The Monroe journal., 1921-05-24

and the grave. | had vague notion
that the door was falling over on me
and MASKING me fiat; and after that
everything Went blank.
When | came to life out OF what
seemed like an endless succession of
had dreams II was broad daylight ana
the sun was shining brightly through
some filmy kind OF curtain stun In a
big window that looked out toward the
west. | was In bed, the room was
strange and my right hand was
wrapped UP In lot of cotton ana
handaged.
| hadn't more than made the nrst
restless move before | saw sort OF
ple-faced woman in nurses cap anu
apron start to get up from where she
was sitting by the window. Before
she could come over to the bed, some
body opened door and tlp-toed ~
ahead Of nursey. | had TO blink hard
two or three times before | could real
" make up my mind that the tlp-toei
was Mnisie Ann. She looked as II she
might be the nurses understudy. sh'
had q nifty little lace cap on her thict
mop of hair. a&d | guess her aprof
was meant 10 be nursey too, only !
was frilled and tucked 10 a fare-you
well.
"You poor, poor boy" she eooed
patting my pillow just like my grand
mother used to when | was litti'
kid aud had the mumps or the measles
"Are you still roaming around In tn
Oregon woodsT'
That brought my dream, or one 0
them, back; the one about wanderin
around in a forest OF Douglas fir an
having 10 jump and dodge to keep IN
big trees from falling on me an
smashing me.
"No more woods for mine" ] sait
sort Of feebly. And then: "Wher
am II"
"You are in bed in the spare ROOF
at Cousin Basil's. They wanted
take YOU to the railroad hospital ths
night, but when they teiephoned u
here TO try TO And Mr.. Norcros
Cousin Basil went right down an
brought you home with him In the an
bulance."
"'That night you sayf" ] parrote
at was last night that the door ie
on me, wasn't itT
"I don't know anything about doc
: but the night that they found you
, burnt and crippled, lying at the 10
, OF your office stairs. was three da'
: ago. You have been out OF your he'
I nearly all the time ever since.
I Burnt and crippledf What ha
I pened TO me, Maisie Annf
4 Nobody knows: not even the dt
!. tors. We've been hoping that sor
day you'd be .able to tell us, Cal
o You tell me now, JImmlef"
$ I told her all there was to tf
Y mumbling around among the wor
e the best I could. Then she told
IS how the headquarters watchman h
{, found me about midnight: with
right hand scorched black and
N rest If me apparently dead and rea
E. 10 be buried. The ambulance surge
v had insisted, and was still lnslsti
d that had been handling a live VII
In but there were no wires at all In
4 lower hall, and nothing stronger Il
!: IN incandescent light current In
Or entire Office building.
70 "And you say I've been here ha
I" ing on by my eyelashes for three da
or What has been going on In all I
er time, Maisie Anni Hasn't anyb'
been here TO see mef
to She gave a little nod. "Everybt
4 nearly. Mr.. Van Britt has been
IN |. every day. and sometimes twice a
at He has been swfully anxious for
Of to come alive"
NV But Mr.. Norrossr i quer
mt Hasn't he been upr
ret She shook her head and turned
on face away. and she was lool
ns straight out Of the window at the
ting yr. when she asked. when
ut. the last time you saw Mr.. Norci
~ yimmisr'