Middletown transcript., 1917-02-03
cross, sitting in silence and watching


his grave profile and steady eyes.
lie had little picture of Sidney
snapshot that hc had taken himself,
her hair blowing about her, eyes look
ing ont, tender lips smiling. When she
was not at hcmc, il sat Ga KS dresser,
propped against his collar-boN. When
she was in The house, it lay under the
pin-cuslion.
Two o'clock in the morning, then,
and X. in his dressing gown, with the
picture propped, not against the col
| lar-bOX, but against his lamp, where he
could see it.
| He sat forward in his chair his
hands folded around his knee, and
) looked at it. He was trying to picture
the Sidney of the photograph in his
old life-trying to find 4 place for her.
But it 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
before he had heayed his long legs out
of the chair, she was tapping at his
door outside.
IT'S Mrs. Rosenfeld. She says she
wants to see you"
| He went down the stairs. Mrs. Ro-
scnfeld was standing in the lower hall,
q shawl about her shoulders. Her face
was white and drawn above it.
''Tve had word TO so TO the hospital"
she said. Il thought maybe you'd 20
with me. 1t seems as if 1 can't stand it
alone. Oh, Johnny. Johnny"
where's Palmer?" X. demanded of
Christine.
Hes not in yet"
Are you afraid to stay in The house
aione?"
mo; please 60
He ran up the staircase to his room
and flung on some clothing. In the
lower hall, Mrs. Rosenfclds sobs had
become low means. Christine stood
helplessly over her.
Il am terribly sorry" she said
terribly sorry! When 1 think whose
fault ali this isl"
Mrs Rosenfeld put out q work-hard-
gers.
s.Nevrr mind that" she said. "You
didn't do it. I guess you and under
stand each other. Only pray God you
never have child"
X. never forgot the scene in the small
emergency ward TO which Johnny had
been taken. Under the white lights his
bCyish figure looked 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 q
straight chair was Sidney-such q Sid
ney as lie never had seen before. hel
face colorless her eyes wide and un
seeing, her hands clcnchcd in her lap
, When he stood beside her, she did no
move or iOol, up. The group arOunt
the bed had parted TO admit Mrs. Ro
scnfeld and closed again. Only Sid
ney and X. remained by the door, isO
lated, alone.
You must not take il like that
dear It's sad, of course. But, afte
all, in that condition"
1t was her first knowledge that h
was there. But she did not turn.
:, "They say poisoned him." He
/, voice was dreary, inflcctionless.
"You-what?"
"They say I gave him the wron
: medicine; that he's dying; that | mur
: dered him." She shiyered.
!, X. touched her hands They wcr
: ice-cold.
Tell me about it."
"There is nothing to tell. | came o.
. duty st six o'clock and gave the med
= .,,nns. When the night nurse came o.
. . at seven, everything was all right. Th
l. medicine tray was just as it should be
l. Johnny was asleep. I went to sa
e goodnight to him and he-he wa
Il asleep. l didn't give him anything bu
lt what was on the tray" she tinishc
y; piteously. II looked at the label; a
. ways look"
$ BY shifting Of the group ar0un
e the bed, KS eyes looked for a momen
e directly into Carlotta's. Just for me