Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-09-12
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
Copyright BY Kathleen Norris

| the way back, for Ellen could not
| twist her sore shoulder into her dress,
and came downstairs in her wrapper.
Her aunt and the captain prophe-
sled that 1t would get better immedi-
ately, and day or two went by. Ellen
lay patiently through the long day
time hours, and wept with pain in the
night.
Mrs. Baldwin persisted that 1t was
either a cold In the shoulder. or a
"wranch," or 'the stiffneck." But she
sent Joe for the doctor after break
fast, and Ellen felt better when she
knew Joe had gone. Her aunt aired
the dining room, anticipating the call,
and had everything in order long be-
fore nine. But it was almost noon
when the busy doctor came in.
That was the beginning. Ellen, who
had never been in doctors hands be-
fore, smiled up at him uncomfortably
as his skilled fingers pressed and ex-
| plored. She made rueful face when
she heard her fate. She must lie alb
solutely still for an inspected num-
Der of days. perhaps a week. Mrs.
Bradley afterward told some init
mates that she mistrusted Ellen was
In for bad spell when Doctor Older,
who was fresh from the city hospital
himself, said that he was going to see
an old doctor in the city who was
spine authority In day or two and
discuss Ellen's case with him.
The preliminaries Of a long Illness
are almost always wretched for the
patient. Ellen was suffering acutely,
she was mystified and shocked, and
| she was heartsick at the hideous pos
sibility she suspected under the young
doctors frankly troubled manner. Joe
came In to see her for a few minutes
twice day, her grandfather once, her
aunt kept the room clean, and brought
her trays she could hardly touch.
Fevered, restless, dazed with lack of
sleep and with the effect of the medi-
cine that controlled the worst of the
pain, she would stare at them duly.
Gradually she reached the second
stage, and, If hope died within her
| then, as to the future, at least she
found the present more bearable. Not
as whole, for her soul shrank from
the horror of the thought that she
might never walk free and young
through the garden, and into Main
street again.
A few days before Christmas the
New York specialist came down, and
was friendly and informal to a de-
gree that enchanted Aunt Elsie. He
could say little more than Doctor
| Older. Miss Latimer had done some
thing mysteriously harmful to one of
the delicate vertebrae at the very base
of the brain. 1t was an unusual case.
The girl quivered into the invalid's
invariable question.
''Doctor-do you think-can you
give us any idea-it can be cured,
| can't it7'
almost anything can be cured.
Doctor Older tells me that you want
to be an artist" said the specialist for
answer. "Now, there's nothing to pre-
vent you from going right on with your
work here. Get out your pencils, and
don't bother your head about your
| backl You're not having SO much
pain, now"
"Not unless I move" Ellen faltered,
feeling the tears of bitter disappoint-
ment press behind her eyes.
Doctor Older Immediately began to
discuss sort of harness he was hav-
ing made for the neck, and when the
city man had highly approved this ex-
pertinent, the two went away. Only
Ellen knew the bitter desolation they
left behind them; and the long hours
in the night she lay sobbing over what
in her dark hour she thought the
death of hope.
although It's ugly BROWNIES, pressing
up against her white face, was hurt
to her girlish pride. And on Christ
mas day, with Joe's help, the doctor
moved her down to the dining room,
where a wide couch had been placed
for her.
After that she came downstairs
every day, and Aunt Elsie and Joe
helped her tenderly upstairs every
night. And there were hours, whole
days sometimes between the moods of
revolt and resentment, when she
found new, odd flavor Of Joy in her
life.
Almost every hour something took
her thoughts to Gibbs Josselyn and
the adventurous day that had been
her last day free from pain. At first
1t had seemed that he must know,
that he had a right to know, what the
accident had cost her. She longed--
ah, how she longed, for his splendid
concern and sympathy. There were
whole hours when she lay and
dreamed of 1t, his shock, his horror,
his visits, and his flowers.
Sometimes the wording Of the letter
che Enouu aho uOt1Id MT xurffa f7tftod