Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-22
CHAPTER k,

The announcement of Sldney's en-
. gagement was not to be made for a
year. Wilson, chatting under the delay,
was obliged to admit to himself tllt
. it was best. He was genuinely in love,
even unselfshIy-as far as he could
be unselfish. The secret was to be
/ carefully kept also for Sidney'8 sake.
( The hospital did not approve Of en-
] gagepents between nurses and the
staff. It was disorganizing, bad for
discipline.
Sidney was very happy all that sum-
mer. She gloWed with pride when her
/ lover put through 3 difficult piece Of
work; flushed and palpitated when she
/ heard his praises sung; grew TO know.
! by q s8rt O. intuition, when he was IL
the house. She wore his ring on a
/ fine chain around her neck, and grew
| prettier every Gay.
K. had postponed his leaving until
fall Sidney had been insistent, and
Harriet had topped the argument in
her bustnesslike way. IF you insist
I Oh being an idiot and adopting the R0-
senfeId family" she said, wait until
. September. The season for boarders
I doesn't begin until fall"
So K. waited for "the season" and
ate his heart out for Sidney in the in
/ tervaI.
Johnny BosenfeId still lay in his
ward. inert from the waist down. x.
was lis most frequent visitor. As a
matter &c fact, he was watching the
10Y closely, at lEaE Wilson'S request.
"TaII me when I'm 70 10 it, said VIII
son. "au3 when the time comes, for
/ Gods sake, stand by me. Come to the
/ operation. Hes got SO much confidence
that III help MIN that [ don't dare to
fail"
/ Luckily for Sidney, her three months
service in the operating room kept her
and CarLotta apart. For Carlotta was
now not merely jealous. She found
herself neglected, ignored. It ate her
! like fnver
not yet suspect an eG-
/ GaEamonG It lad been Der theory that
/ VII = We.l5 not Marry $ that,
] in L sense, he would have 10 be CO.
/ creed into marriage. She thought mere
| y that Sidney was playing q game like
her own, with different weapons. So
She planaed her battle, ignorant that
! She had lost already. =
Her method was simple enough. A
new inferno had come into the house,
and was going through the process Of
learning that from a senior at the medi-
cal school to q half-baked junior in
! terne is q long step back. He had to
| endure the gOod-LUnored contempt of
| the older men, the patroniHng nStruc-
! tons Of nurses as to rules.
CarlOtta alone treated him witt 7ef-
ereuce. His uneasy rounds in Carl as
/ precinct took on the state and form of
staff yisitati0us. She dattered, cajoled,
/ looke4 up to him.
After a time it dawned on Wilson
that this junior cub was getting more
attention than himself; that, wherever
/ he happened to be, somewhere in the
| oE.ing would be CarlOtta and the Lamb,
| the latter cycling her with worship. Her
Indifference had only piQued him. The
enthroning of successor CALLED him.
Between them, the Lamb suffered
nightly WAS subject to frequent
"baWiiag out" as he termed it, in the
operating room as he assisted the an
csthetist. He took his troubles to Car
lotta, who so0thed him in the corridor
in plain sight of her quarry, of course
by putting a sympathetic hand on
his sleeve.
Then, one day, Wilson was goaded
10 speech.
"For the love Of heaven, Carlotta,"
ne said impatioutly, "stop making love
to that WTetched boy. He wriggIes like
d worm if you look 1T him"
q like him. He is thoroughly genu-
inc. 1 respect him, and he respects
me-"
It's rather Z silly game, you know,
Do you think don't understands"
perhaps you do. Il don't really
care q lot about him, Max. But I've
been doWnheartcd. He cheers ne up"
Her attraction for him was almost
gone--n0t quite. He felt rather sorry
Nor her.
I'm sorry. Then you are not angry
With me?"
"ADgy? No" She lifted her eyes
to his, and for oncy she was not acting.
81 knew it would end, Of course.
have lost "a lover. I expected that.
But wanted to keep a friend"
It was the right note. Why, after all,
should he not be her friend? He had
treated her cruelty, hideously. If she
still desired his friendship, there was
no disloyalty to Sidney in giving it. And
Carloua was very CAREFUL Not once
again did she allow him to see what lay
in her eyes. She told him of her wor-
ries.
The Lamb was lowering near, hot
! eyes on them both. 1t was no place to
talk.
Sidney would be at a lecture that
night. The evening doomed temptingly
free.
Suppose you meet ne at the Old cor
ner," he said careIessly, eyes on the
Lamb, who was forgetting that he was
only q junior inferno and was glaring
ferociousIy. "}Eeu run out into the
. country and talk things over
She demurred, with her heart beating
triumphantly.
whats the use of going back to
that? It's over, isn't it?''
Her objection made her determined.
81 n Z II L