Middletown transcript., 1917-01-13


"Pretty, but stupid" said CarlOtta.
Il like her. I've really tried to teach
her things, but-you know" She
shrugged her shoulders.
Doctor Max was learning wisdom.
If there was 4 twinkle In his eye, he
yelled it discreetly. But, once again
in the machine, he bent over and put
his cheek against hers.
'You little cat You're Jealous" he
said exultantly.
Nevertheless, although he might
smile, the image of Sidney lay very
close to his heart those autumn days.
And Carlotta knew it.
Sidney came Off night duty the mid
die of November. The night duty had
been time of comparative peace to
Carlotta There were no evenings
when Doctor Max could bring Sidney
back to the hospital in his car.
Sidney's half-days at home were Oc-
casi0nS for agonies Of jealousy on Car
lotta's part. On such an occasion, a
month after the wedding, she could not
contain herself. She pleaded her old
| excuse of headache, and took the troll
| ley to a point near the end of the
Street. After twilight fell, she slowly
walked the length Of the Street. Chris
tine and Palmer had not returned
| from their wedding journey. The No
| vember evening was not cold. Sidney
was not in sight, or Wilson. But
| standing on the wooden doorstep or
the house was LIE Moyne. The allan
| thus trees were bare at that time,
| throwing gaunt arms upward to the
November sky. The street lamp,
which in the summer left the doorstep
in the shadow, now shone through the
branches and threw into strong relief
lie MOyne's tall figure and set face.
Carlotta saw him too late to retreat.
But he did not see her. She went on,
startled, her busy brain scheming
anew. Another element had entered
| into her plotting. 1t was the first time
| she had known that K. lived In the
Page house. 1t gave her a sense OF
uncertainty and deadly fear.
She made her first friendly over
ture of many days to Sidney the fol
lowing day. They met in the locker
room in the basement where the street
| clothing for the ward patients was
kept. Here, rolled in bundles and
| ticketed, side by side lay the hetero-
geneOus garments in which the pa
tients had met accident or illness
Rags and tidiness, filth and cleanli'
ness, lay almost touching.
| Far away on the other side Of the
whitewashed basement, men were un
loading cleaning cans of milk. Floods
Of sunlight came down the cellarway
touching their white coats and turn
ing the cans to silver. Everywhere
was the religion OF the hospital, which
is order.
Sidney, barking back from recent
Sights to the staircase conversations
of her night duty, smiled at Carlotta
cheerfully.
"a miracle is happening" she said
"Grace Irving is going cut today
When one remembers how ill she was
and how we thought she could not live
It's rather a triumph, isn't it,"
'Are those her clOthes?"
Sidney examined with some dislnay
the elaborate negligce garments in her
hand.
"She can't so out in those; l shall
have to lend her something" A little
of the light died out of her face. "She's
had Il hard fight. and she has won,
she said, "But when l think Of what
she's probably going back to"
Carlotta shrugged her shoulders.
ITS all in the days work" she OBJ
served indifferently. "You can take
them up into the kitchen and give
them steady work pairing potatoes, OF
put them in the laundry ironing. In
the end it's the same thing. They all
go back"
She turned, on her way out of the
locker room and shot Il quick glance
at Sidney.
Il happened to be Oh your street the
other night she said. ''You live
your"
"Yes"
Il thought SO; had heard you speak
of the house. Your-your brother was
Standing on the steps,
Sidney laughed.
Il have no brother. That's room
er, Mr.. lie Moyne. 1t isn't really
right TO call him a roomer; he's one
of the family now"
lie Moyne"
He had even taken another nume
II had hit him hard, for sure.
KS name had struck an always re
sponsive chord in Sidney. The two
girls went toward the elevator to
gethcr. With very little encourage
ment, Sidney talked of X. She was
pleased at Miss HarriSOn's friendly
tone, glad that things were all right
!: between them again. At her floor she
} put timid hand on the girls arm.
Il was afraid l had offended you o.
displeased YOU" she said. "I'm SC
glad it isn't So"
Carlotta shivered under her hand.
Things were not going any too well
!. with X. True. he had received his
: promotion at the sfice. and with this
present affiuence of $22 week he wal
!. able to do several things. Mrs. Rosen
, field now washed and ironed one day 6
week at the little house. so that Katie
might have more time to look after
Anna. He had increased also the
amount of money that he periodically
sent east.
So far, we'll enough. The thing thai
ranked and filled him with q sense