Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-02-15

as if, having loved a great actor, she
now trod the enchated boards on
which he achieved his tr1umphs. She
was glad that it was her afternoon of,
and that she would not see some lesser
stare Hara, to wit-usurping his
place. But Max had not sent her any
word. That hurt.
The operating room was q 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 1t at its gates, and carried
it on or saw it 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 it than that. She never
Shirked. The other girls had the re-
for another. The episode that had
caused her suspension seemed entirely
forgotten. They shosved her carefully
what she was to do; and, because she
must know the why of everything,
they explained as best they could.
1t was while she was standing by the
great sterilizer that she heard, through
an open door, part of a conversation
that sent her through the day with
her world in revolt.
The takers were putting the an
esthetiZing room in readiness for the
afternoon. Sidney, waiting for the
time to open the sterilizer, was busy for
the first time in her hurried morning,
with her own thoughts. Because she
was very human, there was
little exultation iR her mind What
would these girls say when they
learned of how things stood between
her and their hero. %ot shameful,
this: the honest pride of woman in
being chosen from many.
The voices were very clear
'She's eating her heart out"
do you think he has really broken
with herr"
"Probably not. She knows it's com
ing; that's ALL"
Sometimes / have wondered"
$50 have others. She oughtn't to
be here, of course. But among SO many
there is bound to be one now and then
who-who isn't quite"
She hesitated, at a loss for word.
Did you-did you ever think over
that trouble with Miss Page about the
medicines? That would have been
easy, and like her"
"She hates Miss Page, of course, but
I hardly think If that's true, it was
nearly murder"
There were two voices, q young one,
full of soft southern infections, and an
older voice, trif1e hard, as from disil-
fusion.
They were working as they talked.
Sidney could hear the cIatter of bot
ties on the tray, the scraping OF
moved table.
''He was crazy about her last fall
Miss Pager" (The younger voice,
With a thrill in it,
"Carlotta. OF course this is cont.
Dental"
Surely" 49, 2" j
ST saw her with him in his car one
evening. And on her vacation last
summer"
The voices dropped to a whisper.
Sidney, standing cold and white by the
sterilizer, put out hand to steady
herself. SO that was it No wonder
Carlotta had hated her. She was
steady enough in moment, cool and
calm, moving about her work with ice
cold hands and slightly-narrOwed eyes.
To a sort of physical nausea was sue
ceeding anger, a blind fury of injured
pride. He had been in love with Car
lotta and had tired of her. He was
bringing her his warmed-Over emotions.
She remembered the bitterness of her
months exile, and its probable cause.
Max had stood by her then. Well he
might, if he suspected the truth.
For just a moment she had an illumi-
mating fash of Wilson as he really was,
selfish and self-indulgent, just trifie
too carefully dressed daring as to eye
and speech, with carefully calculated
daring, frankly pleasure-loving. She
put her hands over her eyes.
The voices in the next room had
risen above their whisper.
Genius has privileges, of course
said tho older UOipp is a very
great surgeon. Tomorrow he is to do
the Edwardes operation again. | am
glad | am to see him do It,"
Sidney still held her hands over her
eyes. He was a great surgeon: in his
hands he held the keys of life and
death. And perhaps he had never
cared for CarlOtta: she might have
thrown herself at him. He was a man,
at the mercy Of any scheming woman.
She tried to summon his image TO
her aid. But a curious thing happened.
She could not visualize him. Instead.
there came clear and distinct, a pic
ture of 4. LIE Moyne in the hall Of the
little house, reaching one of his long
arms to the chandelier over his head
and looking up at her as she stood on
the stairs.
CHAPTER XIX.
"But, Sidney, I'm asking you to mar