New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-03-02

to request to have Sidney in the opel
ating room. He wanted her with him
and he wanted her to see him at work
the age-old instinct of the male to hav
his woman see him at his best.
The deepening and broadening O
Sidney's character had been very nc
ticeable In the last few months. Sh
had gained in decision without becom
ing hard; had learned to see things a
they are, not through the rose mist o
early girlhood; and, far from beini
daunted, had developed a philosoph.
that had for its basis God in his HEAVIER
and all well with the world.
But her new theory of acceptance
did not comprehend everything. Sh'
was in a state Of wild revolt, for In
stance, as to Johnny I~tosenfeld, ant
more remotely but not less deeply con
cerned yer Grace Irving.
But her revolt was to be for hersel
too. On the day after her appointment
to the operating room, she had hel
half-holiday, and when, after a restless
night, she went to her new station, il
was to learn that Wilson had beer
called out of the city in consultation
and would not operate that day
O'Ilara would take advantage of the
free afternoon to u in some odds and
ends of cases.
The operating room made gauze tina
morning, and small packets of tam
pOnS: absorbent cotton covered with
steriliZed gauze, and fastened togeth-
er-twelve, by careful count, in each
bundle.
Miss Grange, who had been kind to
Sidney in her probation months, taught
her the method.
Used instead of spongeS," she eX
planned. "If you noticed yesterday,
they We're counted before and after
each operation. One of these missing
is worse than Il bank clerk out a dol
lar ut the end Of the day. There's no
closing up until it's found"
Sidney eyed the small packet before
her ~anXiously.
what u hideous responsibility !"
she said.
From that time on she handled the
small gauze sponges almost reverently.
The operating room-all glass, white
enamel, and shining nickel plate-tirst
frightened, then thrilled her. 1t was
rs if, having loved a great actor, she
now trod the enchanted boards o
which he achieved his triumphs. She
was glad that it was her afternoon off,
and that she would not see some lesser
star-OHara, to wit-usurping his
place. But Max had not sent her any
word. That hurt.
The operating room was a hive of
industry, and tongues kept pace with
fingers. What news of the world came
in through the great doors was trans
lated at once into hospital terms.
What the city forgot the hospital re-
%membered. 1t took up life where the
town left it at its gates, and carried
it on or saw it ended, as the case might
be. So these young women knew the
ending of many stories, the beginning
of some; but of none did they know
both the first and last, the beginning
and the end.
BY many small kindnesses Sidney
had made herself popular. And there
was more to it than that. She never
shirked. The other girls had the re-
spect for her of one honest worker
for another. The episode that had
caused her suspension seemed entirely
fprUotfan HNhnyy chnurnJ bar na,nf,llu
what she was to do; and, because she
must know the "why" of everything,
they explained as best they could.
1t was while she was standing by the
great sterilizer that she heard, through
open door, part of a conversation
that sent her through the day with
her world in revolt.
The takers were putting the an
esthetizing room in readiness for the
afternoon. Sidney, waiting for the
to open the sterilizer, was busy for
the first time in her hurried morning, |
with her own thoughts. Because she
was very human, there was q
little eXultation in her mind. What
would these girls say when they
of how things stood between
and their hero. Not shameful,
this: the honest pride of a woman in
being chosen from many.
The voices were very clear.
"She's eating her heart out"
"Do you think he has really broken
with herr"
tIbr,hnJ1- NOT Che lnn,r, ,&,. .z-z
.ng; that's ALL"
sometimes l have wondered"
$50 have others. She oughtn't to
here, of course. But among so many
is bound to be one now and then
isn't quite
She ~hesitated, at a loss for a word.
"Did you-did you ever think over
hat trouble with Miss Page about the
medicines? That would have been
Easy, and like her."
"She hates Miss Page, of course, but
hardly think If that's true, it was
learly murder"
There We're two voices, a young one,
ull of soft southern infections, and an
ilder voice, a trifle hard, as from disil-
usiOn.
They were working as they talked.
sidney could hear the clatter of bot
les on the tray, the scraping of a
moved table.
"He was crazy about her last fall"
Miss Pager" (The younger voice,
a thrill in it,
"Carlotta. OF course this is conf
{
Surely"
81 saw her with him in his car one
And on her vacation last I