The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-06-06
CHAPTER XIV.


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.
K. 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 his 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 z.
she had known so we'll 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. It 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: 1--WE can't talk here.
I want to talk to you, K"
He led the way into the corridor. 1t
was very dim. Far away was the night
nurses desk, with its lamp, It's annunci-
ator, it's pile of records. The passage
floor reflected the light on glistening
boards.
81 have been thinking until am al
most crazy, K. And now know how
it happened. 1t was joe
''The principal thing is, not how it
happened, but that he Is going to get
we'll, Sidney"
She stood looking down, twisting her
ring around her finger.
"Is Joe in any dangerT
1--WE are going to get him away to-
night. He wants to go to Cuba. He'll
get off safely, think"
1--WE are going to get him away
You are, you mean. You shoulder all
our troubles, K, as if they were your
own"
III" He was genuinely surprised.
"Oh, see. You mean-but my part In
getting Joe off is practically nothing.
AS 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
find Max and save him-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 moth
ing at ALL and all the time you were
living what preached-Tm SO
ashamed, K"
He would not allow that. 1t dis
tressed him. She saw that, and tried
to SMILE
when does Joe go?"
Tonight I'm to take him across the
country to the railroad. I was WON
dertng-"
"YesY
I'D better explain first. Then If you
are willing to send him line, think
1t would help. He saw girl In white
in the car and thought it was you, Of
course. Carlotta was taken i'll. And
Schwftter and-and Wilson took her
upstairs to a ROOM"
''DO you believe that, K.?"
II do. He saw Max coming out and
misunderstood. He fired at him then"
HE did it for me. I feel very guilty,
K, as If it all comes back to me. I'll
write to him, of course. Poor Joel"
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, as he rallied
from the shock. In KS 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.