Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-15

alt Seems to Me I'd Better Not Go
Back"
was shining over the transom. Sid
hey tiptoed to the door.
OK ~
Almost Immediately he opened the
door
"1Iay [ come in and talk to y0u?"
He turned, took a quick survey Of
the room, and held the door wide. Sid
ney came in and sat down by the fire
'T~e been thinking things over" she
said. 1T seems to me I'd better not
go back"
He had left the door carefully open.
Men are always more conventional
than women.
it, and all the time something inside
of me is saying, Not now, perhaps:
but sometime you may" She looked
up at him forlornly. 81 am just not
brave enough, X"
"Wouldnt it be Drawer to keep on?
Aren't you giving up very easily?"
Her world was in pieces about her,
place. And, because her nerves We're
drawn taut UutiI they were ready to
snap, Sidney turned on him shrew-
ishly.
Il think you are ali afraid I will
come back to stay. Nobody really
wants me anywhere-in all the world!
Not at the hospital, not here, not any
! place. I am no use"
''When you say that nobody wants
| you" said X, not very steadily, Il
think you are making a mistake"
She scanned his face closely, and.
reading there something She did not
understand, she colored suddenly.
4 believe you mean Joe Drum
mond."
no; [ do not mean Joe DrUmmOnd."
II he had found any encouragement
in her face, he would have gone on
recklessly; but her black eyes warned
him.
'If you mean Max Wilson," said
Sidney, You are entirely wrong. He's
not in love with me. Anyhow, after
this disgrace"
''There is no disgrace, child"
Hell think me careless, at the
least. And his ideals are so high, k
"You say he likes to be with you.
What about you?"
Sidney had been sitting in a low
chair by the fire. She rose with a sud
den passionate movement. In the in
formality of the household, she had
H,, ND
slippers; and now she stood before
him, a tragic young figure, clutching
the folds of her gown across her
breast.
81 worship him, X" she said tragi-
cally. "When l see him coming, /
want to get down and let him walk
| on me. When l see him in the Oper-
ating room, cool and calm while ev-
eryone else is clustered and excited, he
he looks like god"
Then, half ashamed of her outburst,
She turned her back to him and stood
gazing at the small coal fire. 1t was
as well for X that she did not see his
face.
It's real all this?" he asked after
pause. You're sure it's not just
glamour, Sidney?"
Its real-terribly real" Her voice
was mufled, and he knew then that
she was crying.
She was nightly ashamed Of it.
Tears, of course, except in the privacy
of ones closet, were not ethical on the
street.
"PeThapS he cares very much, too
"Give me a handkerchief" said Sid
ney in muffIed tone, and the little
scene was broken into while X.
searched through a bureau drawer
Then X. questioned her, alternately
soothing and probing.
"Who else had access to the medi-
cine cIoset?'
"Carlotta Harrison carried the keys
of course l was off duty from -four
to six When Carlotta left tlfa ward
the probationer would have them"
Have you reason to think that Ell,
Their one of these girls would wish
you harm?"
None whatever" began Sidney We
hemently; and then. checking herself
"unless-but that's rather ridiculous
'Nhat is ridiculouS?"
tention anyhow. Of course She dida't
do it. I'm only trying to find out whose
mistake it was"
Soon after that she said goodnight
, and went out. She turned In the door
way and smiled TREMENDOUSLY back Al
him.
You have done me lot of good
= You almost make me believe in my
-e1sn