The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-19
CHAPTER LXXVII.
The OpegaAiOn.

They brought Jake to the hos
pital. The magnificent form lay
still; the black, flashing eyes
closed.
AS they put him on the bed,
Chickie heard in q faint call:
''Helena-Helena--"
Pain made her mute with its
memories. That time he came in
his greatness to stand at her
side; the kingly way he stopped
to kiss her hands.
She closed her fingers over his,
whispered: I'm here. Don't
you know me, Jake?"
The shadow Of a smile: Stay,
Helena"
David was in the room and an.
other nurse. They were dim
I forms, shadowy and unreal The
whole scene unreal, and like a
stage dream that Jake should
lie SO inert. the joyous lips white
and Strengthened.
He began to humble: "A JOLT
God, what a jolt-coming to
volt"
She patted his hand, whisper
ing with her lips near his ear:
"I know-rest, Jake. Rest, till
the morning"
Coming to her, and now they
would have been sitting in the
car, looking at waters or stars
or at the silent hills. He would
be laughing and pleading in a
rich gallant way that she should
look on him sweetly and love
him and oh. take tbs man! Why
not?
Yet here he lay, the handsome.
wooing face so quiet, 80 bloodless
and the lids Of his eyes culver
ing.
had turned over, pinning him
under the wheel. Not ten minutes
from the end Of his journey it
happened. Ten minutes more and
he would have swept off his hat
hunched his shoulders in that
cozy intimate way of his, to say:
"Do we dine together, Helena,
my darling?"
He was coming out Van Ness
when another machine. careering
wildly, crashed against him. The
driver plunged headlong to his
death. In the impact, Jake's car
overturned, prisoning him in the
wreck.
HIS chest was crushed and ribs
broken. This much David told her.
For the rest, they must wait.
Watch and wait.
She caught David's arm then:
"Wait? What for?'
SET don't know"
"Oh-but you hope-nothing
else?"
always hope"
And he sent her in to sit with
Jake, but she was not to be the
nurse on the case. She was to be
the one who would watch; the
one who would wait ..
And for hours she did this, star.
ing at his dulled and pallid cheeks,
holding his hand; praying that his
eyes would open. Now and then
he said: Helena"
"Yes-I have your hand, Jake"
"You can"
She fancied q trace Of the smil.
ing exuberance and he seemed
contented. But once he lay un.
stirring so long and his color
seemed so leaden and heavy,
she was frightened. She drew
her hand free. followed David into
the hall. saying: He's paler."
mot more SO.
what are you going to do?"
"All that can be dohe-every.
"When-why are you waiting?"
without knowing it, she was
clinging to his arm. He took her
hand gently: ITO make certain"
David, is Jake dying?" She
closed her eyes saying this, and
wished not to hear the answer.
David said: "How can 1 know?
There may be internal injuries. Go
back now, Helena. In the morn.
ing, sleep. I'll be here again in a
few hours"
AS Chiclsie turned, she noticed a
form leaning against the wall
q figure in q black cape
with q high collar Of fur. And
she would have passed without
remarking the strangeness OF this
for the whole night and all it's
incidents had the Starkness and
the terror of scenes in a dream.
Even when the figure spoke to
her and she knew It was Janina
she was not surprised. Janina
was white and moveless as a
statue. She said: "Chickie-he 10
living7'
"Jske-why; Of cOursss why are