The midland journal., 1917-04-13


Max had reached that point that oc-
ours in all relationships between men
and women: when things must either
go forward or go back, but. cannot re-
main as they are. The condition had
existed for the last three months. 1t
exasperated the man.
AS matter of fact, Wilson could not
90 ahead. The situation with Carlotta
had become tense, irritating. He felt
that she stood ready to block any move
he made. He would not go back, and
he dared not go forward.
If Sidney was puzzled, she kept it
bravely TO herself. In her little room
at night, with the door carefully
locked, she tried to think things out.
There were a few treasures that she
looked over regularly: dried flower
from the Christmas roses; label that
he had pasted playfully on the back
of her hand one day after the rush of
surgical dressings was over and which
said: "R, Take once and forever"
There was another piece of paper
over which Sidney spent much time.
It. was page torn out of an order
book, and it read: "Sigsbee may
have light diet: Rosenfeld massage"
Underneath was written, very small !:
are the most beautiful person in
the ..5rld.
Two reasons had prompted Wilson
to request to have Sidney in the oper-
ating room. He wanted her with him,
and he wanted her to see him at work !:
the age-old instinct Of the male to have
his woman see him at his best.
The deepening and broadening of
Sidney's character had been very no.
ticeable in the last few months. She
had gained in decision without becom-
ing hard; had learned to see things as
they are, not through the rose mist of
early girlhood; and, far from being
daunted, had developed philosophy
that had for its basis God in his heaven
and all well with the world.
But her new theory of acceptance
did not comprehend everything. She
was in a state of wild revolt, for in
stance, as to Johnny Rosenfeld, and
more remotely but not less deeply con-
cerned over Grace Irving.
But her revolt was to be for herself
too. On the day after her appointment
to the operating room, she had her
half-holiday, and when, after restless
night, she went to her new station, 1t
was to learn that Wilson had been
called out of the city in consultation
and would not operate that day.
O'Hara would take advantage Of the
free afternoon to run in some odds and
ends of cases.
The operating room made gauze that
morning, and small packets of tam
pons: absorbent cotton covered with
sterilized gauze, and fastened togeth-
er-twelve, by careful count, In each
bundle. =...
Miss Grange, who had been kind to
Sidney in her probation months, taught
her the method.
used instead Of sponges," she ex-
planned. "n you noticed yesterday
they were counted before and after
Is worse than bank clerk out dol
lar at the end of the day. There's no
closing up until it's found"
Sidney eyed the small packet before
her anxiously.
"What a hideous responsibility /"
she said.
From that time on she handled the
small gauZe sponges almost reverently.
The operating room-all glass, white
enamel, and shining nickel plate-first
frightened, then thrilled her. It was
as if, having loved great actor, she
now trod the enchanted boards on
which he achieved his tr4umphs. She
was glad that it was her afternoon off,
and that she would not see some lesser
star-O'Hara, to wit-usurping his
place. But Max had not sent her any
word. That hurt.
The operating room was a hive of
industry, and tongues kept pace with
fingers. What news of the world came
in through the great doors was trans
lated at once into hospital terms.
What the city forgot the hospital re-
membered. 1t took up life where the
town left it at it's gates, and carried
it on or saw 1t ended, as the case might
be. So these young women knew the
ending of many stories, the beginning
Of some; but Of none did they know
both the first and last, the beginning
and the end.
By many small kindnesses Sidney
had made herself popular. And there
was more to 1t than that. She never
shirked. The other girls had the re-
spect for her Of one honest worker
for another. The episode that had
caused her suspension seemed entirely
forgotten. They showed her carefully
what she was to do; and, because she
must know the why" of everything,
they explained as best they could.
It Was while she was standing by the
great srerilizer that she heard, through
an open door, part of a conversation
that sent her through the day with