Middletown transcript., 1916-12-09
CHAPTER IV.-Continued.

IL
Men, like jewels, require setting.
A clerk on high stool, pOring over a
ledger, is not unimpressive, or a cook
over her stove. But place the cook on
the stool, pOring over the ledger! Doc
tor Max, who had lived all his life on
the edge of Sidney's horizon, now, by
the simple changing of her point of
view, loOmed large and magnificent.
Perhaps he knew it. Certainly he stood
very erect. Certainly, too, there was
considerable manner in the way in
which he asked Miss Harrison to go
out and close the door behind her.
Sidney's heart, considering what was
happening to it, behaved very well.
'For goodness sake, Sidney" said
Doctor Max, "here you are a young
lady and I've never noticed it !"
This, OF course, was not what he had
intended to say, being staff and all
that. But Sidney, visibly palpitant,
was very pretty, much prettier than
the Harrison girl, beating a tattoo
with her heels in the next room.
Doctor Max belonging to the class of
man who settles his tie every time he
sees an attractive woman, thrust his
hands into the pockets of his long
white coat and surveyed her quizzi-
cally.
''Did Doctor Ed tell your"
"Sit down. He said something about
the hospital. How's your mother and
Aunt Harriet?"
every well-that is, mothers never
quite WELL" She was sitting forward
on her chair, her wide young eyes on
him. 'Is that's your nurse from the
hospital here?"
eyes. But she's not my nurse. She's
a substitute"
''The uniform is so pretty" Poor
Sidney! with all the things she had
meant to say about a life Of service,
and that, although she was young, she
was terribly in earnest.
1T takes lot of plugging before one
gets the uniform. Look here, Sidney {;
if you are going to the hospital be-
cause of the uniform, and with any
idea of soothing fevered brOws and all
that nonsense"
She interrupted him, deeply flushed.
Indeed, no. She wanted to work. She
was young and strong, and surely a
pair of willing handS-that was absurd
about the uniform. She had no silly
ideas. There was so much to do in
the world, and she wanted to help.
Some people could give money, but she
couldn't. She could only offer service.
And, partly through earneStneSS and
partly through excitement, she ended
in sort of nervous sob, and, going to
the window, stood with her back to
him.
He followed her, and, because they
were old neighbors, she did not resent
it when he put his hand on her
shoulder.
Il don't knOw-Of course, If you feel
like that about it," he said, ''well see
what can be done. It's hard work, and
a good many times it seems futile. They
die, you know, in spite of all we can
do. And there are many things that
are worse than death"
His voice trailei off. When he had
started out in mis- profession, he had
had some such ideal of service as this
girl beside him. He sighed little as
he turned away.
"Pl speak to the superintendent
about you," he said. perhaps you'd
like me to show you around little"
when? Today?"
He had meant in a month, or year
1t was quite q minute before he re
piled:
"Yes, today, if you say. I'm Operat-
ing at four. How about three O'clOck?'
''Then We'll say at three" she said
calmly, and took an orderly and unfur
ried departure.
She sent X. note at noon, with WORD
to Tillie at Mrs. McKee's to put 1t un
der his plate:
Dear Mr.. LIE Moyne-I am so excited
can hardly write. Doctor Wilson, the sur.
geon, is going to take me through the hos
pital this afternoon. Wish me luck.-Sid
ney rage.
X. read it, and, perhaps because the
day was hot and his butter soft ant
the other ''mealers' irritable with the
heat, he ate little or no luncheon. Be
fore he went out into the sun, he reat
the note again. To his jealous eyes
came vision of that excursion to the
hospital. Sidney, all vibrant eager
ness, luminous of eye, quick of bosom
and Wilson, sardOnically smiling
amused and interested in spite of him
self. He drew long breath, and thrus
the note into his pocket.
AS he went down the Street, VIII
sons car came around the corner. Ii
Moyne moved quietly into the shadow