The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-08-29
REVELATIONS
OF A WIFE
az ADELE GARRISON.

What the Wounded Officer Demanded Of
the Inferno.
''You wished to see me?"
A quiet voice with a subtle note Of
authority in 1t sounded behind me.
looked up startled to see a slight, rather
good looking young inferno standing be-
hind my chair. The nurse, with an in
scrutable little smile in her eyes which
I hotly resented, stood little back Of
him. Neither the wounded officer nor I
had hear dthem come into the room.
recognized at once that the question
had not been addressed to me, and drew
back into my chair-I might say "shrank
back" for I found myself unaccountably
embarrassed at the whole situation
with my face turned expectantly toward
the sick man.
To my great surprise the young Of
ficer, he Of the calm face and chilled
steel nerves, was visibly confused for the
fraction of a minute He evidently
hadn't given another thought to the mes
sage he had sent the inferno since the
moment he succeeded in getting the
nurse out of earshot by means of the
! subterfuge.
But he was equal to the situation He
hesitated only second or two, then
spoke with the same air of resolution he
had used in addressing the nurse:
Eyes, do. I want to know when I
can get out of here"
"YoU MUST BEHAVE"
Not even the professional calm of
nurse and inferno was quite able to veil
the surprise which sprang into their eyes
at the wounded mans words. Their pa
tient had been so hard case to handle
in his weakness and delirium that think
they had lost sight Of tho part that his
force of win would play in his recovery
when he should choose to exercise it.
The inferno recovered his professional
poise almost instantly, however.
THAT is matter for some delibera-
tion," he said pleasantly. you've been
pretty sick man, you know"
The wounded man snorted-T can call
1t nothing else-and I was suddenly and
irresistibly reminded of Dicky when any
one opposes q course upon which he has
set himself.
Deliberations" he calculated. and I
felt intuitively that If the nurse and
hadn't been present, forciblbe expletive
would have been added to the word. at
strikes me there's been all the delibera-
ton going on around here that one man
needs. I want to get out of here to-
morrow, and I want you to fix me up
something that Will put me on my feet.
fancy these beauty spots are getting
along well enough to let me out of here"
lie put up his hand and touched the
bandages on his head. The inferno
stepped over to the bed. sat down. and
put his fingers upon the officers pulse.
The sick man attempted to snatch his
hand away petulantly. but saw with in
ward amusement that the internes slen-
der fingers were muscular enough to
keep the others wrist prsoned.
eff you want to get out OF here tomor-
row-week." the inferno said with slow
firmneSs, ''you must behave yourself
waited with trepidat;on, and I think
the nurse shared my tremcrs, for the ex-
plosion which l was sure would follow.
But to my surprise the sick man made
no comment and no further struggle. Per-
haps he remembered his years of mil
itary discipline realized the necessity of
submission to medical authority. and was
a bit ashamed OF his ebullition of tenn
per. At any rate. he was as meek as
the proverbial lamb during the next few
minutes, while the inferno tested his
pulse, temperature and respiration, and
made thorough inspection Of his heart
ana lungs.
~ GO TOMORROW"
But as the inferno stepped back a paz-
lied expression breaking his professional