Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-11-08
CHAPTER X.
WESTON! Hey. there !"

trance of the tent which he shared
with five other privates Of the Medical
corps, looked up at the sound Of the
name to which he had grown accus-
toned. AT the sight of the corporal
who had hailed him, he flung down the
grooved strip OF metal, known as the
soldiers friend" with the aid of
which he had been polishing his but
tons, and hurried obediently forward.
'The trains in from the base with
the sisters and doctors to meet the
convoy that we're expecting from the
front. Every mans on duty until the
jobs finished. Report to the matron
with Hartley"
Mark nodded, and departed at run
toward the door of the base hospital,
at which the matron, fidgeting impa-
tiently, was awaiting the assembling
Of the orderlies.
s It was war, and the echoes Of the
far distant guns were all about them
daily. though war had never passed
that way.
Under the name of Weston, Mark
had enlisted in the medical branch of
the service. 1t was a lowly branch,
despised by those who knew nothing
OF it's activities. But the choice had
been between that and nothing, for the
first fighting contingents to be sent
overseas embraced only the regulars,
not those of the draft. Mark had en-
listed rather than wait, especially since
he knew that Colonel Howard, with
Kellerman and his staff, were already
in France.
And somewhere within a few square
activities the headquarters from which
the mobilizat ton in France was being
directed
Hurry up to the surgical ward y
''And you, too, Hartley" she added.
The two men scrambled up the
stairs. At the opposite end of the
building, an old converted chateau
The convoy had halted. Other order.
lies were carrying out the stretchers
with their living, mangled burdens
A group of the newly arrived doc.
tors and nurses was coming up the
stairs. They were all ready for their
work. Mark no longer saw anything
but the wounded men. Dripping with
perspiration, he hurried from the ward
TO the pack store and back, innumer-
able times, struggling under great
piles of towels and bedding.
"AIust have been a stiff fight" pant.
ed Hartley, as they passed each other
Mark responded with movement OF
the head. 1t must have been a fight
to have brought all those serious
cases down to the base hospital.
weston, you're to go into the ope
rating room!''
The nurse who addressed him spoke
as to a servant.
''Yes, Sister, he answered, and
| braced his shoulders and hurried tG
obey.
The patient, already etherized, haG
been brought in. Mark, watching the
patient narrowly as the surgeon probed
the wound, knew nothing but his task
until the surgeon nudged him familiar.
ly in the side while one of the nurses
was sponging his forehead.
Il know your face, orderly" he said
where was it,"
Mark started and looked into the
| quizzical gray eyes of one of the army
! doctors from an Arizona town, whom
he had dined at the mess.
81 think you are mistaken, sir" hi
| answered quietly.
| The surgeon searched his face, and
| like a decent man, admitted his error
another poor devil gone down." hi
thought, as he turned to his work.
There were three more operations
! following, and Mark sighed with relief
as the last man was carried away. Ht
took a scrubbing brush and bar OF
soap and kneeled down to clean the
i floor, while his fellow attendant
secured the splashed table and carried
away the towels.
Mark was conscious that the nurse
still fingered, and he went on witt
his scrubbing. Somehow he did mo-
want to meet her eyes.
She came toward him and stood neal
/ him, by the table. Something splasheG
down to tie floor-then something else
Mark raised his head. They were
tears, and others followed them doWI
the nursing sisters face. The girl was
Eleanor.