The Irish standard., 1916-12-23

w VII
"Pretty, but Stupid" Said carIotsa.
Street. After twilight fell, she slowly
walked the length of the Street. Chris
tine and Palmer had not returned
from their wedding Journey. The No
vember evening was not cold. Sidney
was not in sight, or Wilson. But
standing on the wooden doorstep Of
the house was LIE A1oyne. The allan
thus trees were bare at that time,
throwing gaunt arms upward to the
November sky. The street lamp,
which in the summer left the doorstep
In the shadow, now shone through the
branches and threw into strong relief
LIE Moyne's tall figure and set face.
Carlotta saw him too late to retreat.
But he did not see her. She went on,
startled, her busy brain scheming
anew. Another element had entered
into her plotting. 1t was the first time
she had known that X. lived in the
Page house. 1t gave her sense of
uncertainty and deadly fear.
| She made her first friendly over
ture of many days to Sidney the fol-
lowing day. They met in the locker
room in the basement where the street
clothing for the ward patients was
kept. Here, rolled in bundles and
ticketed, side by side lay the hetero-
geneous garments in which the pa.
tients had met accident or illness.
Rags and tidiness, filth and cleanli-
ness, lay almost touching.
Far away on the other side of the
whitewashed basement, men were un-
loading cleaning cans of milk. Floods
of sunlight came down the cellarway,
touching their white coats and turn
ing the cans to silver. Everywhere
was the religion of the hospital, which
Is order.
Sidney, barking back from recent
Sights to the staircase conversations
Of her night duty, smiled at Carlotta
cheerfully.
IA miracle is happening" she said.
"Grace Irving is going out today.
When one remembers how i'll she was
and how we thought she could not live,
It's rather triumph, isn't it?''
| care those her clothes?"
Sidney examined with some dismay
the elaborate negligee garments in her
hand.
"She can't go out In those; I shall
have to lend her something" A little
Of the light died out Of her face. "She's
had hard fight, and she has Won"
she said, "But when I think Of what
she's probably going back to"
Carlotta shrugged her shoulders.
cts all in the days work." she OBJ
served indifferently. "You can take
them up into the kitchen and give
them steady work pairing potatoes, or
put them in the laundry ironing. In
the end it's the same thing. They all
go back"
She turned, on her way out of the
locker room, and shot quick glance
at Sidney.
II happened to be on your street the
other night" she said. "You live
across the street from Wilson's, don't
you?"
EYES,"
Il thought so; had heard you speak
Of the house. Your-your brother was
standing on the steps,"
Sidney laughed.
II have no brother. That's ROOM
er, Mr.. lie Mcyne. It isn't really
right to call him a roomer; he's one
Of the family now"
lie Moyne!"
He had even taken another name.
It had hit him hard, for sure.
KS name had struck an always re-
sponsive chord in Sidney. The two
girls went toward the elevator to-
gether. With very little encourage.
ment, Sidney talked of X. She was
pleased at Miss Harrison's friendly
tone, glad that things were all right
between them again. At her floor she
put a timid hand on the girls arm.
II was afraid had offended you or
displeased you" she said. I'm %
dad It isn't So
Carlotta shivered under her hand.
Things were not going any too well
with X. True, he had received his
promotion Mt the Office, and with this
present affluence of 500 a week he was
able to do several things. Mrs. Rosen-
field now washed and ironed one day q
week at the little house, so that Katie
might have more time to look after
Anna. He had increased also the
amount of money that he periodically
sent east.
So far, we'll enough. The thing that
ranked and filed him with sense
Of failure was Max Wilson's attitude.
It was not unfriendly; it was, indeed,
consistently respectful, almost rever-
ontial. Rnt he clenrlv considered LIE