Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-08

7 T7II'
"Pretty, but Stupid" Said carIotTs.
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
| But he did not see her. She went on,
| 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 I'M
! 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
cheerfulIy.
"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,"
care those her clothes?"
Sidney examined with some dismay
the elaborate negligee garments in her
hand.
"She can't go out in those; I shall
have to lend her something" A little
of the light died out of her face "She's
had a hard fight, and she has won,"
she said, But when l think of what
she's probably going back to"
Carlotta shrugged her shoulders,
Us all in the days work." she OBJ
served indifferently. "YOu can take
them up into the kitchen and give
them steady work pairing potatoes, or
put them in the laundry ironing In
the end it's the same thing. They all
go back"
She turned, on her way out of the
locker room, and shot a quick glance
at Sidney.
81 happened to be on your street the
other night" she said. ''You live
across the street from Wilson's, don't
your"
Yes
| i thought so; had heard yOu speak
of the house. Your-ycur brother was
standing on the steps,"
Sidney laughed.
81 have no brother That's a room
er, Mr.. lie MoyEe. It is4't really
right to call him a roomer; he's one
of the family now"
"Le Moyne."
He had even taken another name.
| It had hit him hard, for sure.
ks name lad struck al always re-
sponsive chord ir Sidney The two
| girls went toward the elevator TO-
| gether With very little encourage
| ment, Sidney talked Of K. She was
pleased at Miss Harrison's friendly
tone glad that things were all right
| between them again. At her floor she
/ put a timid hand on the girls arm.
| II was afraid / had offended you or
! displeased YOU" she said. I'm SO
| glad it isn't So"
| Carlotta shivered under her hand.
| Things were not going any too well
/ with K. True, he had received his
| promotion at the Office, and with this
present affluence of so a week he was
| able to do several things. Mrs. RoseT'-
| field now washed and ironed one day a
week at the little house, so that Katie
| might have more time to look after
Anna. He had increased also the
amount Of money that he periodically
sent east.
So far, well enough. The thing that
ranked and filed him with sense /
of failure was Max Wilson'S attitude. |
1t was not unfriendly; it was, indeed !.
consistently respectful, almost rever- /
entail. But he clearly considered LIE .
Moyne's position absurd.
There was no true. comradeship be-