Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-05-28


Stubs and Mariska saw her first.
Peacefully enough they were offering
advice to the old man who cleaned out
the dry leaves from the fountain. 1t
was the sure mark of summer time
when they started up the fountain,
and the children regarded IL AS the
signal for celebration.
eff you'll just stand still for min
ute I'll give you a nickel" the girl
called to Mariska as she stood with
little pad and pencil by the edge Of
the circular walk around the fountain.
And Mariska took up the offer in
stantly.
Stubs eyed the proceedings with
alert suspicion, but as he managed to
edge about and get look at the
sketch the girl was making of Mari
ska, he approved, and from that first
day he had championed the cause Of
the nickel Lady," as they all named
her.
One evening he met her on Second
avenue in the rain. There are degrees
Of social status about Stuyycsant
square that are quite as peculiar and
rs 'rigidly drawn as those around
Washington square. Along its far west
nrn and northern boundaries it is OK
elusive and undemonstrative, but the
park itself on either side is flower
bed of youngsters on summer days.
And they had their favorites besides
the "Nickel Lady" foremost Of al tliF
white Doctor"
He was young and always dressed
In white, and when his ambulance
would swing across Second avenue be
never failed to wave in answer 70
Stubs greeting and the rest Of the
bunch"
Therefore Stubs honored him 2ud
when the "Nickel Lady" hesitatei
aughingly as the rain beat down upon
her, and before he could stop her,
mad slipped across the street under
he very wheels of the huge gray mail
car, the first thing he thought of was
the "White Doctor" He stuck by her
when the crowd gathered, and it was
he, too, who got Bandy Moran and
Chick to carry her to the sidewalk
where she lay still, and white.
When the ambulance swung around
the corner and the "Whitc Doctor
jumped down, Stubs explained the stu
alton to him briefly.
SIN her best friend around here"
he said loftily "Is she hurt much,
Doc?'
Skillfully Rex Fuller kno?t beside
the slender figure, making lis exam
ination. "Just shaken up and sDffcr-
ing from shock, old man." he told
Stubs. "What's her name and where
does she live?"
Stubs scratched his head donbtful'y.
He didn't know Neither did MarisS2,
nor Banty, nor any of the "bupch''
hanging around mournfClly. She was
just the "Nickel Lady" So they tooh
her up to the hospital. and Stubs
made his arrangements with the doc
tor to visit her as her nearest
| friend.'
That night when she iay conscious
for the first time, Rex waited until
the nurse had gone down the ward
| before he asked her the necessary
| questions to fill in her card.
Her name was Phyllis Truax. she
told him. Alone in New York and un.
married, an artist by profession. Thai
was all, only when Stubs came to visit
| she sent him after stationery so she
| could write few letters. and he
noted they all required out Of t0Wr
postage.
''You and me've got to stand by her
Doc" he told Rex out in the corridor
and Rex agreed to do his part
Three weeks she stayed there. the
city, and every day up in the beanti
full roof solarium Rex sat with her
according to his promise to Stubs. Bu
the day before she left she had an
other visitor. He was very confident
when he first met her, but she sa
with dropping lashes as he talked, enc
finally she said something 20 him
and after he had gone she smiled a.
Rex somewhat anxiously.
'sI'm a perfect fraud, DOCTOR She
said. "You won't care for me a BIZ
any more or Stubs or Mariska or any
body. I'm not just stray arts
stranded in New York. I'm regular
person with a home and farniiy an(
plenty of money, and I've just refused
half a million more. I'm afraid In
spoiled for that sort of thing. You've
been so wonderful to me up hero
think I'll be a nurse"
"You will not" he told her sternly
'In the first place you're not stronl
enough to train, and in the aeoond
promised Stubs to look after yoo. L
you had not known that l wouio. wh!
did you send away the half m!uioI
chap"
Stubs was on his way % visit Ter
with two large strangely res carna
lions he had managed to bar4ain for
but when he caught sight Of TIT
"White Doctor" bending over th'
"Nickel Lady," with CnmiStAkAbl'
proprietorship, he stopped and surnet
his back. At least he knew ~gNen &
was time to umpire the game QRer q