The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-01-18

"Fm not absolutely useless where ]
am, you know, Max" he said. "Ive
raised three tomato plants and Il fam.
lily Of kittens this summer, helped to
plan a trousscau, assisted in selecting
wallpaper for the room just inside
dfd you notice it?--and developed q
boy pitcher with ball that twists
around the bat like COLES fracture
around Il splint!"
Wilson rose and flung his cigarette
into the grass.
II wish 1 understood youv" he said
irritably.
*. rose with him, and all the sun.
pressed feeling Of the interview wns
crowded into his last words.
"rm not as ungrateful as you think,
Max he said. "I-you've helped a
lot. Don't worry about me. Pm as
wcli off us deserve to be, and better.
Good night"
Good night"
wilson's unexpected magnanimity
put ~. IN curious position-left
lilin' as 1t We're, with divided alle-
glance. Sidney's frank infatuntion for
the young surgeon was growing. He
| was quick to see 1t. 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
a1tcr hcr acceptance. She tumbleu
INTO her low bed ut nine o'clock in the
morning, those days, with her splen-
did hair neatly braided down her back
ana her prayers said, and Immediately
her active young mind filled with
images -Christines wedding. Doctor
Max passing the door of the old ward
ana she not there, Joe-and she plz-
zlcd over Grace and her kind.
On her first night on duty a girl
had been brought in from the Avenue
she had taken poiS0n-nObody knew
Just what. When the internes had
tried to find out, she had only said /:
whats the usc?"
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 yet, for some reason
or other, those things had to be.
Why?
Cnrlotta Harrison went on night
duty Mt the Snme time-her last night
service, as 1t was Sdney'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.
1t was difficult service. perhaps the
most difficult in the house. Carlotta
merely shrugged her shoulders
i've always had things pretty hard
here she commented briefly. "When
20 out, III 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.
eel the two floors. and, going out, would
see SidneyS flushed face and slightly
crooked cap bending over the stair
rail
( I'm drcndfully sorry to bother you. "
she would say, but So-and-So won't
, nave fever bath; :" or. "l've Il woman
here who refuses her medicine" Then
would follow rapid questions and
equally rapid answers. Much as Car.
lottn diSiikcd and feared the girl over.
head, 1t never occurred to her to re
fuse her assistance. Perhaps the an
gels who keep the great record vii
put that TO her credit.
Sidney SAW her first death shortl,
after she went on night duty. 1t wa
the most terrible experience of all he
life-it seemed to her that she coul,
not stand it. Added to all her othe
new problems of living was this on
OF dying.
She made mistakes. of course, whic
the kindly nurses forgot to report
basins left about, errors on her rec
ords. She rinsed her thermometer il
hot water one night, and startled 81
inferno by sending him word that Mar
McGuire's temperature was 40 dc
grecs. She let delirious patient escap
from the ward another night and e
airily down the fire escape before sh
discovered what had happened! The
she distinguished herself by fyin
down the iron staircase and bringin
the runaway back singlc-handed.
.
For Christines wedding the Stree
threw Off its drab attire and assume'
Il wedding garment. In the beginning
1t was incrcdul0us about some Of til
details. The wedding was to be a
five o'clock. This, in itself, defied al
traditions Of the Street, which wa