The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-10
THE BADY'S BLUNDER
BY cATHARINE cRANMER.


a hospital bed and stared at the bare
and sanitary walls of his boxlike +
room. His drawn face showed evil I
dences OF mental suffering as well as |
of physical tortures inflicted by the
grippe, which had overtaken him in /
late springtime after he had success
fully evaded it all winter 1t was bad |
enough to be shut up in hospital at |
any time, but to be thrust from ones
Pullman berth into an ambulance in
city thousand miles from home at |
the very beginning of day on which
a big business deal should have been |
contaminated was worse than bad.
1t did not add to Johns peace of
mind that the girl he had once loved
lived in this city, whittier she had
come at the time of her marriage to
a wealthy manufacturer. He had al
ways felt that her fathers rehabilita-
tion in business just after her mar
rage had direct connection with the
match which all of Dolly's friends had
considered a wholly unsuitable one,
owing to the difference in age and
tastes between her and the middle
aged man she married.
He became vaguely conscious that
some object had appeared in his door
way, but before his aching eyes had
discerned that it was other than a
nurse looking in, he was greeted by
a little child's caressing voice.
Poor Mr. Man. cooed the voice, as
its owner, a dainty blonde maiden of
three in white frock and flower.
trimmed hat, tripped into the room
and approached his bedside, docs 200
head hurt 90? Don't 90 want me to
ture it?''
With all the motherly tenderness
she would have bestowed on her IA
yorite doll, the child patted Johns ach-
ing temples, smoothed his eyelids, and
talked an aIluring prattle in the most
sympathetic of baby voices. But the
fairy's godmother, in the guise of a
uniformed nurse girl, appeared at the
door and summoned the little creature
from the realm of healing.
Mercy doodnessi" she exclaimed,
STOPPING down and bringing up tiny
green basket filled with purple and
| yellow pansies. "Muvver sent you
this, and / mos fordot it. Dood-by."
After the child had gone, John real
| lied that the basket of pansies re-
manned in his hand. He removed a
card that peeped from the basket and
on the side that first caught his eye
was written: "Pansies for thoughts,
/ you know; so be assured you are not
/ forgotten" Turning the card me-
chanically, he whistled in sudden sur
prise as he read the name: Mrs. Al
bert Brown Watkins" Which was
the present name of Dolly Owen, the
girl he had loved.
A cold sweat broke over him and
with it came a queer feeling that all
his physical mechanism had suspend
ed operation. His bewildered mind
was at first as ineapacitated as his
body, but slowly he began to realize
that there was quite as much pain as
pleasure in being remembered by
Dolly.
i He was snappish toward the nurse
i when she came in at noon to take his
i temperature and to give him some
4 broth.
i Late that afternoon, John lay in a
delightful state of semi-slumber, when
4 from the corridor came the sound OF
a voice that seemed to fit into his
} dream. A lady was in conversation
with Johns nurse.
J Quite by accident found that my
nursemaid made a stupid b1under this
morning and took my little girl to
room 260 with some flowers had sent
1 to dear old Mr.. Throckmorton, who Is
the para1ytic in room $50, you know
So came over to see that lonely old
! soul, and, as saw you coming out
of $50 as I passed, I'd like to say thai
! I hope my little girl caused your pa
tient no annoyance this morning"
s'Well," came the nurses voice, che
did have quite turn just after she
! left, but it may not have been caused
; by her visit"
) "Oh, I'm so sorry" The lady's voice
: was softly penitent do you think i
) would be an additional annoyance if
J went in now and apologized ?"
> AS John slowly opened his eyes, hs
: could just make out In the twilight thi
! outline of slender woman's figure il
white entering his room.
Before either of them had time II
. think, Dolly was kneeling at the bed
3 side with her blushing face hidden n
. his outstretched hands. A momen
: later, came sane thinking into Johns
. head, and he sank back upon his Pill
. low with a groan-
Its like hitting man when he
: down, Dolly, to give me these glimpse
. of the icy that might have been mine.
. He sighed heavily. why should
= ever have thought you'd want t
. cheer up my sickroom?"
But I do want to, John; won't yol
. let me?" She looked appealingly a
him.
. with your husbands full permits
= sion, of course retorted John, sud
. denly becoming sarcastic again.
~ my husband? Why, John, didn'
. you know my husband was killed
: year ago in a fire panic in one Of hi
= own factories?"
. Ten minutes later, just as the nurse
with a warning little cough, wa
about to enter the room with John
. supper, the patient released ham
. which he had been holding in his owl
. fond clasp and whispered ecstai
ically: That blessed little baby! He
blunder has saved my life."