The Irish standard., 1916-12-16

and she not there, Joe-and she puz-
Zled over Grace and her kind.
On her first night ON duty a .irl
had been brought in from the Avenue.
She had taken poison-nobody knew
just what. When the intcrnes had
tried to find out. she had only said:
"What's the use?"
And she had died.
Sidney kept asking herself, "Why"
TO sleep. People We're kind-men We're
kind, rcally-nnd yet, for some reason
or other, those things had to lie.
Why?
Carlotla Harrison went on night
duty at the same time--her last night
service. as it was Sidncy's first. She
accepted it stoically. She had charge
of the three wards on the floor Just
below Sidney. and of the ward into
which all emergency cases were taken.
1t was q difficult service, perhaps the
most difficult in the house. Carlotta
merely shrugged her shoulders.
"1've always had things pretty hard
here she commented briefly. "Whcn
I so out, I'll either be competent
enough TO run a whole hospital single
handed, or III be carried out feet
first"
Sidney was glad to have her so near.
She knew her better than she knew
the other nurses. Small emergencies
were constantly arising and finding her
at loss Once at least every night
Miss Harrison would hear soft hiss
from the back staircase that connect-
ed the two floors, and, going out, would
see Sidney's flushed face and slightly
crooked cap bending over the stair
rail.
I'm dreadrIlly sorry to bother you"
she would say. "hur So-and-So won't
have Il fever BATH" or, 1--WE Il woman
here who refuses ner medicine" Then
would follow rapid questions and
equally rapid answers. Much as Car
lotta disliked and feared the girl over
head, it never occurred to her to re-
fuse her assistance. Perhaps the an
gels who keep the great record will
put that to her credit.
Sidney saw her first death shortly
after she went on night duty. 1t was
the most terrible experience of all her
lifc-it seemed to her that she could
not stand it. Added to all her other
new problems of living was this one
OF dying.
She made mistakes. of course, which
the kindly nurses forgot to report
basins left about, errors on her rec
ortls. She rinsed her thermometer in
hot water one night, and startled an
inferno by sending him word that Mary
McGuire's temperature was 11O de-
grees. She let Il delirious patient escape
from the ward another night and go
airily down the fire escape before she
discovered what had happened! Then
she distinguished herself by flying
down the iron staircase and bringing
the runaway back single-handed.
-*or Christine's wedding the Street
threw Off it's drab attire and assumed
a wedding garment. In the beginning
details. The wedding was to be ut
five O'clock. This, in itself. dctied all
traditions of the Street, which was
either married in the very early morn
ing ut the Catholic church or at eight
O'Clock in the evening ut the Presbyte-
rian. There was something reckless
about five o'clock. The Street felt the
dash of 1t. 1t had n queer feeling that
perhaps such Il marriage was not quite
legal.
The younger Wilson was to be one
Of the ushers. When the newspapers
came out with the published list and
this was discovered, us well as that
Sidney was the maid of honor, there
was distinct quiver through the hos
pital training school. A probationer
was authorized to find out particulars.
1t was the day of the wedding then,
and Sidney, who had not been to bed
ut all, was sitting in n sunny window
in the dOrmitory annex, drying her
hair.
The probationer was distinctly un.
easy.
IL just wonder" she said, "lf you
would let some of the girls come in
to see you when you're drcssed?"
"Why, of course WILL"
"It's awfully thrilling. isn't 1t? And
isn't Doctor Wilson going to be I'M
ushcr?"
Sidney cOlored. II believe so."
The probationer had been instructed
to find out other things; so she set to
work with Il fan ut Sidncy's hair.
'You've known Doctor Wilson Il long
time, haven't you?"
cages"
"He's awfully good-looking, isn't
he?"
Sidney considered. She was not ig-
norant of the methods of the school.
If this girl was pumping her
"l'll have to think that over" she
said, with CLINT of mischief in her
eyes. "When you know a person ter
ribly well, you hardly know whether
he's good-looking or not"
II suppose" said the probationcr,
running the long strands of Sidncy's
hair through her fingers, "thnt when
you are ut home you see him often"
Sidney got off the window sill, and,
taking the prOhatiOncr smilingly by the
shoulders, faced her toward the door.
'..You 90 back to the girls" she said,
"and tell them TO come in and see me