The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-04-13

| and women: when things must either
go forward or go back, but cannot re-
main as they are. The condition had
existed for the last three months. 1t
| exasperated the man.
AS a matter of fact, Wilson could not
20 ahead. The situation with Carlotta
had become tense, irritating. He felt
that she stood ready to block any move
he made. He would not go back, and
he dared not go forward.
If Sidney was puzzled, she kept it
bravely to herself. In her little room
at night, with the door carefully
locked, she tried to think things out.
There were a few treasures that she
looked over regularly: dried flower
from the Christmas roses; label that
he had pasted playfully ON the back
of her hand one day after the rush of
surgical dressings was over and which
said: "R, Take once and forever"
There was another piece of paper
over which Sidney spent much time.
1t was a page torn out of an order
book, and it read: "Sigsbee may
nave ISnI ulCL 1SOSCnlClu iHdSSdSS.
Underneath was written, very small:
You are the most beautiful person in
the world.
Two reasons had prompted Wilson
to request to have Sidney in the oper-
ating room. He wanted her with him,
and he wanted her to see him at work:
the age-old instinct of the male to have
his woman see him at his best.
The deepening and broadening of
Sidney's character had been very no
ticeable In the last few months. She
had gained in decision without becom-
ing hard; had learned to see things as
they are, not through the rose mist of
early girlhood; and, far from being
daunted, had developed a philosophy
that had for its basis God in his heaven
and all well with the world.
But her new theory of acceptance
did not comprehend everything. She
was in a state of wild revolt, for in
stance, as to Johnny Rosenfeld, and
more remotely but not less deeply con-
cerned over Grace Irving.
But her revolt was to be for herself
too. On the day after her appointment
to the operating room, she had her
half-holiday, and when, after a restless
night, she went to her new station, it
was to learn that Wilson had been
called out of the city in consultation
and would not operate that day.
O'Hara would take advantage of the
free afternoon to run in some odds and
ends Of cases.
The operating room made gauze that |
morning, and small packets of tam
pons: absorbent cotton covered with
sterilized gauze, and fastened togeth- |
by careful count, in each |
bundle.
Miss Grange, who had been kind to |
Sidney in her probation months, taught |
her the method.
"Used instead of sponges," she ex-
planned. eff you noticed yesterday,
they were counted before and after
each operation. One of these missing
Is worse than q bank clerk out dol
lar at the end of the day. There's no
closing up until it's found!"
Sidney eyed the small packet before
her anxiously.
"What a hideous responsibility
she said.
From that time on she handled the
small gauze sponges almost reverently.
The operating room-all glass, white
and shining nickel plate-frst
then thrilled her. 1t was
rs if, having loved great actor, she
low trod the enchanted boards on
which he achieved his triumphs. She
vas glad that 1t was her afternoon of,
ind that she would not see some lesser
;tar-O'Hara, to wit-usurping his
place. But Max had not sent her any
word. That hurt.
The operating room was hive of
industry, and tongues kept pace with
myers. What news Of the world came I,
q through the great doors was trans
ated at once into hospital terms. s
What the city forgot the hospital re- ]
1embered. 1t took up life where the
own left 1t Of its gates, and carried t
on or saw it ended, as the case might |
e. So these young women knew the I
nding of many stories, the beginning
f some; but Of none did they know q
9th the first and last, the beginning '
nd the end. f
By many small kindnesses Sidney O
ad made herself popular. And there Il
as more to 1t than that. She never B
lirked. The other girls had the re- q
pect for her Of one honest worker II
,r another. The episode that had n
aused her suspension seemed entirely a
'rgotten. They showed her carefully
hat she was to do; and, because she ii
ust know the ''why" Of everything,
icy explained as best they could. II
1t was while she was standing by the II
eat sterilizer that she heard, through II
/ open door, part Of a conversation
at sent her through the day with II
r world in revolt. III
The takers were putting the an III
thetizing room In readiness for the IL
ternoon. Sidney, waiting for the
ne to open the sterilizer, was busy for
e first time in her hurried morning,
tn her own thoughts. Because she1
Is very human, there was a ia
tie exultation In her mind. What BIO