Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-03-08

across. dtting in sllence and WATCHING
his crave prcGle and steady eyes.
He had . little picture OF Sidney-a
snapshot that he had taken himself
her hair blowing about her. eyes look
ing out. tender lips smiling. When shA
was not at home. 1t sat on KS dresser
prOpped against his cOllar-bOx. Wher
she was in the house. It lay under thu
pin-cushion.
Two O'Clock In the morning. then
and X. In his dressing gown. with thu
picture propped. not against the col
lar-box. but against his lamp. where be
could see 1t.
lie sat forward In his chair. his
bands folded around his knee. and
looked at it. lie was trying to picture
the Sidney of the photograph in his
old life-try-Ig TO end u place for her.
But 1t was difficult. There had been
few women in his old life. His mother
had died many years before. There
had been women who had cared for
him. but he put them impatiently out
Of his mind.
Then the bell rang.
Christine was moving about below.
He could hear her quick steps. Almost
bcf.'re he had heaved his long legs out
of ihe chair. she was tapping at his
doNg outside.
IT'S Mrs. Roscnfeld. She says she
wanis' to see you"
He went down the stairs. Mrs. Ro-
senfejd was standing in the lower hall,
d shawl aEjut her shoulders. Her face
was white and drawn above 1t.
u VI had word to go to the hospital"
she said. II thought maybe you'd go
with me. II seems as If l can't stand it
alone. Oh, Johnny. Johnny"
where's Pulmer:" X. demanded of
Christine.
lies not In yet"
Are you afraid to stay in the house
alone?'
Ne; please CO."
lie ran up the staircase to his room
and flung on some clothing. In the
lower hall, Mrs. Nosenfeld's sobs had
become low means. Christine stood
heipleSSly over her.
Il am terribly sorry she said
terribly sorry, When | think whose
fault al this Isl"
Mrs. I:osenfcld put out a work-hard-
encd hand aud caught ChrIstine's fin
gers.
Never mind that" she said. "You
didn't do 1t. ! guess you and | under
stand each other. Only pray God you
never have a child"
X. never forgot the scene in the small
emergency ward to which Johnny had
been taken. Under the white lights his
hoyish figure locked strangely long.
There was q group around the bed
Max Wilson, two or three internes, the
night nurse on duty. and the Head.
Sitting just inside the door on n
straight chair was Sidney--such a Sid
tey ~ he never had seen before. her
face cnlorlrss, her eyes wide aud I'M
seeing. her hands clenched in her lap.
When he stood beside her, she did not
move or look up. The group around
the bed had parted to admit Mrs, lto-
senfell. and closed again. Only Sid
ney and X. remained by the door, iso-
lated, alone.
"Nou must not take 1t like that,
dear. It's sad, of course. But, after
all. In that condition"
II was her first knowledge that he
was there. But she did not turn.
"They say l poisoned him" Her
voice was dreary, intiectionless.
"You-what?"
"Thcy say | gave him the wrong
medicine; that he's dying; that l mrr-
dered him" She shivered.
X. touched her hands. They were
ice-cold.
Tell me about It,"
''There is nothing to tell. ! came on
duty mt six o'clock and gave the medi.
ciues. When the night nurse came on
at seven. everything was all right. The
medicine tray was just as it should be.
Johnny was asleep. I went to say
goodnight to him and he--he was
asleep. l didn't give him anything but
what was on the tray" she finished
pitcously. Il looked ut the label I al.
ways look"
by Il shifting OF the group around
the bed, KS eyes looked for a moment
directly into Carlotta's. Just for a mo.