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

ne hoped they would be very gentle
with her. He did not want to go home
and leave her 10 what she might have
to face. There was a chance she would
ask for him. He wanted to be near.
N that case. The night watcI man
went by twice and stared at him. At
last he asked X to mind the door IN.
I'll he got some coffee.
zone of the STATS been hurt" he
explained. IF I don't get some cot.
fee now, I won't get any"
X. promised to watch the door.
a desperate thing had occurred to
Carlotta. Somehow, she had not
thought Of 1t before. Now she Won
/ dered how she could have failed to
think of it. She went to the staff and
confronted them. They were men of
courage, only declining to undertake
what they considered hopeless work.
The one man among them who might
have done the thing with any chance
of success lay stricken. Not one
among them but would have given of
his best-only his best was not good
! enough.
1t would be the Edwardes opera
ton, wouldn't it," demanded Carlotta.
The staff was bewildered. There
were no rules to cover such conduct
on the part Of a nurse. One of them
replied rather heavily: IF any, it
would be the Edwardes operation"
Would Doctor Edwardes himself
! be able to do anything?"
This was going a little far.
Possibly. One chance in 8 thou
sand, perhaps. But Edwardes is dead.
How did this thing happen, Miss Har-
rison?"
She ignored his question. Her face
was CHASTITY, save for the trace of
rouge; her eyes were red-rfmmed.
Doctor Edwardes is sitting on
bench in the hall outside" she an
nounced.
Her voice rang out K. heard her
and raised his head His attitude was
weary, resigned. TIE thing had come,
then! He was to take up the old bur
den. The girl had told.
x =
Doctor Ed had sent for Sidney. She
thought it was another operation, and
her spirit was just a little weary. But
her courage was indomitable. She
forced her shoes on her tired feet, and
bathed her face in cold water to rouse
herself.
The night Waterman was in the hall.
He was fond Of Sidney; she always
smiled at him; and, on his morning
rounds at six o'clock to waken the
nurses, her voice was always amiable
So she found him in the hall, holding
a cup of tepid coffee. He was old and
bleary, Enthusiastically dirty, to0-but
he had OWNED Sidney's romance.
Coffee! For me?" She was astou-
ished.
Get 1t down"
So she finished it, not without anxi-
ETY. that she might be needed. But
daddy's attentions were for few, and
not to be lightly received.
Can you stand a piece of bad
news?"
Strangely, her first thought was of
K.
'There has been an accident. Doe
tor Wilson"
(Which 0ne?"
"D3ctoT Max-bas been hurt. 1t
ainj .auch, but guess you'd like to
knos. IT,"
"Tsho"e is he?"
'Dg"nstairs, in seventeen"
So she went down alone to the
room where Doctor Ed sat in a chair,
with his untidy bag beside him on the
floor, and his eyes fixed on a straight
figure on the bed. When he saw Sid
| ney, he got up and put his arms around
her. His eyes told her the truth be-
fore he told her anything. She hardly
listened to what he said. The fact
was all that concerned her-for sud-
denly Sidney's small world, which had
always Sedately revOlved in one direc-
ton, began to move the other way.
The door opened, and the staff came
in. But where before they had moved
heavily, with dropped heads, now they
came quickly, as men with a purpose.
There was a tail man in a white coat
with them. lie ordered them about
like children, and they hastened to do
his will. The heaviness of inactivity
lifted. The room buzzed. The nurses
stood by, while the staff did nurses
work.
It was the Lamb, after all, who
brought the news to Sidney. The new
activity had caught Doctor Ed, and
she was alone now, her face buried
against the back Of a chair.
''ThereU be something doing now,
Miss Page" he offered.
FWhat are they going to do?'
Going after the bullet. Do YOU
know who's going to DO it,"
His voice echoed the subdued ex-
element of the roonI-excitement ana
new hope.
did you ever hear Of Edwardcs. the
surge0n?- the Fdwardes operation.
you know. Wen, he's here. 1t sounds
like miracle They found him sitting
on q bench in the hall downstairs"
Sidney raised her head, but she
could not see the miracuIously found
IIdwardes. She could see the familiar
faces Of the staff, and that other face
On the pillow, and-she gave a little
cry. There was K! How like him
to be there, to be wherever anyone
was in trouble! Tears came to her
ayes-tke first tears she had shed.