The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-11
THE.DAMY
SHORT STORY
Irving, Five
BY IzoLA FoRREsTER.
Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndica4e)

30 never would have asked to be
placed In Irving, Five. Every
nurse lodged duty there. Just the In.
slant you opened the door, the rising
wahtng clamor smote your ears, ana
you had a ghost OF an excuse, you
fed then and there.
But Winona never "batted an eye
lash" as Naylor said later TO the lab
oratory doctor. Naylor was on duty
day times. and when he entered the
ward, Just for. the fraction of a min.
ute, the wailing turned into a shrilI
cry OF welcome.
It's fierce In her-forty-seven beds.
not counting the two coolers for
pneumonia, but It's q great old place
II you can stand It." He looked al the
new nurse critically. She was dark.
haired. blue.eyed, vital-appeartng
and smiling.
Pm not bit afraid, . she told him.
"and l love kiddies. especially sick
ones"
So she had stayed on. and Anthony
grew to look upon her as something
necessary to the ward, like the flood
OF sunshine that poured down through
the high south windows, or the flowers
sent In every day from Mrs. Adding.
ton Gray's greenhouses out on Long
Island.
Jimmie found out more about her
than any one. possibly because he
was her fayorite out OF all the chill
dren who came and went in the little
white beds OF the long ward. Jimmie
was not a temporary case. He was
o chronic, and only the interest Of
DR.. MAYOR kept him there on OBJ.
seryatien instead Of sending him
away to one Of tho "incurables," as
the patients called them.
Jimmie would limp up and down
the ward with his spine brace bend
ing him far back, and would make
every child, who could laugh, wave
back TO him when he swung little
flag around his head and sang.
There's the sound Of marching feet,
Coming down our village street,
And know my Billie Boy Is almost
When the pain grew worse after a
treatment. Winena would take him
up In her arms and pet him, and It
was at these specially private times
that they exchanged Condolences
Jimmie said he was awfully lone
some because everybody else had
folks come to see him and he never
had a soul. It seemed there wasn't
any enc to come. -
81 amt a home ease. I'm from
the Orphans" he said cenfldentislly,
Then WiHena told him not 10 worry,
She,swas an orphan, too, and one
reason why She had taken up hurs.
Ing was because she didn't have any
enc who belonged to her, either, up
at the big city on the lakes.
We'll have 10 belong to each
other, guess" she said tenderiy,
and Timmie's arms frightened their
grip around her neck as he agreed.
He told Dr.. Nayer about II later
when he was having an examination,
ana the doctor had glanced sharply
down to the desk where she stoed
taking orders from the head nurse,
And Just then there came the. daily
lead OF flowers into the ward, and
TImmies brews drew together
Why didn't Mrs, Gray ever come
herself to see them he asked. Flowers
couldn't talk, could they7 And Dr.
Nayler explained with little smile
around his keeh gray eyes that Mrs.
Adaingten Gray WAS very busy, that
she lived u Long way from New York,
and that he Thought 1t very kind Of
her to send the flowers Id every day.
"Did YOU tell her to send them?"
asked Jimmie with sudden suspicion,
and the doctor Acknowledged that he
had, Just when Winena came up with
Timmies 1--WE iittis' glasses Of medi-
cine and caught the last fragment Of
their conversation.
Another bit OF news Jimmie teid
helped her 10 understand why the
young house decter was 50 beloved.
irving, Five, was named for his
methef, Mafy EliBaeth irving, and
had beeA endowed by her. They
were awfdiiy rich felix's, Jimmie
added Comfortably, but he never
held that against the aeeter.
hIe's jHst real felix's, like as,'' he
added. and #iHeHa smiled u bit wist.
fully. rvs msHths at st. Mary's
had brought a strange new Icy Into
her life, and she hardly dared think
That fehy fay1er was responsible
fer Il. Th6h came d day when all
Unexpectedly irving, Five; had &isl-
ters, Mrs.. Ray1er and Mrs. Gray.
TimiHie cea1ea Ella Kasick, a tall,
ttih giff OF tsdfteen, to lift him up
Sc be esu1d peek Down at the street
and see the big dark blue limousine
tifey had tet1s Ia. And Mrs. Gray
turned cut to be very young and
pretty, the ward agreed. as she
walked sis@iy up and aewhswith Dr..
Nsy1Bf.
aWiii he. ifiarryS herTT asked MN.
ME bfhHt1y, which, Mrs. Naytst bent
dvef his chair. Twice. He had been
taken out I'd the bfuefcat with the
doctor keE d Weekend I'll his meth
ems, home, ind he feft he was -a-fam.
nv friend. But Mrs. Nsyler only
sailed and pattea his. curly HEAD IN
d way he hated. aad he @asIeh In
4 state 6t tRaectsien.
It's was the h61t week thSt the Spe-
6iailsk operated On hiak They ara not
ten Timfnfe II was eefHg TO- happen
but he guessed IL from Winenas
tenderness, ana when he came out
from under the anesthette he called
foY her first II was al MKT and
she WIS on duty, but Dr., E6ylof sat
beside Mm. stfHs watching every
change and pulse bead. And there
in The dHkkRsd #aSd h 1ezt& Tim
mics breksti Xttee pleading tot