The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-04-29
could you come, ma'am? He says a.
how all of us are ali dsad-oh, please.
Mrs. Harrington" N

"AN right said Phyllis sIeepily,
dropping to the floor as b spoke
with the rapidity that only the alarm
clock broken know. She snatchet the
neeiigee around her, and thrust her
feet hastily into the blue satin slip
pers-why. she was actually using her
wedding hnery. and what an easily
upset person that man was! But Y
erybody in the house seemed to have
nerves on edge. 1t was no wonder
about Allan-he wanted his mother, of
course. poor boy. She felt. as she
Z ran f1eet!y across the long room that
separated her sleeping quarters from
her husbands. the same mixture of
pity and timidity that she a felt
with him before. Poor boy! Poor,
silent, beautiful statue, with his one
friend gone, She opened the door
and entered swiftly into his room.
She was not thinking about herself
at all. only of now she could help
Allan. but there must have been
something about her of the picture
book ans ii to the pain rached Ia
lying tensely at length in the rooms
darkest corner. Her long. duly gold
hair. looseniug from its twist, few
out about her, -and her face was still
flushed with sleep. There was a
something about her that was wildly
aiight and alive, perhaps the light in
her blue eyes.
From what the man had said Phyl-
lis had thought Allan was delirious,
but she saw at nee that he was only
IN severe pain, and talking more dis
commercially, perhaps, han the slow
minded E~ng!ishman could follow. He
did not look like a statue now. His
cheeks We're burning with evident
pain. inc his yellow brown eyes. wide
open. and dilated to darkness. stared
straight out. His hands unc!enching,
and his head moved restiessly from
she could see, was nut
They're all dead" he muttered.
Father and mother and Lou:se-and
I-oDly I'm not dead enough to. bury.
Oh, God. 1 wish I was,"
That wasn't delrium; it was some
thing more like heart break. Phyllis
moved closer to him, and dropped one
Of her sleep warm hands CD his cold,
clenched one
"Oh, poor boy!" she said. Tn so
sorry-so sorry" She closed her
hands tight over both his.
some of her strong young vitality
must have passed between them and
helped him, for almost Immediately
his %tenseness relaxed a little, and
he looked at her.
They go around-like-like "a
vault
She had caught his attention.! That
vas a good deal. she felt. She forgot
everything about him, except thai he
was some one to be comforted, and
her charge. She sat down on the bed
by him. still holding tight to his
hands.
NO, indeed" she said, bending
nearer him, her long loose hair fall
ing forward about her resolutely
smiling young face. Don't you re-
member seeing me? l never was a
nurse
"What-are you?" he asked feebly.
"I'm-why, the children call me the
Liberty Teacher" she answered. 1t
occurred to her that it would he bet
ter to talk On brightly at random than
risk speaking of his mother to him,
as she must il she reminded him Of
their marriage. II spend my days in
a basement, making bad little boys get
so interested in the higher culture
that they'll forget to shoot crap and
smash windows:
One OF the things which aided Phyl-
lis to rise from desk assistant to one
Of the children's room librarians was
a very sweet and carrying yoice-a
voice which arrested even a child's
attention, and held his interest. It held
Allan now: merely the sound Of II,
seemingly.
Go on-talking," he murmured.
Phyllis smiled and obeyed.
Sometimes the higher culture
dosn't work." she said. Yesterday
n of my imps got hold Of a volume
of Shaw. and in half an hour his aunt
marched in on me and threatened I
don't know what to a library that
taught chilren to disrespect their
lawful guardeens.'"
7 remember now" said Allan.
You are the girl IN the blue dress.
The girl mother had me marry. /
remember"
YES" said Phyllis soothingly, and
a little alphabetically. 81 know. But
that-oh. please, 1t needn't make q
bit Of difference. 1t was only SO I
could see that you were looked after