The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-04-20
terne is long step back. He had d


tons of nurses as to rules.
Carlotta alone treated him with def
erence. His uneasy rounds in Carlotta'a
; precinct took on the state and form of
!. staff v1sitations. She fattered, cajnlad,
looked up to him.
Il After time it dawned on Wilson
that this junior cub was getting more
| attention than himself; that, wherever
he happened to be, somewhere in the
ofing would be Carlotta and the Lamb,
the latter cycling her with worship. Her
indifference had only piqued him. The
enthroning of successor CALLED him.
Between them, the Lamb suffered
mighttly-was subject to frequent
"bawling out" as he termed it, in the
operating room as he assisted the an
esthetist. He took his troubles to Car
lotta, who soothed him In the corridor
lin plain sight of her quarry, of course
by putting a sympathetic hand on
his sleeve.
Then. one day, Wilson was goaded
to speech.
"For the love of heaven. Carlotta,"
he said impatiently, "stop making love
to that wretched boy. He wriggles like
worm if you look at him."
| 81 like him. He is thoroughly genu.
inc. l respect him, and he respect,
me-"
"It's rather a silly game, you know.
Do you think don't understand"
perhaps you do. IL don't really
care a lot about him, Max. But I've
been downhearted. He cheers me up"
Her attraction for him was almost
gone--not quite. He felt rather sorry
for her.
'T'm sorry. Then you are not angry
with me?"
"Angry? No." She lifted her eyes
to his, and for once she was not acting
81 knew it would end, of course.
have lost IA lover. 1 expected that
But I wanted to keep q friend"
1t was the right note. Why, after all,
should he not be her friend? He had
treated her cruelty, hideously. If she
still desired his friendship, there was
no di;loyalty to Sidney in giving it. And
Carlotta was very careful. Not once
again did she allow him to see what lay
In her eyes. She told him of her wor.
ries.
The Lamb was lowering near, hot
eyes on them both. 1t was no place &c
talk.
Sidney would be at lecture that
night. The evening doomed temptingly
free.
Suppose you meet me at the old cor
ner," he said c,,relessly, eyes on the
Lamb, who was forgetting that he was
only a junior inferno and was glazing
ferociously. "We1l run out into the
country and talk things over"
She demurred, with her heart beating
triumphantly.
whats the use of going back to
that? It's over, isn't it?'
Her objection made him determined. |
When at last she had yielded, and he
made his way down to the smoking
room, it was with the feeling that he |
had won a victory.
.
X. had been uneasy all that day his
ledgers irritated him. He had been
sleeping badly since Sidney's announce
ment of her engagement. AT five o'clock
when he left the office, he found Joe
Drummond waiting outside on the
pavement.
Mother said you'd been up to see
me couple of times. l thought IL
come around"
X. looked at his watch.
"What do you say to walk?"
"Not out in the country. I'm not az
muscular as you are. I'll go about town
for a half-hour or so.''
Thus forestalled, X. found his sub
ject hard to lead up to. But here again
Joe met him more than halfway.
"Well, go on" he said, when they
found themselves in the park; Il guess
know what you are going to say
I'm not going to preach, if you're
expecting that. Ordinarily, if a mar
nsl SITS on making a fool of himself,
let him alone"
"Why make an exception of me?"
"One reason is that l happen to like
you. The other reason is that, whether
,ou admit it or not, you are acting
ike a young idiot, and are putting the
on the shoulders OF
omeone else"
"She is responsible, isn't she?"
"Not in the least. How old are you
oe?"
"Twe oty-three, almost"
"Exactly. You are man, and you
re acting like bad boy. It's dis +,
ppoinn ent to me. It's more than :
hat to Sidney"
"Much she caresl She's going to {
larry Wilson, isn't she?'
"There is no announcement of any !
Engagement" 4
"She is and you know 1t. Well, s
He'll be happy-not! If I'd go to her +
might ard tell her what 1 know, o
led never see him again" o
The idei,, thus born in his over
rought bcain, obsessed him. he ,
lrned to 1t again and again. LIE \
oyne was uneasy. He was not GER
in that th', boys statement had any c
isis in fact. His single determine