The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-08-10
REVEAL ATOMS OF Il WIFE
Why Thoughts of Dieky Came to
Madse at the Wounded Officers Side.
ADELE GARRISON

|
1 wonder if she's dead. I don't dare
look. Curse you, get down there!
Don't you dare to move even an eye
| lash again Will I be able to hold out
I've got to hold out, got to get her
there"
The words fell from the wounded of
ficer's lips in a hurried monotone. Over
and over again he repeated them in
the delirium which was sapping his
strength. Even the oath with which
he addressed the figure of Ernest,
which he imagined still crouching be-
fore him, had no especial emphasis.
It was the weirdest droning muttering
imaginable, and / hadn't listened to 1t
long before I felt that to stay much
longer in this room would be an I'M
endurable thing.
But the feeling was mere physical
cravenness. ALI that was decent and
grateful in me rose to combat it, to
nerve myself to the task for which the
physicians had sent for me.
They had been glad, indeed, when
Lillian had conveyed to them my will
ingness to go to the sick room without
waiting for the degree of strength
which they had set as being requisite
for the task to be imposed upon me.
And they had rushed me to the sick
room of the wounded officer that my
face might be the first thing he saw
when he awoke to one of the semi
lucid intervals which were becoming
per!Iously rare as the days went on.
Lillian had told me that even in his
periods of semi consciousness the Of
ficer worrying about me, sure that 1
had been terribly hurt. 1t was to COM
bat this hysterica1 notion that I was
seated at his bedside, listening to his
delirious utterances.
"Stroke His Forehead"
A nurse whose fair, sweet face might
have served as a model for an artist
of a beautiful saint, bent
above her patient, scrutinizing him
closely. Then she turned her head to.
me, looking at me fixedly. 1t was a full
half minute before comprehended the
reason for her scrutiny, realized that
she wished me to do something, but
could not tell me orally for fear of dis
turbing the man on the bed.
I gathered myself together and let
my eyes answer hers with intelligence.
Then she reached out her hand and
with a gesture showed nae that she
wished me to take in mine the restless |
fingers of the muttering sick man.
1 obeyed her, REFRESHING with diff |
Guilty a start at the burning heat Of |
he twitching fingers that 1 clasped in |
nv left hand, which was nearest him. |
The muttering stopped for second |
Or two, and the hot, restless fingers |
too hoo n
again, but more slowly, and with long |
sr spaces between the words:
The nurse raised herself cautiously, |
With her fear Of disturbing her patient
evidently somewhat lessened. She
,ent to my ear:
"Stroke his forehead" she muir
nured in the breath like murmur
which only a good trained nurse or an 7
.ctress can effect.
In almost any other circumstances
hould have felt pre- eminently foolish
+ this command. But there was some
hing about this helpless, wounded
nan to whom I owed my life and lib
rtv. which called for any service l
ould render him.
Still holding his fingers closely, 1
lipped to my knees beside the bed, for
n that posture I could best perform
he service the nurse had asked OF me,
nd with my right hand began strok-
ny the thick brown hair back from his
OF forehead.
The hack part of his head was
wathed in bandages, but his foreheao
nd his face were unscathed, and had
n opportunity to study his features
losely.
Rut NV eyes were so blurred with
hidden mist that 1 could hardly see
10 face that had so stirred my mag
,ation and my gratitude.
For as my hand touched his fore
aad INV memory-cruelly faithful
emf hack to the many, many times l
ad smoothed Dickys heaoaches away
, this same manner.
Where Is Oicky?
Where was my husband now anu
hat was he doing!
The excuse of illustrations Tor an
Walton serial which he had gwen me
adn't convinced me. His WORDS anu
IS actions when he had told me Oh MS
roposed trip with only suitcase
which might take weeks, perhaps
onths." had been couched In amolgu-
70 terms. shrouded with an air or
vstery. couldn't help but feel re-
ntfuI when L thought OF them'
Another thought-the old tormenting
le-this time with a new angle,
abbed me.
Again I was forced to contrast the
titude of my husband toward his
untry with that of another man.