The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-10-26

wanted to cry, looking at them; she
was afraid that she would. and set her
jaw hard, to control its trembling.
Whitman approached the nearest
cot, and bent over a man who lay
there: he radiated vitality and help
fulness "Can do anything for your"
he asked. rs there anything you
wantY
Il want my dinner" the patient an
swered ungraciously. II can't relish
mOlasses."
Il thought you might like to write
to your folks"
write home? To Massachusetts?
I'd like that first rate. but there's no
paper, and anyway, l can't see. The
id Johnnies got my eye"
Ann moved uncertainty forward.
"Oh, please let me write for you," she
gasped; and she wrote, at his dicta-
ton, how her patient had been hurt
in street fighting in Baltimore, and
how he would like to be at home again.
Her nerves steadied somewhat under
this occupation. and when she had fin
ished, her amazing new friend had dis
appeared. Following his example, she
made a list of the things the men
wanted, and promised to bring them
on the morrow.
There seemed no end to the things
she could do, and when Fanny's moth
er found her she was so deeply i'm
mersed in her new service that she
simply paid no attention to her horri-
fed protests. After an interval Mr..
COrtlandt arrived, ominously stern
looking, but when he found Ann sit
ting by the bedside of a white youth
whose operation doomed close ahead
of him, reading aloud the last install
ment Of "The Adventures of Phillip"
he could not take her away.
The operating room was overcrowd-
ed and passing nurse whispered to
Ann to keep her patient amused, as it
would be a long time before they
would be ready for him. Amused!
Ann looked pitifully down at the boy
screwed shut, and his lower lip caught
tight in his teeth; agony was plainly
written on his face. With an unac-
customed hand that trembled, she
mopped his face with her handker-
chief.
She brought him water to sip, and
bathed his face and wrists until his
tension relaxed somewhat She coaxed
his mothers name from him and wrote
little message for her, more hers
than the dying boys.
After while lie said, 81 wish you
would go on reading to me. l like the
sound of your voice" Ann continued
her reading; but she turned page after
page, with no idea of what she read.
Presently, when the dark was begin
ming to gather in the corners of the
room, and the attendants had lighted
the lamps on the mantel, the doctor
came. When he saw her, he walked
across to her, and leaned over the
cot. How long have you been read
ing?" he said.
81 don't know. Hours, 1 think"
"You can stop, now"
The magazine dropped to the floor
with little crash. yet the figure on
the cot did not stir. "Is he dead?"
Ann whispered.
The doctor nodded, and beckoned an
orderly over to him. "We'll get him
out while the men are eating their
supper. Did you have any trouble
with him?'
Ann shook her head. She could not
believe that while she had sat so close
to him, death had snatched him away.
She was tremulous and shaken He
did not look different, she thought,
and yet, everything was changed. /. !.
He was no more. Her lips whis-
pered the words stupidity. 1t was
incredible.
You'd better go home," the doctor
advised. you've done a good job
here. When are you coming back?"
AIMS eyes dropped to the still form
the orderly was covering with sheet
1t seemed ar Indefinitely long
time ago that work in the hospital
had looked like a desirable adventure.
She shivered uncontrollably. ITO
morrow she said, her voice very
low.
The safe pleasantness of the Wash
ington square house enveloped her in
peaceful restfulness. All the way home
she had been planning what she could
say to the dead boys mother; that
task still confronted her, but she was
glad she had it to do. She put out her
hand to ring the bell, but before she
could sound its friendly jangle the
door was flung open and there was
Mrs. Renneslyer on the threshold.
Il. know all about where you have
been, miss" the lady cried, and swept
the Girl into the library whore Mr.