Middletown transcript., 1917-03-10
CHAPTER xxII-continued.

'Did you ever hear of Edwardes, the
surgeon?- the Edwardes operation,
you know. Well, he's here. 1t sounds
like miracle. They found him sitting
on a bench in the hall downstairs"
Sidney raised her head, but she
could not see the miraculously found
Edwardes. She could see the familiar
faces Of the staff, and that other face
on the pillow, and-she gave q little
cry. There was K! How like him
to be there, to be wherever anyone
was in trouble! Tears came to her
eyes-the first tears she had shed.
AS if her eyes had called him, he
looked up and saw her. He came
toward her at once. The staff stood
back to let him pass, and gazed after
him. The wonder of what had hap
pened was growing on them.
X. stood beside Sidney, and looked
down at her. Just at first it seemed
as if he found nothing to say. Then:
There's just chance, Sidney, dear.
Don't count too much on it. If you
d. will wait somewhere near, I'll see that
you have immediate word"
II am going to the operating ROOM"
"Not to the operating room. Some
where near"
His steady voice controlled her hys-
terra. But she resented it. She was
not herself, Of course, what with strain
and WEAKNESS.
II shall ask Doctor Edwardes."
He was puzzled for moment. Then
he understood. After all, it was as
well. The thing that really mattered
was that he must try to save Wilson
for her. If he failed, she might hate
him the rest Of her life-not for him
self but for his failure. Whichever
way things went. he must lose.
Doctor Edwardes says you are to
stay away from the operation, but to
remain near. He-he promises to call
you fittings go wrong.
She had to be content with that.
Nothing about that night was real to
Sidney. She sat In the anesthetizing
room, and after time she knew that
she was not. alone. There was some
body else. She realized duly that Car
lotta was there, too, pacing up and
down the little room. She was never
sure, for instance, whether she imag-
ined it, or whether Carlotta really
stopped before her and surveyed her
with burning eyes.
$50 you thought he was going to
marry you!" said Carlotta-or the
dream. swell, you see he isn't"
Sidney tried to answer, and failed
or that was the way the dream went.
eff you had enough character, I'd
think you did it. How do I know you
didn't follow us, and shoot him as
he left the room?'
1t must have been reality after all
for Sidney's numbed mind grasped the
essential fact here, and held on to 1t.
He had been out with Carlotta. He
had promised-sworn that this should
not happen. 1t had happened. 1t sur
prised her. 1t seemed as if nothing
more could hurt her.
In the movement to and from the
operating room, the door stood open
for a moment. A tall fgure-how
much it looked like X. K.!-straightened
and held out something in its hand.
'The bullet!" said Carlotta in
whisper.
Then more waiting, a stir of move
ment in the room beyond the closed
door. Carlotta was standing, her face
buried in her hands, against the door.
Sidney suddenly felt sorry for her.
She cared a great deal. 1t must be
tragic to care like that! She herself
was not caring much; she was too
numb.
The city still slept, but the torturing
night was over. And in the gray dawn
the staff, looking gray, too, and elderly
and weary, came out through the
closed door and took their hushed way
toward the elevator. They were talk
ing among themselves. Sidney, strain
ing her ears, gathered that they had |
seen q miracle, and that the wonder |
was still on them.
Carlotta followed them out.
Almost on their heels came X. He |
was in the white coat, and more and |
more he looked like the man who had |
raised up from his work and held out |
something in his hand. Sidney's head !
was aching and confused. The tall !
manor was it K.?-looked at her,
and then reached up and turned off
the electric light. When the light was
out everything was gray. She could
not see. She slid very quietly out of
her chair, and lay at his feet in
dead faint.
X. carried her to the elevator. He
held her as he had held her that day
at the park when she fell in the river,
very carefully, tenderly, as one holds
something infinitely precious. Not un-
til he had placed her on her bed did
she open her eyes. But she was con-
scious before that. She was so tired,
and to be carried like that, in strong
arms, not knowing where one was 60
ing, or caring
The nurse he had summoned hustled
out for aromatic ammonia. Sidney,
lying among her pillows, looked up
at X.
'H0w Is he?"
"a little better. There's a chance,
dear"
Il have been so mixed up. All the
time l was sitting waiting, I kept
thinking it was you who were operat-
ingl Will he really get well?"
1T looks promising"
81 should like to thank Doctor Ed
wardes."
The nurse was a long time getting
the ammonia. But something had hap