Middletown transcript., 1920-11-27
Hospital. Room
No, II
s. K; IA Il. - n - II q i5i.a.
@ ~ 5:l5s
By WILL T. AMEs

t~>~>>~>>>~~~>>~~>>
$ &c. 1920 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Miss McClintock, the businesslike
Canadian supervisor, found Nurse Pad
get coming out of the diet kitchen with
breakfast tray destined for room IA.
Nurse" said the supervisor in her
impersonal military manner, "you are
relieved. Go to the dOrmitory now
and at seven report to Night Super
visor Henry. You are to take Nurse
Bourdette's place in the women's free
ward; she is called home by the sud-
den illness Of her mother. will tnke
the tray-who is it fort"
"Room II. Very well, supervisor"
Superf1uOus conversation between
nurses and superiors was discouraged
in the hospital, particularly any dis
cussion Of explicit orders. So Nurse
Padget, surrendering the napkin-cov-
cred tray, marched like soldier down
the long corridor and the long stair
way and straight to her tiny room
in the detached dormitOry.
Evelyn Padget was in the last year
Of her training course. AS she sat at
her window abstractedly gazing out
over the city, spread clean in the morn
ing light on three sides of Hospital
Hill, it occurred to her that her new
detail carried with it something very
like an honor, for Mazda Bourdette was
head nurse in the woman's free ward,
end a two-year graduate-and never
before since Evelyn had been in the
hospital had trainer been left in
charge Of any ward, even in any emer-
gency.
Il suppose l ought to be grateful to
old McClintock," soliloQuized the girl.
Then she proceeded to demonstrate
her delight by doing something that
three-year trainers are supposed to
be all through with-she began to cry,
quietly but earnestly.
For ten days Nurse Padget had been
taking care of Hugh Norris, otherwise
and professionally designated as room
H. Hugh had brought back from
France. a silver of shrapnei mixed up
with the muscles OF his neck.
Lately the silver had been acting
queerly, and Norris doctor had decid-
ed that it had best come out Of that
before it made serious trouble for the
ex-SOldier's vertebrae. SO there had
been an operation, with much subse-
hnn1oonS Of ond
with the collateral hunger for cod
ding which every big boy marooned
on bed of convalescence experiences.
Ten days is not long in the view
point of geologist or Of an anti
quarian society But in the st. MI
hiel salient, or in the life Of lad
and a lass, it can work stupendcus
changes. Yesterday Room Fourteen
had said:
Nurse, do you know whom you re-
mind me Of? Well, it's my mother
her picture when she was girl" And
he had been very serious and earnest
about it, too, though as matter Of
fact Evelyn resembled that long gone
mother not at all.
Evelyn's heart had jumped right up
into her throat when Room Fourteen
said that, for the girl doesn't live who
can't analyze the meaning Of this par
ticular compliment. She had laughed
lightly and replied: 'Does that mean
you want sugar on your bread and but
ter? Well. you can't have it unless
the doctor says sol"
And she got herself quickly out of
the room with the luncheon things
but in the long, deserted corridor she
hastily kissed the corner of the nar
kin he had wiped his lips with.
And now Room Fourteen would be
going out, certainly inside of a week
and what chance was there of Bour-
dette's returning within that time ?
None, Of course She would not be
able to sec him again. The rigid hos
pital discipline would prevent that
and even if this were not so, how
could a self-respecting girl go throw
ing herself in patients way without
genuine reasons in the line Of duty !:
If only Mazda Bourdette's mother had
taken some other time to be i'll
At this thought Evelyn sat up very
suddenly and very straight. Mazda had
no mother! She was an orphan and
herself had told Evelyn that she had
not been on speaking terms with her
stepmother for two years. There was
something queer. then, about this sud
Gen absence of Nurse BOurdette.
Nurse Padget's Little head all at once
became perfect whirl Of exciting
speculations, as the result of which,
after she had thought and thought till
almost noon, Evelyn took her courage
in her hand and went to see the super
visor.
At one o'clock Miss McClintock wired
a certain Mrs. Georgiana Bourdette in
q neighboring state: 'Is your illness
serious enough to require presence Of
daughter?" At four came this reply !:
Have no daughter. Wouldn't let Ida
3. touch me if l was dying"
At 4:3O Miss McClintock, stern and
inquisitorial, sat in her office with
Nurse Halliburton. the prettiest girl