The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-31

man, and as sat there staring at him
I began to understand why. Might,
with him, was always right. And he
was handling me without gloves now,
because he thought I lay in his power
There weren't many Of the plums of
this world, it is true. that had fallen
my way. And there were so many
| wanted. 1 thought Of Europe and
travel, and then of Paris and clothes.
I thought of white tiled bathroom all
my own, with a hair dresser once a
week, and all the flowers wanted, and
a chance to study and make myself so
| that my beloved Winkie wouldn't be
ashamed Of me. But at the mere
thought of Wrinkle the whole cardhouse
came tumbling down. Winkie was the
stumbling block. I couldn't afford to
ask even what my Winkie would think
of me-rny Wrinkle, who believed in me.
who'd always said ! was as straight as
a string, and proclaimed that any man
should be proud Of me.
"Then s'pose We call the thing set
tied" suggested the Inspector.
But there are few details to this"
| I pointed out
"Of course" he acknowledged. as he
pulled out one of his desk drawers and
took out a little round bottle. He
noticed the silent Interrogation in my
eye. That's chloroform," he explain
ed, from an outfit in Kaurot's Office"
For my conscience?" I inquired.
"For Grossetl" he grimly amended.
After all. told myself, that white
feather was going to turn itself into a
hearse- plume. The man was asking too
much of me. He was doing the next
best thing to insulting my Intelligence.
/ you've used chloroform before" he
said, fixing me with his post-hole augur
of an eye.
What makes you say that?" I con-
tended. trying to meet his stare.
Didn't the Hull House people tell me
you'd been a trained nurse?" he half
challenged and half queried.
81 took a part of the nurses train
ing. but I never graduated" tried to
explain to him.
Exactly" he announced, sitting back
in his chair. You were put out Of the
hospital before you got your diploma"
"Or I wouldn't be in this particular
Office at this particular moment"
amended.
Then supposing you tell me why you
were put out of the hospital"
l wasn't afraid of him. And I wasn't
afraid of my past. The only thing
| was afraid of, think, was that foolish
| white-feather idea. was terribly
afraid of being afraid.
II was taking my training at ST.
Johns Hospital. out west" 1 began.
with rather a bored air. But as I sat
there talking the whole affair came
back before me like a story on a NOV
ing picture screen. And there was
something relieving, something reassur-
ing about the mere recital of it. 81 had
charge of one Of the wards. 1t was
| rafc rorIy lY,k, y,
a young italian was brought IN. His
name was Angelo Pareto. They told me
he'd just killed his eighteen year-o old
sweetheart. 1t was in fit of jealous
rage, I think. Then, in a fit of re-
morse. he shot himself. And they'd
| found his body, still warm, lying close
1 beside the cold one
''They brought him to st. Johns, and
| said he'd surely die. But he didn't. He
was unconscious all the time. And
every day. of course, a policeman would
sit on guard beside his cot, for there
was an official charge against him. And
every night a second policeman would
come and take the others place. But
that young Italian never opened his
eyes; never moved. Day and night he
| lay there unconscious, as far as we
could make out. He was a nice-looking
boy, with coal-black hair and clean-cut
features, and an olive skin that was as
| smooth as a girls. I felt sorry for him
\ 1t all seemed SO hopeless. I hated to
see him die; and I hated to think of
| him getting better and being marched
off between those policemen to another
way of dying that would be worse than
| the first. I used to watch him when
got chance. And something about
him gave me suspicion that he was
/ .<1T e1]
| watch him closer than eevr.
THE policeman, of course, would get
tired of sitting there with nothing on
earth to do. He used to slip out of the
ward and have a smoke. The patient
was still unconscious, and for three
| full days and nights he'd taken no
| nourishment-at least, none that we
really knew of. On the third night
when the big fat officer was out steal
ing his smoke, 1 had to leave the ward
for a minute or two. AS started back,
just as I went to go in through the
door again, I caught sight of Angelo
in that silly-looking bed suit of his
slipping across to the dispensary pan
try. I saw him gulp down some water
| and steal food from the shelves there.
| 1 edged away from the door. 1 did
| that to give him a chance to slip back
| into bed. I knew, Of course, that he
was shamming, and I felt sorrier for
him than ever. I should have reported
him, Of course, but just couldn't make
myself do it. The next day. when the
other officer was there on guard, some
italian visitors came to see Angelo.
wasn't there. But both the policeman
and the day nurse said that not word
passed between those callers and the
patient, and the callers went away cry
ing Rftf vvbau I oarno haoIr d,,+v
that night was rather excited about
it all. could feel something; knew
in my bones that something was going
to happen. And wanted it to hap
pen. The first think I did was to turn
on all the radiators. so that the ward
got like a dollhouse. Then went to
one Of the end windows and unlocked it
and pushed it up
'"rhe fat policeman. who'd been busy