The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-03-04
A BELATED GIFT
BY JENNIE LITTLE.

w rf'H hHe VI tfttfUlNtf ~ VI
"r'ernlned To transform ils grim wallis
ana quiet corridors. with their suggc..
uohS OF dread and pain. inlo elnnl.
hss "f hope, md Victory. THE ,olnr.
est doctor ON the stan, ienslngly
dubbed The Infant hy his older col.
leagues, rounded n corner aud bumped
rquarely Into u pile ~ fresh linen. car.
ried by the Youngest nurse.
" "A thousand mrions" he cried
al iovlnlly. christmas has gone TO M,
head, NJ usual. m. top q ih~ morn.
Ing after Ia you, Miss tnlledgc Tee
1 love the whole world TODAY, even the
cranky old downgcr In room o.
"Becnnse whyy The only glrl sald
Yes, last night. and In three months
more. no lonesome bachelor quarters.
but a little Home. Sweet Home for
mine. Gee Isn't Il grand and
glorious fcclngf Dd You gri hath
Your stockings full. NJ you de-eney"
He stepped suddenly, for the lille
nurse was winklng with all her might
TO keep back The tears.
"Ali We nurses" she said sohcrly.
"agreed To give all we could spare 10
the Red Grass aud Salvation Army In
hlead OF buying presents for each 9th.
ef so my slocklnKs hung all llmp and
lank, for have no other friends In the
city. am truly glad for you. Doctor
OConnor," and she hurried away.
Later. detailed for special duty in
room D Nurse Ruiledge walked softly
10 the bedside and Ibid a plying hand
above the handaged eyes. for she
couldn't seem too harden her heart
against suffering. rs they told her she
Should Ia nuke Il success. "MedIcine |
fifne.' she announced cheerlly: then |
taught her breath as n fey water had |
struck her. and went all iremhly. like
4 little poplar leaf In n storm.
Kit" cried the patient. half i'm.
ploringly. half incredulously. Little
hitl Answer! Il IL youf" and with
bis free hand Tried 10 tear the band.
bye on.
"Mr. Rand. don't risk your sight :"
fhe begged In horror. "Oh. why dld I
fver come here? How did You get
furt like ihisf7
me one good hand had found hers
pow nnd held II n helpless prisoner.
Kit. why did you run away? Every
gny since have been searching, but
lonldn't uncover fle ghost Of n trail
MS morning little kid was ont try-
pc his Christmas sled and shot right
y front of n loaded truck. He wasn't
nrt hut ] got u broken arm and leg.
nj something happened TO my eyes. h
THE only thing minded was TO he
elayed In finding You, and after all II ,
III me straight where you were. Won. ,
erful! Npw tell me something or T :
pan raise riot and bring down ever
isting disgrace upon ihe rules OF this !
hospital. What was the troubley' I
She gulped hard. for the words tried 4
stick In her throat unspoken. d
'four Cousin Nora told me. that day
ou Vent To Chicago, that II was ont.
ige0us for my father to saddle Won 4
IN the care Of me. at my age. and
ersbody knew IL was lust scheme
get y0u for my husband instead of
iarllan. And she said that your
OTTER, though she was so good 10 me,
al long ago set her heart on having
ora as her daughter-n-law and | q
ould make her very unhappy If I was
G cause of trouble between you. SO =
st because | loved your mother
VI you-so much, and because | was Ii
banned, ran away" 81
"0h, woman. wohan," groanpd the b
an. "1 always knew She had hid "
arp claws under that soft fur. but II
Int think she would stoop 10 catty
IS. And YOU believed them! Have
,u been happy away from us fool u
little girl?'
mot Il single minute" she, con. tf
ssed, "and sometimes I have almost il
Even up and asked you to take me Ii
ok again. I've washed floors and :,
! oflped at terrible operations and the
ly thing that carried me through Nv
is the thought Of doing it for your c'
3D." h;
"Kit," said the man. "in my coat a,
Pcket Is Il ring which I have carried | in
er since | came from Chicago think D.
X TO pul it on yo,lr finger that night.
II, you find it for me- please, and let
| put II there now? And as soon as ~
am mended, will you marry me, and to
|se me home? Mother IS longing for fiji
u. The first week you came there st
|Ie told me that nothing could make "a
r happier than to have you for a :;
ughter.'
But Nora said Kit, perplexedly
le patient laughed. III
|n"It was only case of the dog in tn
manger. dear Besides, she mar lbe
I III rich old Ezra Lakeman month q,
10. Are you bringing me the ring? !,
ist | get up temperature before :.
obeyed? And listen. A normal o'
|hn, being engaged. is entitled TO Ell
lis, but man who is down, with en-
lily one leg, one arm and no eyes. ch
Its two, without being charged with tn
|lphteering." II,
When Doctor O'Connor entered the
pm, the nurse was industriously
bdying chart, but in her.eyes were w
Thousand dancing lights and in her on
Heeks the tints Of the trailing ar liy
xr,I,fl h., | =