The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-12-12

sAAS H@Au
shoulder blade; but to have It hap
pen the week before Christmas
amounta' TO tragedy"
snch was the refrain OF the mem.
! bsrB OF the set to which Bill Stan
ton belonged when they talked over
that motor mishap which every
one knew butfno one said was due
70 Bill etanton;B reckless speeding
Hadsit been any n a whit less
popular than Bill they would have
aid, Il told him So" but Bill was
ven beloved among his friends al.
most as much rs by his mother'
&who had spoiled him amazingly
since his babyhood.
AS long aB they ali kne Wthat
Bill wasn't badly damaged come
times they almost smiled over his
mishap. It seemed almost funny
to think OF big. impatient, TIRE
ispregSible Bill Stanton stretched out
Gin q hospital bed With frocked
nurse commandiu: obedience with
a gesture or a siiiglo word. Fpr. OF
Sconrse ne woulG have to obey or.
ders at St. johns. Discipline
among patients as well as nurses
was yery severe at St. Johns.
AZ first, Of course, there was a
fever probably the first that Bill
had ever experienced in his charm
cd life. And Bill was Gellrous'
which gave Bills doting mother an
exCuse to sit by his side for an en-
,3tire night, a procedure TINT cer:
stalnly would not have been allowed
had Bills condition been III my
WAY serious,
There was . 80 re%lod slip Of a
sArge who NTH oiled Sister
"a on duty ia tie private corri-
dor where Bill had been taken.
There were no special nurses avail
able in the town and zone could be
imported from the nearest big city
d until tho morning. And this little
rcd haired girl that bore herself
with such a pert self control was
obviously only a probatloner. For
she wore no cap. When bill tried
TO rise from hts high bed in his
sdeIIrum his mothers pleas were in
vainS hut this very young nurse
who fitted back and forth from
r6om to room, ordered him with a
look Of her aTched eyebrows.
Once when. she had squashed
Bfll's ambition to leave his hospi-
tai bed that. night he looked quite
IA donally at his mother by his side.
h'It's because she has red hair.
THAT she can manage me so" he
said. SIT Is red isn't it|"
Very red,'' said Bills mother,
tenderly.
.Tou remember that other red
haired girl" he went on, becom-
fng not SO rational, "you know.
namma." But had called her ma
INA since no was a small boy. "fou
know her, she vas just like this
one You know, she used to boss
me around the same way, you Know
mamma. She slapped my face
once. / didn't mind tho slap, but
the thought that slle dared to do
it, What was her name?"
"NeIlie Dean, l guess" said the
mother. @The housekeeper's little
Nellie Dean said Bit as il a
wave Of peace%Spread over him
with the name. "Nelll6 Dean"
] Then he seemed to b a.smilng to
y himself and rested as he had not
rested since his mishap. When he
opened his eyes they seemed still
peaceful. i have been thinking 4
her. he told his mother. II was
playing With her just yesterday in
the attice on a rainy day. She
slapped me, and think I kissed
her. / guess ! never told you that,
and here she is again. 1t is Nellie,
i know. Isthink I could go to sleep
81 you'd leave me and have them
turn the light out and open the
window, g. knew Nellie was some
where to come when | rang the
The mother stepped into the cor.
ridor, to I'm dan older nurse in a
cap Just taking her seat at the
desk, while tho younger nurse with
AIRED hair stood beside the elevator,
apparently going off duty. Hospital
regulations were nothing to Bins
mother compared to the sattsfac-
ton Of Bills whtm. 1t vas explain.
ed that the young nurse was going
OFF. Then Bill's bell sounded, loud,
and long. The older nurse hurried
to his room, whereupon the fever
ish young man told her to get out.
II want Nellie Dean" he cried
d~eliriously. ~. want that red head.
ed girl. She can make me mind,
you can't"
Come confusion followed. There
y was q telephone conversation be-
tween the night nurse on duty and
the superintendent, much ranting
~ the part Of Bill and excited
| pleading on the part OF his mother
and finally It was agreed that the
red haired girl should remnin on
duty TOR the night.
'Ffou see" tho mother had ex.
planned to the red haired nurse,
when Bill was littls he was an
only child and I suppose he was
spoiled. He was very headstroug,
nd really nom OF the children In
TIE uGghborhood dared to inlay
with him. He was so big and bois-
ferrous. All boy from tho start. I
had 4 houSekeeper for q while and
che had o little whip Of a red hair:
I'D iaSSte thab-well, she slapped
Bill In the taco and Douted and he
gtoed the mark. She was the first
n TbF1S Ia away UYAVed With 7 tyan$