Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-30
s IS TER s
BIZ KATHLEEN NORRIS
Author OF "JosseiHn's VIE"
tCopyrisht. 1919, by Kathleen Norris

nETER nodded, ioiueu 'i7 OF ,,' "OiO 49,
i h,, cbest. and stared into the earl,
All, Tbere was no other way to g
,san ,ast the very spot where the horrp
Ia occurred, but Thompson told hi
s,iso later that poor Joyce had no
ssonsd TO know II when they passed II
r.. a,a hs give any evidence Of emotion
,shan ihey reached the. old Strickland
sntsa ard entered the old hallway wher,
cherry had come Tying II, q tew snor
,sors ago, with Martins first Kiss upoi
her lips. ~ .,,......n,aa fs,n, p.,
,,.aMcisro were here and two nurses
Marlin had been laid upon hastil,
moved bed in the old study, , 70 s pc spare' pare
,,otphosed, the whole house moved abou
I, AZ about a pivot, and there was nC
,bouqht but for the man who lay, some
Tines moaning and sometimes omihouslt
sllll- waiting for death ,,..,s ,,,sss,.
rbastly of face, and with the tittei
shoos Of her soul and brain expressed
nv her tunbied frock and the carelessly
byshed back and knotted masses OF .hei
hair; His arm tssy is DrIne Saef dars tosnf AM
hin And the surgeon says the spine
,nn.-and YOU see his head Oh, God! II
!. "a terrible" she said in agony. through
sbut teeth, knotting her hands together
Ia TOO tprrlDle lHhl W .
now that life is there now, and that
| they cannot hold II y ...,--
She led Peter into the sitting room
where the doctots were waiting. IhG
nurses came and went the lamps had
| been lighted. Both the. physicians rose
ee Peter came in, and he knew that
| thew had been told that this was the
man whose wife had been killed that
say Their manner expressed the sym.
| pathy they did not voice. Peter SAT
u'Ms 'fs there @ any hope?" he asked, when
Cherry had gone away on one OF the
sestless. unnecessary Journeys witn
which she was filling the endless hours
one man shook his head. ana III
silence they heard Martin ,,gasfhsr grofnhn, ~ ~
course" the older man said, doubtfuliy'
| "He Is coming opt of that hrst stupor,
| and we may be able to tell better in
| short time. The fact that he Is living
Thoughtfully and gravely they ex-
changed technical phrases. Cherrys
Chinese boy brought In tray, ard both
the other men ate and drank Peter
nodded a negative without a change OF
expression. but presently he reused him
,eif to replenish the fire. The clock
licked and licked in the stiffness.
Cherry came to the door to say DOC
4 tbr!" In a burst of tears The physi-
Ie,ans departed at once to the study. and
assist them in handling the biz frame
of the patient. Martin was thoroughly
conscious now; his face chalk white
Cherry, agonized, knelt beside the bed,
her. frightened eyes moving from face
to face.
There was a brief consultation, then
Cherry and Peter were banished.
Don't worry, dear" said one OF the
nurses, coming out of the sick room.
i TITS just that Doctor Henry thinks he
would be more comfortable If we could
get the arm and leg set You see, now
that he's conscious and is running just
little temperature"
Much feyer?" Cherry asked. sharply.
"oh, nothing at all, dear !" the nurse
that setting the arm and leg will ease
the pain and save his strength" She
hustled on fer basins, bandages and
groans occasisnally broke.
Cherry, her eyes on the, study door,
stood biting her fingers in frenzy. When
from the sousd of Martins voice she
realized that he was being hurt, she
looked at Peter in agony.
oh why do they do that-why do
they do that? Torturing him for moth.
ing" he heard her whisper. Go In
and--go In and do something" sne
urged, incoherently.
But the sounds had stopped, and there
was blessed interval OF silence The
clock on the mantel sounded s in swift.
silyery strokes, and presently a sym
palmetto nurse came silently in with
Cherry shut her eyes and shook her
head
Please. Cherry---you need IT," Peter
pleaded, carrying her smoking cup
She protested again with a gesture
the soup docilely, like n child.
you too, Peter!'' she said. suddenly
rousing herself. Peter gulped down his
own cupful, waved away the sandwiches
mat were on the tray, and took the
was sitting.
The clock presently struck the half
hour, but neither spoke. Cherry's pallor.
her air Of fatigue and bewllderment, and
sne familiar setting Of the old environ
ment made her seem a child again.
Peter watched her with a confused sense
mat the whole frightful day had been
dream once she looked up and met
He can't live" she said in a whisper
ferhaps not Peter answered very
musing. S''"'ef
We. didn't see this end to IT. did
SeG Il ~ sne V,, said with pitiful smile after
oh. no--no!" Peter said, shutting his
eyes. and with a faint, negative move
nent of his head.
We wouldn't have had this hap
psm tSambIed, ber Sherry rGo,0 began; sa Her lips
,ne @ put her hand across her eyes ana
pressed 1t there with a gesture of
ipoLioInness and sorrow that wrenched
freters heart. Her tears began TO fall
-, Poor Cherry-if I could spare vou ali
InaS, ms -, he said, knotting his fingers and
etns Tor the first time the prick of
"'tter SS tears against his eyelids
sbe "m, mere Is nothing you can do"
while ia II taaintiy and wearily after a
III OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" /"
Ihen there was silence again r-I,o
n SniipnSp pS burned SOFTLY; the fire sucked and
sadnessa a bas.n a chilling air, full of autumn
II fS the rooH Segah 8otp 70 creep from the corners
re re packs packs Of the old books, Dickens ana and
vunnack9ray and the Household RoolT nS
~ Sc moved to the faded photogranb
1sa nTtnISerrys mother on the mantel
ate nineties. VI the
MIA e stt ttoctors came back there was a
eated stLr t ana rearrangement as thev
eated themselves. 90 '''eS
.ousi,y Aiy Changer Cherry asked, eau
,.aSs aNo change" Both men shook their
TSn TSSnnyEany hope?" she faltered
word uta pnyslclans exchanged glarces No {
aces tSs spoken, but the look in their I
,ompressIno ~. "%iI %iIoWlig or eyes ana '
nswer. "po save her her
bon,%Sta S was all strange and bewI,daripg t
hius"S hines Peter, II was not like anS, /
honKsbntse hK ne mad ever connected in lie f
Ter, s"'S with Alix, yet it was all for for Q
ittle ne gay was warm and still and N. t
nd nn,uISh was packed with doSyers t
ryIpPp I packed with people. Women i1owers, ~ara c
o his his SaSa6 ina men were crying, too, rather
training tbrongbp SuLpfise: The organ was n
rabin m ana the old clergyman, whose srant ram c
now hIe9nne head, in It's crown '' ~ n
nov "s halr, Peter could see mn cI.ar oi a