The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-03-07
:" Believe Am the Patient for
Room T."

free to ask the woman he loved to
marry him.
Edith Carstairs was noted beauty.
Everyone had heard Of her, but no
one in the hospital had seen her. It
was the general opinion that she was
heartless. Any woman must be heart
less who would allow her lover to
undergo so terrible an operation, fol-
lowed by the six weeks in plaster, be-
fore she would listen to his suit.
The next morning was an agonizing
one at the hospital. The patients
might have complained Of neglect for
the first time in their lives within that
institution. There was not nurse
but stole down to the operating room,
whenever the chance occurred, to
gather the news from Fritz, the an.
esthetic room orderly:
"The surgeons haven't finished,
miss"
Five hours after the little gentle
man was carried away they carried
back limp, tightly bound, uncon-
scious body. exhaling ether, with the
white mask of ether anesthesia upon
the features.
An hour afterward Nurse Ray was
seated by the little gentIeman's bed
side, listening to his muttered words
about Edith Carstairs, as he slowly
came back to consciousness.
He shall not marry her!" said
Nurse Ray to Nurse Rensham indig.
nantly, the next morning.
Eat least, she ought to have been
here today
"She doesn't know!"
The other looked at her scornfully.
"Of course she knows She's waiting
to learn the result of the operation. /"
She came that afternoon, a tall,
proud-looking beauty, asking for the
little gentleman. She had just learned,
she said, that he had undergone an
operation. She did not know what It
was. He was friend of hers-she
was distressed.
Nurse Rensham took her apart.
Women can be crueler to each other
than men when it Is needful, and
Nurse Rensham thought Edith Car
stairs was hypocrite. She broke the
news to her with few burning words
that made Edith Carstairs gasp, and
then shook her into passionate sob
bling.
She had not known, she had not
dreamed, she said. She did not know
that the little gentleman had ever
cared for her like that. The nurse
was half convinced, almost convinced
when she took Miss Carstairs to the
little gentleman's bedside for a mo-
ment and saw her kneel and press his
white hand to her lips. But she was
not sure
He shall never marry her until I
know" Nurse Rensham said
The little gentleman was the dear
est patient they had ever had in the
hospital. He never complained.
though the pain OF the cramped posi-
ton ate into flesh and muscle and
sinew. After five weeks the surgeon
began to talk of taking OFF the band
ages and uncasing him.
Nobody knows whether 1t has been
successful" he told Miss Carstairs,
who had been a regular visitor, The
two had been loyerlike enough, but
Nurse Rensham was still scornful.
"She thinks he will get well-she's
waiting" she told herself bitterly.
The morning when the bandages
were to be removed arrived, Nurse
Rensham had said nothing to Miss
Carstairs; she met her at the door.
"Will you come in here a moment,
please" she said. motioning to her to
enter the drug room.
There she told her. The operation
had failed The little gentleman
would be more hopelessly crippled
than before. The nurses face was
white and resolute. Her eyes cleaned
vindictively. Now let me see what
mettle you are made of" she seemed
to say.
Edith Carstairs gasped and reeled
back against the wall. Then she
turned and ran swiftly down the pas
sage toward the elevator. But Nurse
Rensham caught her before she could
enter.
Il knew what you were made OF, you
worthless woman." she Kissed. you
couldn't bear to have the love OF q
good man because he was crooked in
body. You have turned from him now
that you know he will always be
thus
Edith Carstairs Strengthened herself
and looked at the nurse with a new
dignity.