The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1922-01-14
Unselfshness Of
Helen
BY JANE OSBORN

o'sssssssssss>s ssssssssssssssssssssssssss,s,.sS
western Newspaper Union
Poor Bill. It's bad enouoh - !,
lald up in the hospital with q stro;,o,
mice, sprained ankle and a dislo
eateo shoulder blade, but to have i,
happen the week before Christina,
AMOUNTS to tragedy"
oucil was the refrain of the mem
VI the set to which Bill Stan
Ton belonged when they talked owe,
.hat motor mishap which every one
Knew, but no one said. was due y
Oh, stanton's reckless speeding. Had
- oeeli any one whit less popular
nan blli, they would have said: 81
.oiu MIN so.' But Bill was well be.
'oVed among his friends, almost as
mucl as his mother, who had spoiled
nm amazingly since his babyhood.
AS long as they all knew that Bill
wasn't badly damaged sometimes thew
almost smiled over his mishan Il
seemed almost funny to think of hip
impatient, irrepressible Bill Stanton
stretched out on a hospital bed with.
doubtless, some wisp Of white-frocked
nurse commanding obedience with a
gesture or a single word. For Of
course, ne would have to obey or
oers at st. Johns. Discipline among
patients as well as nurses was very
severe at st. Johns.
AT first, Of course, there was a
Iever-probably the first that Bill had
ever experienced in his charmed life.
ana BIZ was delirious, which gave
BITS dOting mother an excuse to sit
pv MS side for an entire night, a pro-
cedure that certainly would not have
been allowed had Bills condition been
In any way serious.
There was a red-headed slip of a
nurse whom they called Sister Helen
on duty III the private corridor where
Bill had been taken. There were no
special nurses available in the town.
and none could be imported from the
nearest big city until the morning, and
this little red-headed girl that bore
herself with such pert self-control was
obviously only a probationer. For she
wore no cap. When Bill tried to rise
from his high bed in his delirium his
mothers pleas were in vain, but this
very young nurse, who fitted back and
forth from room to room, ordered him
with look Of her arched eyebrows.
Once when she had squashed Bills
to leave his hospital bed
that night he looked quite nationally
at his mother by his side.
TITS because she has red hair that
she can manage me So" he said. 1T
Is red, isn't itr'
Every red," said Bills mother ten
1erly.
you remember that other red
haired girl" he went on, becoming not
20 rational, you know, mamma" Bill
hadn't called her mamma since he was
/ small boy. "You know her, she was
lust like this one. You know, she used
% boss me around the same way, you
know, mamma. She slapped my face
,nce. I didn't mind the slap, but the
hought that she dared to do It. What
vas her nameY
'Nellie Dean, guess" said the
mother. 1.-THE housekeeper's little
.irl"
"Nellie Dean," said Bill, as If
wave Of peace spread over him with
he name. Nellie Dean" Then he
eemed to be smiling to himself and
'ested as he had not rested since
lis mishap. When he opened his eyes
hey seemed still peaceful. II have
'een thinking of her." he told his
mother. Il was playing with her
ust yesterday, in the attic on rainy
lay. She slapped me, and think
Used her. I guess I never told you
hat, and here she is again. It is
yellie, I know. l think could 60 to
leep if you'd leave me and have them
urn the light out and open the win
Qw, If I knew Nellie was somewhere
o come when I rang the bell"
liz uOtACA StCPPCu ihIO lAC W.
idor to find an older nurse in a
ap just taking her seat at the desk,
lille the younger nurse with red hair
TODD beside the elevator, apparently
Ding off duty. Hospital regulations
yere nothing to Bills mother com
AIRED to the satisfaction Of Bits
ghim. It was explained that the
ounger nurse was going off. Then
ills bell sounded, loud and long. The
der nurse hurried to his room, where
pon the feverish young man told her
, get out.
81 want Nellie Dean" he cried de-
riously. Il want that red-headed girl.
he can make me mind. You can't"
Some confusion followed. There
as a telephone conversation between
,e night nurse on duty and the su-
much ranting on the part
: Bill and excited pleading on the
,rt of his mother, and finally it was
freed that the red-headed girl should
main on duty for the night.
"You see," the mother had explained
the red-headed nurse, when Bill
as little he was an only child, and ]