The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-01-09

an autobiography.
In spite of noises without, he
/ drowsed again. not knowing that he
| did and when he opened his eyes the
nurse was just rising from her cot.
| He took no pleasure in the sight, It
may bS said. She exhibited to him
a face mismodelled by sleep, and set
/ Ike a clay face left on its cheek IN
hot and dry studio. She was still
/ only in part awake. however, and by
| the time she had extinguished the
night-light and given her patient his
| tonic, she had recovered enough pIas-
ticity. We'll, isn't that grand! We've
had another good night" she said as
she departed to dress in the bath
room
Yes, you had anotherr' ha re-
torted. though not until after she had
closed the door.
Presently he heard his daughter
moving about in her room across the
narrow hall. and so knew that she
! had risen. He hoped she would come
in to see him soon. for she was the
one< thing that didn't press on his
nerves, he felt; though the thought
of her hurt him, as, indeed, every
thought hurt him. But 1t was his
wife who came first.
She wore a lank cotton wrapper.
and a crescent of gray hair escaped
to one temple from beneath the hand
kerchief she had worn upon her head
for the night and still retained; but
she did everything possible to make
her expression cheering.
"Oh, you're better again, I can see
that, as soon as I look at you" she
said. Miss Perry tells me you've
had another splendid night"
He made a sound of irony. which
seemed TO dispose unfavourably Of
Miss Perry. and then. in order to be
more certainly iutelhble. he added.
She slept well, as usual
But his wife's smile persisted. IT'S
a good sign to be cross; it means
you're practically convalescent right
now"
oh. 7 am. am I?'
mo doubt n the world" she ex-
claimed. why. you're practically a
well man. Virgil-all except getting
your strength back, Of course, and
that isn't going to take long. You'll
be right on your feet in a couple of
weeks from now"
oh. I will?"
"Of course you will" She laughed
briskly. and, going to the table in the
/ corner Of the room. moved his glass
+ of medicine an inch or two, turned
a book over so that it lay upon its
other side. and for a few moments
occupied herself with similar utilities.
having takeni on the air Of a person
who makes things neat. though she
produced no such actual effect upon
them. "Of course you will" she re.
peated. absently. You'll be as strong
| She paused for a moment, not look
| in gat him, then added, cheerfully.
so that you can fly around and find
something really good TO get into"
/ Something important between them
| came near the surface here, for
though she spoke with what seemed
| but a casual Cheerfulness, there was
a little betraying break in her voice,
a trembling just perceptible in 3
! utterance of the final word. And she
! still kept up the affectation of being
Lhelpfully preoccupied with the table,
and did not look at her husband
perhaps because they had been mar
ried so many years that without look
/ ing she knew just what his expression
would be, and preferred to avoid the
! actual sight Of it as long as possible.
/ Meanwhile, he stared hard. at her, his
/ lips beginning to move with little dis
tortions not lacking in the pathos of
a sick mans agitation.
$50 that's it," he said. That's
what you're limiting at"
/ 'Hinting?" Mrs. Adams looked sur
prised and indulgent. why, I'm not
doing any limiting. Virgil"
What did you say about my find
/ ing something good to get into?' "
he asked, sharply. Don't you call
that hinting?"
Mrs. Adams turned toward him
now; she came to the bedside and
would have taken his hand. but he
| quickly moved it away from her.
You mustn't let yourself get
nervous" she said. But Of course
when you get we'll there's only one
/ thing to do. You mustn't go back to
that old hole again."
"'Old hole?' That's what you call
it. is it," In spite of his weakness.
anger made his voice strident, and
upon this stimulation she spoke more
urgently.
You just mustn't go back to it.
] -
and you know it isn't"
Don't tell me what I know,
pleaser
She clasped her hands, suddenly
carrying her urgency to plaintive en-
/ treaty. Virgil. you won't go back
to that hole?"
That's a nice word to use to mer'
| he said. Call mans business a
hole"'
Virgil. if you don't owe it to me
TO look for something different, don't
| you owe it to your children? Don't
tell me you won't do what we all want
you to. and what you know in your
heart you ought to. And if you have
! got into one of your stubborn fits
and are bound to go back there for
no other reason except to have your
| own way, don't tell me so, for 1 can't
| bear it,
He looked up at her fiercely
| You've got a fine way to cure a
| sick man. he said; but she had con
cluded her appeal-for that time-anC
| inst9d of making any more words in
the yhatter. let him see that there