Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-24
READ THIS FIRST


element into woman's life change
her fundamentally? Julia Grant had
been tilted by her lover three weeks
before their marriage. and she had
taken up hospital training to try to
forget Theu Dan Carson came back,
and found Julia changed. Although
she promised TO be his, wife, she held
herself in reserve, she would not give
up her work, she could not give her
self to him rs absolutely as she once
had, Then Doctor Norville, the head
surgeon, came into her life in
strange way.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
DUT when Doctor Norville did come
- back into the sick room, Julia was
efficient nurse and nothing else. IL
there had been throbbing moment be-
tween them she gave no sign. Her
eyes, veiled with their dark lashes. were
as inscritable as his, and her voice. cool
and edged with impcrsonality, gave no
sign that her heart was in tumut
When in the gray OF the dawn she
rrept up to her room and another nurse
took her place. she was too tired to
think, and she sank Immediately into
deep dreamless sleep. She did not
waken till early afternoon, and it was
with the feeling that something had
happened. Then quite suddenly she re-
membered, and she realized that she
would have to reason this thing out for
herself. Last night she had told her
self that her nerves had been raw and
on edge, that she had imagined things,
but now that she was fully rested and
almost back to normal she could under
stand fully just how she felt. She re
membcred everything with q series of
little shocks that had nothing imper-
sonal about them. She recalled the
brusaue command in his voice with q
thrill OF all her nerves, and she re-
called his question, care you tircd?"
with queer little joy. IT wasn't much,
hut it meant that he had thought of her.
He, Doctor Norville, had thought OF
her, and he was known as the most
thoroughly impersonal man on the hos
pital staff. He never thought of the
nurses as other than well trained
machines. Her thoughts leaped back. TO
that night in the operating room, when
she had nearly tainted, and he had said
impersonally, "Get her over to the
window There had been nothing per-
sona1 about that
And then crashing in upon the
sweetness Of her thoughts came the
recollection of Dan. 1t was then that
she realized for the first time the truth
other feelings. She no longer loved Dan
she was very sorry for him, she wanted
to be kind to him, but the old feeling
had gone. IT had been killed in the
bitter. humiliation she had suffered
through his willful hurt of her, and she
had promised TO marry him.
Ju1ias training stood her in good
stead that afternoon, for she went
through her duties as usual. She had
been assigned permanently TO Doctor
Norville's case, and she knew that al
! o'clock he would be there. He would
examine her chart, and they would chat
professionally about the case. He would
give her some directions and depart. II
would all be very impersonal and mat
ter of fact, not at all like last night
when she had been unusually tired. ant
when everything, even the still figure
on the bed, had worn an air of mystery
The patient was doing well today ant
tho little hospital room was bright witt
flowers n.y..
Julia rather liked the girl she wal
taking care Of She had an engagingl,
pretty face, white and drawn now, bu
still pretty. and she seemed very young
She did not bear pain very we'll; you'll
rarely does. s,
When Doctor Norvillc came in the
patient was feverish and there was
plenty for Julia to talk about. She
did not raise her eyes once to his
her manner was almost coldly profes
sioual. The chart was kept on small
table in the corridor, and as they talked
they were virtually alone. Suddenly
without warning and with exactly the