The Irish standard., 1916-12-02

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Sidney was in the waiting room.
There had been no tedium in the morn
ing's waiting. Like all imaginative peo-
pie, she had the gift of ,lramatizing her
self. She was seeing herself i'll white
from head to foot, like this efficient
young woman who came now and then
to the waiting-room door.
doctor Wilson viii! see you now"
She followed Miss Harrison into the
consulting room. Doctor MaX--not the
glcved and hated Doctor Max of the
Street, but a new person, one she had
never known-stcod in his white office,
tall, dark-eyed, dark-haired, competent,
holding out his long, immaculate sur
geon's hand and smiling down at her.
Men, like jewels, require setting.
A clerk on high stool, porting over a
ledger, is not unimpressive, or cook
over her stove. But place the cook on
the stool, porting over the ledger! Doc
tor Max, who had lived all his life on
the edge of Sidney's horizon, row, by
the simple changing Of her point of
view, loomed large and magnificent.
Perhaps he knew 1t. Certainly he stood
very erect. Certainly, too. there was
considerable manner in the way in
which he asked Miss Harrison to go
out and close the door behind her.
Sidney's heart, considering what was
happening to it, behaved very well.
For goodness sake, Sidney" said
|
lady and I've never noticed it,!
This, of course, was not what he had
intended to say, being staff and all
that. But Sidney, visibly palpitant,
was very pretty, much prettier than
the Harrison girl, beating tattoo
with her heels in the next room.
Doctor Max, belonging to the class Of
man WHO settles his tie every time he
sees an attractive woman, thrust his
hands into the pockets of his long
white coat and surveyed her quizzi-
cally.
did Doctor Ed tell you?"
"Sit down. He said something about
the hospital. How's your mother and
Aunt Harriet?"
Every well-that is, mothers never
quite WE'LL" She was sitting forward
on her chair, her wide young eyes on
him. as that's your nurse from the
hospital here?''
"Yes. But she's not my nurse. She's
a substitute"
"The uniform is so pretty" Poor
Sidney! with all the things she had
meant to say about life of service,
and that, although She was young, she
was terribly iii earnest.
1T takes lot of plugging before one
gets the uniform. Look here, Sidney
if you are going to the hospital be-
cause of the uniform, and with any
idea Of soothing fevered brows and all
that NONSENSE"
She interrupted him. deeply flushed.
Indeed, no. She wanted to work. She
was young and strong, and surely a
pair of willing hands-that was absurd!
about the uniform. She had no silly
IDEAS. There was so much to do in
the world, and she wanted to help.
Some people could give money, but she
couldn't. She could only offer service.
And, partly through earnestness and
partly through excitement, she ended
in sort Of nervous sob, and, going to
the window, stood with her back to
him.
lie followed her, and, because they
were old neighbours, she did not resent
1t when he put his hand on her
shoulder.
Il don't know-of course, if you feel
like that about it," he said, swell see
what car be done. It's hard work, and
a good Many tines it seems futile. They
tic, you know, in spite of all we cal,
do. And there are many things that
are worse than death"
His voice trailed off. When he had
started out in his profession, nc had
had some such ideal of service rs this
girl beside him. He sighed little ms
he turned away.
"Ill speak to the superintendent
about you," he said. "Perhaps you'd
like me to show you around little"
when? TOday?"
He had meant in month, or q wear,
1t was quite q minute before he re-
piled:
''Yes, today, if you say. I'm operat-
ing at four. How about three o'clock ~
'Then we'll say at three" she said
calmly, and took an orderly and unflur-
ried departure.
She sent X. n note at noon, with word
to Tillie at Mrs. McKee's to put it un-
der his plate:
Dear Mr.. LIE Moyne-I am 80 excited I
can hardly write. Doctor Wilson, the sur
geon is going to take me through the hos
ney Page.
X. read 1t. and, perhaps because the
day was hot and his butter soft and
the other "mealcrs" irritable with the
heat, he ate little or no luncheon. Be
fore he went out into the sun, he read
the note again. TO his jealous eyes
came vision of that excursion to the
hospital. Sidney, all vibrant eager
ness, luminous of eye, quick Of bosom {;
and Wilson, sardonically smiling,
amused and interested in spite of him
self. He drew n long breath, and thrust
the note into his pocket.
AS he went down the Street, Will
sons car came around the corner. LIE
Moyne moved quietly into the shadow
Of the church and watched the car 90
by.