The Dolores star., 1917-05-04

her aside By the end Of her short va
cation Carlotta Harrison was wildly In
love with the younger Wilson.
They continued to meet, not as
often as before, but once q week, per-
haps. The meetings were full of dan
ger now; and II for the girl they lost
by this quality. they gained attraction
for the man. She was shrewd enough
to realize her own situation. The thing
had gone wrong. She cared, and he
hers.
All women are intuitive; women in
love are dangerously 80. AS well as
she knew that his passion for her was
not the real thing, 80 also she realized
that there was growing up In his heart
something akin to the real thing for
Sidney Page. Suspicion became GER
tainty after a talk they had over the
supper table at country roadhouse
the day after Christine's wedding.
"How was the wedding-tiresome? ?"
"Thrillingl There's always some
thing thrilling to me In a man tying
himself up for life to one woman.
LISTS SO reckless"
Her eyes narrowed. "That's not ex-
actIy the Law and the Prophets, is it?"
Its the truth. To think Of select
ing out of all the world one woman,
and electing to spend the rest of ones
days with her! Although"
His eyes looked past Carlotta into
distance.
"Sidney Page was one of the brides
maids" he said irrelevantly. "She was
lovelier than the BRIDE"
"Pretty, but stupid" said Carlotta.
II like her. I've really tried to teach
her things, but-you know" She
shrugged her shoulders.
Doctor Max was learning wisdom.
If there was twinkle In his eye, he
yelled 1t dIscreetly. But, once again
In the machine, he bent over and put
his cheek against hers.
"You little cat! You're Jealous" he
said exultantly.
Nevertheless, although he might
smile. the image Of Sidney lay very
close to his heart those autumn days.
And Carlotta knew 1t.
.
Sidney came of night duty the mid
die Of November. The night duty had
been a time Of comparative peace to
Carlotta. There were no evenings
when Doctor Max could bring Sidney
back to the hospital in his car. " .,
Sidney's half-days at home were oc-
casions for agonies Of jealousy on Car
lotta's part. On such an occasion, Q
month after the wedding. she could not
contain herself. She pleaded her old
excuse Of headache, and took the troll
ley to a point near the end Of the
Street. After twilight fell, she slowly
walked the length of the Street. Chris
tine and Palmer had not returned
from their wedding Journey. The No
vember evening was not cold. Sidney
was not in sight, or Wilson. But
standing on the wooden doorstep of
the house was LIE Moyne. The allan
thus trees were bare at that time,
throwing gaunt arms upward to the
November sky. The street lamp.
which In the summer left the doorstep
In the shadow, now shone through the
branches and threw into strong relief
LIE Moyne's tall figure and set face.
Carlotta saw him too late to retreat.
startled. her busy brain scheming
anew. Another element had entered
into her plotting. 1t was the first time
she had known that X. lived in the
Page house. 1t gave her a sense of
uncertainty and deadly fear.
She made her first friendly over
ture Of many days to Sidney the fol-
lowing day. They met In the locker
room in the basement where the street
clothing for the ward patients was
kept Here, rolled in bundles and
ticketed, side by side lay the hetero.
geneous garments In which the pa.
tents had met accident or illness
Rags and tidiness, filth and cleanli-
ness, lay almost touching.
Far away on the other side Of the
whitewashed basement, men were un.
loading cleaning cans of milk. Floods
Of sunlight came down the cellarway,
touching their white coats and turn.
ing the cans to silver. Everywhere
was the religion of the hospital, which
Is order.
Sidney, barking back from recent
sights to the staircase conversations
Of her night duty, smiled at Carlotta
cheerfully.
"a miracle is happening" she said.
"Grace Irving is going out today.
When one remembers how i'll she was
and how we thought she could not live,
it's rather triumph, isn't it?'
"Are those her clothes?"
Sidney examined with some dismay
the elaborate negligee garments in her
hand.
"She oan't 60 out in those; shall
have to lend her something" A little
of the light died out of her face. "She's
had hard fight, and she has won. 81