divorce him, dear"
I heard her weeping in his arms, |
and / knew that her response was a |
negative one. She was Catholic;
divorce did not exist for her church. |
/ heard her say they could never
marry, heard his passionate declara-
ton, his reluctant acquiescence-and
then I managed to slip away as they
came out of the little place together.
1t would be two months till Doctor
Raymond left us. Nurse Joyce con-
templated remaining indefinitely.
/ never saw two people look so
miserable as they did during those
two months. Only week remained
when something occurred that neither
could have foreseen.
l was on duty among the outpa-
TENTS, and l had perceived the dissi-
pated-looking man in the corner, and
Nurse Joyce look in and disappear
with a startled expression. l had car
| ried back some bottles to the dispen-
| sary when saw Nurse Joyce there,
weeping in Doctor Raymond's arms.
HE is my husband" she was sob
| bling. "Dear-dear-if you want
me"
Later I learned that the man had
| recognized his wife and was to under
go an operation. He had come in,
1 quite byochance. 1t was serious, and
might be,extremely so, but there was
! a probability that he would live
| through It.
The next morning it was Nurse Joyce
who administered the ether. l never
saw a woman SO calm. The poor,
pathetic, trembling wreck upon the
table was gradually lulled into obli-
WON. And so he fell asleep and was
wheeled into the operating room.
And as Doctor Raymond proceeded
with his work, and Nurse Joyce sat
at the head, dropping ether quietly
| upon the cone, seemed all at once
to see right into their hearts.
If the patient recovered, / knew
| that Nurse Joyce was resolved to get
her divorce just the same and commit
sin, as she thought, in marrying while
her husband lived And it seemed
to me then that this had come as a
test. If Nurse Joyce were resolute
not to violate her conscience, but to
send Doctor Raymond from her, then
the man would die But so long as
she was bent on marrying Raymond
he would get well.
I don't know how l came to reason
out this singular paradox. But
knew it by a sort OF intuition. /
i prayed that the wreck might die, If
i she didn't change her decision. But
4 he passed through the operation well,
and in a few hours he was on the
/ mend. The next day he was declared
out of danger, and he lay ON his bed,
following her with looks of dumb
1 gratitude as she passed.
/ saw her talking to Raymond out
side the door the second night. My
ears are sharp-a nurses have to be.
Anyway, / heard what they were say
ing.
"You will come with me as soon as
he is out of danger, them" whispered
Raymond.
L saw ner SHAKE ner Heau ana place
her hand on his shoulder.
II can't, DEAR" she answered.
His eyes hardened; his lips were
compressed tightly. "Why?" he de-
manded.
p Because I have watched him who
i was my husband once, and is still
e lying in the bed, watching me In
turn she answered. His eyes are
like the eyes of a dumb animal Harry
: Have you not seen them? And can't
n it breaks my heart, but can't
y / said that it had come as test to
a her / had felt confident that her hus
d bands useless life served no other
purpose now but to develop the high
T est in her. And she had risen to il
9 . nobly. I.felt quite sure the man would
| die