The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-19


ure in being remembered by Dolly.
AS a reactionary troop of acute pains
rushed over his now burning and
trembling body, he even began to
daughter there as just one more way
of reminding him of what he had
missed. He was snappish toward the
nurse when she came in at noon to
take his temperature and to give him
some broth. He mentally dubbed her
transplanted scrubwoman and
sneered at the fiction writers who
have pictured trained nurses as
species of super-women. When she
offered to put the pansies in water, he
snatihed the basket from her with
such a yforbidding frown that she was
glad to escape before his wrath be-
came vocal.
Late that afternoon, John lay in a
delightful state of semi-slumber. HIS
mind was stilIihalf filled with dream
| he had been having of weaving pam
sizes into a crown for Dolly owens
golden head when from the corridor
came the sound of voice that seemed
to fit into his dream. A lady was IN
COMPENSATION with Johns nurse.
| Quite by accident I found that my
Enurse-majd made stupid bIunder
I to Room 1850 with some. flowers had
sent to dear old = Mr.. Throckmorton,
who is the paralytic, in Room 56O,
you5 know. Sol came over to see the
lonely old soul, anu, as saw ~
Coming. out ofs260 as passed. I'D like
to; say, that I hope myslittle girl caused
| yours patient no annoyance this morn
/ ing .,
| did have quite a turn just after sne
| left, but it may not have been caused
| by her visit
"Oh. I'm so sorry" The lady's voice,
4 was. softly penitent. do you think 1t
would be an additional annoyance II
Went in .nowiand apologizedT,. o,,,a
not
AS John slowly opened his eyes, he
Icould Just make out in the twilight the
outline of a slender wonan's figure in
lswhite entering his door. She ap-
i.stopped short when he suddenly raised
| himself and held out his hands toward
her, with one 'word-"Dolly!'
Before either of them had time to
think, Dolly was .kneeling at the bed
4 side with her Iblushing face hidden in
1 later, came sane thinking into Johns
i head, land he sank back upon his pill
sliloW with groan.
II ITS like hitting a man when he's
down, Dolly, to give me these glimpses
of the 10y that might have been mine"
Il don't understand, john" she
faltered. Then, recalling that he had
of course thought the flowers and
message meant for him, she shrank
I from him and covered her face with
i her hands. Light also began to break
| upon John, and once more he ralsed
himself from his pillow.
lin afraid I've been boorish about
it all, and I'm just beginning to put
two and two together and see that it S
an unfortunate accident" He sighed
4 heavily. why should I ever have
thought you'd want to cheer up my
sick. room?''
But I do want to, John; won't you
let me?" She looked appealingiy at
him.
with your husbands full permits
sion, of course" retorted John, sud
denly becoming sarcastic again.
my husband? Why, John, didn't
i you know my husband was killed a
Eyear ago in fire panic in one of his
own factories? %
| mo, Dolly I was in Honolulu last
year and out of touch with things
here ---~i 81. ..s..,
Ten minutes later, just as the nurse
with a warning little cough, was about
to enter the room with Johns supper.
| the patient released a hand which he
had been holding in his own fond
clasp and whispered ecstatically:
THAT blessed little baby! Her blum
der has saved my lifev'-(Copyright
! 1915, by the Mcclure Newspaper Syn
\ dicate,)