Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-08
CHAPTER <.


A few days after Wilson'S recogni-
ton of K, two most exciting things
happened to Sidney. One was that
Christine asked her to be maid Of
honor at her wedding. The other was
more wonderful. She was accepted.
and given her cap.
Because she could not get home that
uigh5, and because the little house had
no telephone, she wrote the news to
her mother and sent a note to LIE
Mcyne.
X. found the note on the hall table
when ne got home that night, and car
ried it upstairs to read. Whatever
faint hope he might have had that her
youth would prevent her acceptance
he knew now was over. With the let
ter in his hand, lie sat by his table
and looked ahead into the empty years.
Not quite empty, Of course. She would
be coming home.
But more and more the life OF the
hospital would engr0ss her. He sur
missed, too, very shreWdly, that, had he
ever had a hope that she might come
to care for him, his very presence in
the little house initiated against him.
There was none OF the Illusion of sep
aratiOn; he was always there, like ha-
tie. When she opened the door, she
called Mother" from the hall. IL
Anna did not answer, she called him,
in much the same voice.
Sidney's letter was not the only one
he received that day. When, in re-
Spouse to Katies summons, he rose
heavily and prepared for dinner, he
found an unopened envelope on the
table It was from Max Wilson,:
Dear LIE Moyne-I have a feeling of deli
cacy about trying to see you again so
soon. I'm bound to respect your seclu-
sion. But there are some things that have
got to be discussed.
It takes courage to step down from the
pinnacle you stood on. SO it's not cow
ardice that has set you down here. It's
wrong conception. And I've thought of
two things. The first, and best, is for you
to go back. No one has taken your place,
because no one could do the work. But
if that's out of the question-and only you
know that, for only you know the facts
the next best thing is this, and in all hui
mainly I make the suggestion.
Take the State exams under your pres
ent name, and when you've got your GER
tifCate, come in with me. This isn't mag
nanimity. I'll be getting much more than
l give.
Think it over, old man. M. W.
1t is a curious fact that a man who
is absolutely Enthusiastically about
women is often the soul of honor to
other men. The younger Wilson, TAX
ing his pleasures lightly and not too
discriminatory was making an offer
that meant his ultimate eclipse, and
doing it cheerfuIly, with his eyes open.
X. was moved. 1t was like Max to
make such an offer, like him to do it
as if he were asking a favor and not
comforting one. But the offer left him
interrupted. He had weighed himself
in the balance, and found himself
wanting. No tablet on the college wall
could change that. And when, late
that night Wilson found him on the
balcony and added appeal to argu-
ment, the situation remained IN
changed. He realized its hopeleSsness
when K. lapsed into whimsical humor.
I'm not absolutely useless where l
am, you know, Max" he said. I've
raised three tomato plants and a fam
lily of kittens this summer, helped to
plan a trousseau, assisted in selecting
wallpaper for the room just inside
did you notice it?-and developed a
boy pitcher with a ball that twists
around the bat like a COLES fracture
around a splint!"
Wilson rose and flung his cigarette
into the grass.
81 wish 1 understood you!" he said
irritably.
K. rose with him, and all the sup
pressed feeling of the interview was
crowded into his last words.
I'm not as ungrateful as you think,
Max" he said. 'I-you've helped a
lot. Don't worry about me. I'm as
well off as 1 deserve to be, and better.
Good night"
Good night"
Wilson's unexpected magnanimity
put K. in a curious position-left
him. as it were, with a divided allie
glance. Sidney's frank infatuation for
the young surgeon was growing. He
was quick to see it. And where before
he might have felt justified in going
to the length of warning her, now his
hands were tied.
Sidney went on night duty shortly
after her acceptance. She tumbled
into her low bed at nine o'clock in the
morning, those days, with her splen-
did hair neatly braided down her back
and her prayers said, and Immediately
her active young mind filed with
images Christine's wedding, Doctor
Max passing the door of the old ward
and she not there. Joe-and she puz-