The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-05-01
THE KISS
BY LOUISE v r.

But In the two years she had known
Doctor Breen he had spoken
TO her unkindly. Even when occasion
might have warranted, for there were
occasions, and mistakes due to her
fiuttering heart and confused brain, he
had been patience itself, a fact so no
ticeable that the rest of the training
school first wondered, then comment
ed, and finally gossiped.
One day the head surgeon met her
In the hall.
Doctor Breen regarded her a mo-
ment In silence, the way her color was
coming and going. the way her fingers
opened and closed.
"Why are you afraid Of me. Miss
such a bear, am II"
"N-nof |" stammered Kathleen, turn
Ing away her eyes.
"And I'm not very old. How old do
you think l ann"
"I-don't-know."
"Only thirty. That's not old enough
to develop any full-sized crouch, now
is it,"
"No."
She was uneasy and wanted to get
away. The head nurse was likely to
discover that she was talking to n
of the doctors In the hall and she
would be reprimanded.
Doctor Breen understood. "Never
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 mel"
eyes, Doctor Breen." Kathleen's
gray eyes 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 II was all
about.
what is lit" she asked an inferno
as the elevator passed her floor slow
ly with a new burden OF men on
stretchers.
Explosion in the Blue Diamond
mills" came the answer.
In an hour Miss Lownes 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 a wall fell. Doctor Breen
was hurt"
Doctor Breen hurt Kathleen CROPPED
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 do-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 a fever and the next day de-
lirium. He began to talk.
pretty Just the prettiest thing
you aver saw, but she scare like a
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. I'm 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. 1t was
only to humor a sick man, and she
was too tired to ARE much what hap
pened. So her lips touched his cheek
lightly.
Miss Startling"
II was Miss Lownes' voice. Kath-
leen looked up quickly but fearlessly.
There was another woman 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 7" called the sick man.
"You may &c, Miss Startling. There
is little to say. You are dismissed.
That's all, I believe"
And then something In the timid lit
tie mouse Of a nurse broke loose.
"You are condemning me unheard,
Miss Lownes, and 1t isn't fair. You
are taking advantage of a sick mans
within to get me out of the way be-
cause you've liked me. But be-
fore / GO" the little head with its
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 a Brix-
ton. Neither a Brixton o a Star
ling ever did anything dishonorable.
My grandfather is John Rigby Brix-
L.aHA Aa- L---4k - -