The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-02-01
the KISS
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

sO0A VI Tic OG6U
But In the " years she had known
Doctor Breen he had never spoken
to her unkindly. Even when occasion
might have warranted, for there we're
occasions. and mistakes due to her
nuttering heart and confused brain. he
mad been patience itself, q fact SO no.
tlceable that the rest Of the training
scnooi hrst wondered, then
ed, and finally gossiped.
One day the head & me, he;
In the hall.
Doctor Breen regarded her a m,
ment In silence. the way her color MI
; coming n going. the way her finger>
opened and closed.
why are you afraid OF me. N
StarlingY he asked finally. .Tm
such Il bear. am II"
"N-no !" stammered Kathleen. tuit
ing away her eyes.
And I'm not very old. How old Il
you think I amp
"I-don't-know."
"Oniy thirty. That's no old enouc,
to develop any full-sized crouch, my
is it?"
mo"
She was uneasy and wanted IN get
away. The head nurse was likely to
discover that she was talking to one
of the doctors In the hall and she
would be reprimanded.
Doctor Breen understood. "Neyer
mind about Miss Lownes, I'll fix this
up with her. I want to ask you some
thing more. II ever I'm sick or hurt,
will you nurse met"
Yes, Doctor Breen." Kathleep's
gray eye were losing some of their
fear.
Then things began to happen very
fast. The ambulance bell sounded in
the courtyard below and the nurses
and orderlies seemed to be everywhere
at once.
Doctor Breen had hurried away and
Kathleen went back to her patients
In K ward wondering what it was all
about.
"What is it?" she asked an inferno
us the elevator passed her floor slow
~ with a new burden of men on
stretchers.
Explosion In the Blue Diamond
mills" came the answer.
In an hour Miss Lcwnes came In.
"You are to go to room twenty-five on
the mems floor" she said icily. "Some
OF the doctors went to the scene of the
accident and n wall fell. Doctor Breen
was hurt"
Doctor Breen hurt! Kathleen groped
her way blindly to the stairs. She had
promised, and she would go.
He was unconscious and did not
know her, however. Kathleen helped
with bandages and splints, the doctors
and two nurses working silently and
quickly. But there was other work
to dc-terrible work and they were
needed elsewhere. So Kathleen was
left alone with her patient for a
while.
He slept all the first day. The night
brought q fever and the next day de-
lirium. He began to talk.
pretty! Just the prettiest thing
you ever saw, but she scares like q
little gray mouse. She's sweet
sweet" he went on. Gray eyes, long
lashes and skin like alike a tearose."
He was quiet for a while; then sudden
ly, kathleen. little Kathleen. don't be
afraid. Pm only thirty"
The little nurse started and famed
red. Could he be talking about her?
He was getting very restless and ex-
cited. 81 want her. Get me Kathleen.
Kathleen!" he called.
Finally she said quietly, laying a
cool hand on his, Here's Kathleen be-
side you"
kiss me, dear. Kiss me, Kath-
leen." He caught her two hands and
pulled her down. After all, it was
only to humor a sick man, and she
was too tired to care much what hap
pened. So her lips touched his cheek
lightly.
Miss S%tarlingw
1t was Miss Lownes' voice. Kath-
ieen looked up quickly but fearlessly.
There was another with the
head nurse, a richly dressed woman of
middle age. whose resemblance to the
man on the bed identified her as his
mother.
kathleen" called the sick man.
you may go, Miss Startling. There
is little to say. You are dismissed.
That's all. 1 believe"
And then something in the timid lit
tie mouse Of a nurse broke loose.
"You are condemning me unheard.
Miss Lownes, and it isn't fair. You
are taking advantage of a sick mans
whim to get me out of the way be-
cause you've never liked me. But be-
fore I go" the little head with it's
crown Of chestnut hair went up very
high and the gray eyes flashed. II
want to tell you something. I'm a
Startling and my mother was q Brix-
ton. Neither a Brixton nor a Star
ling ever did anything dishonorable.
Nv grandfather is John Rigby Brix-