Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-09-27
For Bobby's
Birthday
By JANE OSBORN


you'll please wear uniform and cap
In the Office" SO spoke Doctor Blair
on the first Of September when he en-
gagged Hortense Whitman. trained
nurse. as Office assistant.
There's just one thing said Hor-
tense. 1.-THE arrangement is for me to
/ be in the Office every morning, includ-
ing Sundays-with two afternoons on
week. / shall not ask for any full
days-onlys If / should be still with
you by the 18th of April I'd like to
have the whole day off,"
Doctor Blair studied the nurse as
she made this request and for the first
time realized how very young and
naive she seemed-unbelieva SO,
thought Doctor Blair, after the wear
and tear of hospital training.
1T comes on Wednesday," she
was continuing.
"Oh, that's perfectly all right. OF
course you'll still be with me. /
wouldn't take you on il / thought |
was going to have to dig up another
nurse in such short time. OF course
you'll have day off now and then
that's quite all right. Here, I'll put 1t
down on my desk pad--April 10
Day of for Miss W. Birthday, ]
supposeY'
mot my birthday" said Hortense,
and then feeling that she ought not
to 60 into matters Of personal detail
and feeling quite sure that the doctor
had asked only out Of politeness, she
said no more.
The truth was that 1t was Bobby's
birthday-and Bobby was her five
| year-old nephew 1t was for the sake
OF Bobby and because Bobby had lost
both father and mother that Hortense
Whitman had given up the career for
which she had so ardently longed.
She had planned to continue with
the hard grind Of hospital work until,
through force of perseverance and
pluck, she might some day be pro-
NOTED to the position of superintend-
ent of hospital.
They don't make hospital superin-
tendents out of pretty girls like you"
one OF the internes had teased. "Your
game is to take private cases unit,
you get millionaire bachelor or wid-
over You know thar vhy vol
studied nursing"
Hortense had been too angry to re-
ply. No one knew how deeply she felt
about becoming superintendent.
Then when her sister and her sisters
husband had gone, leaving only Bobby
and couple of Liberty bonds, Hor-
tense tucked away her dreams. She
must be father and mother both to
Bobby. She must make home for
him where she and he could be to-
/ gether.
| It would be wrong, she was sure, to
send him off to some school. So Hor-
tense took a quick course in short
hand and typewriting, which, with her
hospital work, qualified her as doc
to-s assistant. In her own town there
were no doctors who were sufficiently
important to require trained nurse
as an asslstant-mOst of them had
no assistant at all. So Hortense
packed her own and her nephew's
things and started off to the big city
where she would find her opportunity.
Doctor Blair, though not much past
thirty, had already won renown as a
child specialist. And this had made
Hortense especially glad to work for
him. II anything happened to Bobby,
she assured herself, Doctor s.e.r
would be willing to advise her.
Hortense had taken little fat not
far from the Doctors Office and she
had found good private school where
she made arrangement to have Bobby
cared for after school hours until her
| duties at the Doctors Office were over.
Once when Bobby had acquired a
black eye and another time when he
had been rather painfully scalded on
the arm through too great eagerness
to examine the mysteries Of the radia-
tor in Hortense's little apartment, it
was necessary to consult the doctor.
On the latter occasion the doctor had
| to call at the little fiat to see the boy.
And on these few occasions the doctor
had come to know and like the young
ster Immensely.
It was Tuesday, the 14th Of April.
After afternoon Office hours the doc
| tor sat at his desk consulting his en-
gagement pad to see what was on foot
for the remainder Of the afternoon.
Miss Whitman" he called to Hor-
tense, who was sterilizing some instru-
ments in the little operating room adj
Joining. "you know you're TO have a
day off tomorrow. It's the 18TH"
us it quite all righty' asked Hor-
tense shyly, coming into the doctors
Office. II don't want to inconvenience
you
rive made no appointments for to-
morrow said the doctor, 80 shall
be able to manage. OF course shall
miss you" He looked intently at Hor-
tense, but she had turned her head, 50
their eyes did not meet.
~ 4 L