Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-22
CHAPTER XIV.

K. spent all Of the evening of that
/ day with Wilson. He was not to go for
Joe until eleven o'clock. The injured
| mans vitality was standing him in
/ good stead. He had asked for Sidney
and she was at his bedside. Doctor Ed
/ had gone.
| X. found Sidney in the room, not sit
! ting, but standing by the window. The
sick man was doing. One shaded light
! burned in a far corner. She turned
! slowly and met las eyes. 1t seemed to
| X. that she looked at him as if she had
never really seen him before. and he
was right. Readjustments are always
difficult.
! Sidney was trying to reconcile the K.
/ she had known SO well with this new
/ K, no longer obscure, although still
shabby, whose height had suddenly be-
/ come presence, whose quiet was the
/ quiet of infinite power.
She was suddenly shy of him, as he
stood looking down at her. He saw
the CLEAN of her engagement ring on
| her finger. 1t seemed almost defiant.
! AS though she had meant by wearing
1t to emphasize her belief in Her lover.
They did not speak beyond their
greeting, until he had gone over the
record. Then: "We can't talk here.
want to talk to you, X"
He led the way into the corridor. 1t
was very dim. Far away was the night
nurses desk with its lamp, its annunci-
ator, its pile Of records. The passage
floor reflected the light on gIistening
I boards.
81 have been thinking until l am al
most crazy, X. And now know how
it happened. 1t Wss joe
"The principal thing is, not how it
happened, but that he is going to get
well, Sidney"
She stood looking down. twisting her
ring around her finger.
SIS Joe in any danger?"
eve are going to get him away to-
night. He wants to go to Cuba. He'll
get off safely, l think"
eve are going to get him away !!
You are, you mean. You shoulder all
our troubles, X, IS if they were your
| own"
III" He was genuinely surprised
! 'Oh, [ see. You mean-hut my part in
! getting Joe off is practically nothing,
As a matter of fact SchWitter has put
up the money. My total capital in the
world, after paying for the machine
today, is seven dollars"
You, of course" said she you
e. / Max and save rln-don't look like
that! You did, didn't you? And you
get Joe away, borrowing money to send
him.
He looked uncomfortable, almost
guilty.
''When I look back and remember
| how all these months I've been talk
ing about service, and you said nothN
ing at all, and all the time you were
living what 1 preached-T'm so
ashamed, K"
He would not allow that. 1t dis
tressed him. She saw that, and tried
to smile.
" 1lSiI NCSS JUG 50
Tonight. I'm to take him across the
country to the railroad. l was won
dering-"
"Yes?"
I'D better explaan first. Then if you
are willing to send him line, l think
it would help. He saw girl in white
in the car and thought it was you, of
! course. Carlotta was taken i'll. And
Schwitter and-and Wilson took her
upstairs to a ROOM"
do you believe that, K.?"
Il do. He saw Max coming out and
| misunderstood. He fired at him then"
''He did it for me. feel very guilty,
X, as if it all comes back to me. I'll
write to him, OF course. Poor Joe!"
He watched her go down the hall to-
ward the night nurses desk. Then he
went back into the quiet room.
He stood by the bedside, looking
down. Wilson was breathing quietly ;
his color was coming up, - he rallied
from the shock. In K mind now was
just one thought-to bring him through
for Sidney, and then to go away. He
might follow Joe to Cuba. There were
chances there. He could do sanitation
work. or he might try the canal.
The Street would go on working out
its own salvation. He would have to
think of something for the ROSenfelds.
And he was worried about Christine.
But there again, perhaps, it would be
better if he went away. Christine's
story would have to work itself out.
His hands were tied. I'D better get
away from here" he told himself saw
agely.
Someone entered the room. He
thought it was Sidney and turned with
the light in his eyes that was only for
her. 1t was CarIotta.
She was not in uniform. She wore a
dark skirt and white waist and her
high heels tapped as she crossed the
room. She came directly to him.
He is better, isn't he?"
He is rallying. Of course it will be
day or two before we are quite sure .
! She stood looking down at Wilson'S
quiet figure.
81 guess you know I've been crazy
about him." she said quietly. "Weil,
that's all over. He never really cared
for me. I played his game and lost.
I've been expelled. from the school"
Quite suddenly she dropped on her
knees beside the bed, and put her
creek close to the sleeping mans hand.