Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-01-17

dld hair neatly braided down her back
and her prayers said. and Immediately
her active young mind filled with
mages-Christine' wedding, Doctor
Max passing the door of the old ward
and she not there. Joe-and she puz-
zled over Grace and her kind.
On her first night on duty a girl
had been brought in from the Avenue.
She had taken poison-nobody knew
just what. When the internes had
t<sed a feG ozt, she had only said i:
'What's the use?''
And she had died.
Sidney kept asking herself, "why?'
those mornings when she could not get
to sleep. People were kind-men were
kind, really-and yet, for some reason
or other, those things had to be.
Why?
CarlOtta Harrison went on night
duty at the same time-her last night
service, as it was Sidney's first. She
accepted 1t stoically. She had charge
of the three wards on the floor just
below Sidney. and of the ward into
which all emergency cases were taken.
Tt was a difficult service. perhaps the
most difficult in the house. Carlotta
merely shrugged her shoulders.
ave always had things pretty hard
here" she commented briefly. when
| go out, I'll either be competent
enough to run whole hospital single
handed, or I'll be carried out feet
first"
Sidney was glad to have her so near.
She knew her better than she knew
the other nurses. Small emergencies
were constantly arising and finding her
at loss. Once at least every night
Miss Harrison would hear a soft hiss
from the back staircase that connect
ed the two floors. and, going out, would
see Sidney's flushed face and slightly
crooked cap bending over the stair
rail.
I'm dreadfully sorry to bother you"
she would say, but So-and-So won't
have a fever BATH" or, 'Tve a woman
here who refuses her medicine" Then
would follow rapiG questions and
equally rapid answers. Much as Car
lotta disliked and feared the girl over
head, it never occurred to her to re-
fuse her assistance Perhaps the an
gels who keep the great record will
put that to her credit.
Sidney saw her first death shortly
after she went on night duty. 1t was
the most terrible experience ofsall her
life-it seemed to her that she could
not stand it. Added to all her other
new problems of living was this one
of dying.
She made mistakes, of course, which
the kindly nurses forgot to report
basins left about, errors on her rec
Ords. She rinsed her thermometer in
hot water one night, and startled an
inferno by sending him word that Mary
McGuire's temperature was 40 de-
grees. She let delirious patient escape
from the ward another night and go
airily down the fire escape before she
discovered what had happened! Then
she distinguished herself by flying
down the iron staircase and bringing
the runaway back single-handed.
For Christine's wedding the Street
threw off its drab attire and assumed
a wedding garment. In the beginning
it was incredulous about some of the
details. The wedding was to be at
five O'Clock. This, in itself, defied all
traditions of the Street, which was
either married in the very early morn
ing at the Catholic q urch or at eight
o'clock in the evening at the Presbyte-
rian. There was something reckless
about five o'clock. The Street felt the
dash of it. 1t had a queer feeling that
perhaps such a marriage was not quite
legal.
The younger Wilson was TO be one
of the ushers. When the newspapers
came oJt with the published list and
this was discovered, as well as that
Sidney was the maid of honor, there
was a distinct culver through the hos
pital training school. A probationer
was authorized to find out particulars.
1t was the day of the. wedding then.
and Sidney, who had not beer 10 bed
at all, was sitting in a sunny window
in the dormitOry annex, drying her
hair.
The probationer was distinctly I'M
easy.
II just wonder" she said, '1f you
would let some of the girls come in
to see you when you're dressed?'
why, of course l will"
'It's awfully thrilling, isn't 1t? And
isn't Doctor Wilson going to be an
usher?"
Sidney cOlored. 81 believe So"
The probationer had been instructed
to find out other things; so she set 10
work with fan at Sidney's hair.
you've known Doctor Wilson long
time, haven't your"
ages"
Hes awfully good-loohing, isn't
her"
Sidney considered. She was not ig-
norant of the methods of the school.
If this girl was pumping her
'Tll have to think that over" she
said, with CLINT of mischief in her
eyes. "When you know a person ter
ribly well, you hardly know whether
he's gOod-looking or not"
81 suppose" said the probatiOner.
the long strands Of Sidney's |
hair through her fingers. "that when |
you are at home you see him often"
-.