The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-07-03
Revelations
8EaW1;e>
How Madge Answered the Wounded
Officers Embarrassing Question.
Ci1rrHCoyk

HOW madge Answered the wounded
Officers Embarrassing Question.
MY first startled impulse as /
N heard the astonishing query OF the
wounded officer was 20 look
around at the nurse in order 10 see
whether or not She had heard his words
Indeed, my head had involuntlr ly
turned ever so slightly when ! was able
10 regain my polsc and force myself to
clam dcmeanor. knew that nothing
would so soon excite her interest and
comment as an admission upon my part
that the young officers question an
noycd me- or that | attached any lmpor-
tanCe 10 II.
But ! was flaming with cmbarrass-
ment. for ! feared that even # she had
not heard the query, ] couldn't keep
from her ears other and similar utter
anccS OF the sick man lie was evident
ly "primed," as Harry Underwood used
to say 10 keep on talking definitely
and there was a look IN his eyes, an
expression on his face which affected
me indeiinably felt wysclf shaking
with a nervous trcmor a. gathered
myself together 10 answer his question
ayes, my husband is living" ! said in
as low tone as ! could manage with
out making It wh'nerci murmur,
which would on course attract more a..
tcntion from the nurse than would a
shout +
The flush left his cheeks and a plllor
replaced It so quickly that | was fright
encd Again | turned slightly toward
the nurse Before / could call her The
wounded man had clu,chea my hand
He had seen and had understood the
fright in my ewes
"I-am-all-right' he said faltcr-
ingly
MY - heart-go back-on-
once-in-a- while
A Saving Thought.
His smile was wonderful 50 brave
and yet pathetic. that something un-
accountable rose in my throat and al
most chokcd mr.. am not particu-
larly vain woman, but it aould nave
taken very obruse hlt OF iemlnnity,
indeed, not TO have seen through his
gallant pretenSe
There was no egotiSm in my reCogni-
ton Of the patent fact that the Young
wounded officer was becoming more in
tcrcstcd m my personality than !
wished remembered only too we'll
the words had once heard from the
lips Of dear friend OF mine. a won
derfully successful trained nurse
"All sick men arc ke children " she
declared "Of course they cling 70 the
nurses, the women who mlmstcr TO
them. Silly people call II falling IN
love but it's really only a craving for
sympathy and affection born OF intense
physical weakness Ninety times
out Of a hundred returning strength
banishes the sentimental feeling as
as If il had never been
experienced. If wives and sweethearts
only recognized this there would he
far less jealous misery in the world. "
"Do--You-Mind-'
knew that to the young officers
dclirum-weakened brain was not only
the woman whose hands and voice had
power TO quiet him. but the helpless
creature he had rescued from death
and worse-and | realized that the stu
alton was one which would require mos,
delicate handling upon my part
must do nothing that would encour
age his fancy Upon the other hand, |
knew-far better than did any one else
how much the sick man depended up
on me could not cease my visits
TO him because / had discovered the
character OF his feeling for me, but
realized that must tread very warlly
until the time that his complete con
yalesccnce should release me.
"Do-you- mnd-my-aSking you EN-
questions"
The faltering voice came to my ears
again, and the clutch OF his hand upon