Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-07


apt to induce violent nausea and re-
act most unfavorably on the pa
TENT
Every we'll"
"Shes not rallying at all satisfac-
torily, is she?"
Doesn't seem to be. I imagine
It's the long morphine history back
of this accident that will prove the
determining factor here. When l was
nursing the Emergency, three years
ago, or so, saw a great many acct
dent cases. The prognosis was uni
formly bad with morphine addicts.'
The superintendent nodded.
Eyes" she, "that seems to be
| the rule" She paused a moment
then added: Il didn't know you'd
ever done hospital work before. What
made you leave it?"
"Oh," answered the girl, ''just
lack Of money. Father died; I had
to take hold. That meant giving up
everything. It's all right, / suppose
only I wish I could have g-adu-
ated." =,
The superintendent, her casual in
terest exhausted, looked back at her
report
TN afraid number eight is going"
she murmu-ed, regretfully. THAT
will make three, this week, so far"
Her pride distressed by an unfav-
orable showing in the st. Philips
statistics, she once more bent to her
writing.
sill
come. withdrew. Presently she was
back In the ether re,ek at the dying
woman's bedside, with a tumbler of
dressings, her clay-fued cheeks caved
tube.
Gee! That's the goods!" gasped
Lalia, turning her sunken and lack
luster eyes-dead, now, as fishs
eyes.-toward the drink. A CHASTITY
object she appeared, swaddled in
bandages that smelled Of surgical
dressings, her clay-huel cheeks caved
in, her gray streaked hair-undone
by the constant turning OF her head
from side to side--straggling OVER
the pillow. In the dim light her face
seemed already that Of cadaver;
but the dull pupils and the nervous
twitching Of the mouth, revealing the
ugly teeth, robbed from that face the
nobility which death bestaws on even
the most mean and sordid being.
"Ah!" she gulped. as she sclutched
the tube and sucked up the water
with a bubbling sound When it
was gone she relaxed, lay supine a
moment, then with skinny claw
reached feebly fo- the nure's hand
Say" she whispered, that was
great. Thanks, dealie.''
I'm glad you liked It. But you
can't have any more for while"
II won't need none. That'll do me,
till I'm gone"
She relapsed INTO silence, with
stertorous breath. Down the ward
the tinkle of bel. summoned an
other nurse, who passed with pad
pad-pad Of rubber~soled shoes. Lalia
opened her dull eyes, YEARLY, and in
the vague light pee'ed at Sylvia
you know I'm a goner," she said
hoarsely. They all know it, If T
wasn't, they wouldn't have you on
no special duty here, side O. me. I
know all about HOSPITALS, do. was
in one, six years ago, time I got rid
O. that baby. So you can't pull
nothin' on me. I'm all In"
"Shhhhl"
Il know it, tell you," continued
the woman, more and more at ran
dom in her speech. where's Dan ?
Why don't he come, wonder? DAN!
want to see Dan!''
DAM"
Somebody must ha' slipped him
the word. Punk Flora could ha'
done it. If she'd wanted to. She s
here, amt she ?"i
'Flora? Who's Flora?"
7 do0 want to go without SEEM
Dan. He's my gentleman friend. It
was his baby, but he wouldn't stand
for it. Him an me was good runnin'
partners. My old lady can stay
away. an no harm done, but I'd like
to see Dan" A great eagerness quiv-
cred in the weaking voice. Dan,
he's a wise guy, all right, an he
sticks He knows the ropes, too. I
think he's slicker than Meiny tho it
was Meiny who put me up to that
last deal mostly-him an old man
Stage, the cagy old buzzard!"
There, there" Sylvia tried to
quiet her, ,''lie still, now. and rest
'Rest?" The word came with a
strange vehemence and in a differ
ent tone. Lalia turned her eyes on
Sylvia with a steady look quite for
eign to them. "Slhha dearie, don't
talk about rest!" she whispered. mo
rest for me, with what know!"
The wandering of her mind now
for moment seemed to have given
place to nationality again. A change,
subtle yet real. had come upon that
wasted face. With an asonizing ef-
fort the woman raised herself a lit
tie on her right elbow. Bony, stark,
hideous, she stared at Sylvia.
Tell me-" she isulped. Tell me
somethin'!"
well, what is it?' asked the girl,
a little shaken in spite of all her
strength. She sat down in a chair
by the bedside and looked fixedly at
the woman of the streets and slums.
Good and evil faced each other there;
purity and soilure peered into each
others eyes. What do you want to
know? I'll tell vol, anything I can"
D'you-d'you think there's any
way could get forgiven"
'For what?'
For our last deal. That was rot
ten! I've pulled my share of deals
across. in my time, an that was all
right, too; but the last one-say!
That was DRAWN it too damn strong.
An I'd like to know if I could get
forgiven, KIND Of"
A terrible earnestness burned in
her fading eyes, like the last Goals
Of dying bed of embers