The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-08-12

she had known. For days she
couldn't get used to the many pri-
vate rooms, to the smallness of
the place and the shut-inness of 1t.
She had wish to let in the sun and
air, a longing for the wide, glowing
gardens, the long corridors, the
many wards, the children and all the
surging vitality Of the place she
mad left.
Even the girls seemed older and
little SNUG.
But then Mrs. Ellis came to her,
brisk look in the fighting eyes:
How do you like us, Miss Bryce?"
Chickie was so filed with graft
tude she answered impulsively: IT m
going to love it. Oh, as soon as I
feel more familiar with things. Do
you think I'll do?"
why, my dear girl, you better
do!' She laughed.
Then Chickie wished that Mrs.
Ellis would ask her to do some i'm.
possible, fearful task-wished she
would ask her to stay up for a
whole week without sleeper, some
thing gigantic. That would prove
things!
She went about with a new fervor.
DR.. David leased her about it; called
her a hysterical little prob. He
said: Lady, lady-save your
strength-you're going to need it one
of these days on a worthwhile job"
The worthwhile job came before
Chickie was u month in the new
hospital.
OF all her experiences this re-
manned, starkest and most cruel.
1t was a child-one year old-love-
ly, with soft brown hair and long
straight lashes-like a living doll
all pink and white it lay on the ia
BILE when they prepared it for the
operation.
And they knew, almost before
starting that there was but one wild
fighting chance. Scarcely that
The baby's head was crushed. It's
own mother, herself but a girl, was
carrying it downstairs when her heel
caught. She fell forward-struck
against the banister, the child dou-
bled in her arms.
They were friends of David s-dear
friends of his.
AS he came to the operating room,
the mother followed. She caught his
hand, raising a face of white, insane
anguish, reached her arms to his
neck: David, you can David
you've got to-!
He looked at her for an instant
and bit his lips. Then he said some
thil softly and spoke to the father
who was young and now shaking
from head to foot. Chickie caught a
glimpse of the girl covering in her
husbands arms.
The door closed on an hour of
swift, luminous intensity-the heart
of life quivering and open and they
working therein-scarcely breath
scarcely a move-David's face be-
came mask-like in it's flaming con-
centration. He didn't speak-he
reached for the instruments-un4
aware of movements about him
never shifting his glance from his
work. :. .Awesome and silent-that
fight against death. -.
1t seemed to Chickie that he was
down in q pit-alone-that his face
shed light about him-that he
poured a raj ance on the still, tiny
form. She could see the brain
fancied 1t quivered under his touch
They moved the child back to the
Chickie watched that night. The
mother and father-rigid-utterly
gray knelt at the bed Every hour
the mother touched Chickie's hand
-"Alive?"
Yes"
Then she would try to speak. E.
but the husband would pull her into
his arms and kiss her.
At 3 o'clock David came in. He
said: "Beth-Il stay-go and
rest. :"
She shook her head.
"Yes-You Will-.NJw come She
followed-and chung to his arm.
There was that night and all the
next day. David said once to
Chickie: How in the name of God
am to tell them?"
"No hope?"
"Of course not. Better dead
now"
Yet he watched and fought. The
little face, scarcely visible through
the bandages, was quiet. Then there
was no further breath.
David stood up, his hands dropped
to his sides. The girl ran to him,
with a most awful, inarticulate cry
with fearful little animal sounds of
pain, she flung herself against him.:
"David-you didn't-not gone-oh,
Cod"
The young father caught her.
They were wound in each others
arms, clinging ard crying. The
girl collapsed.
Chickie had to wrap the child.
Hardest of all sad things she had
ever done. She looked at the little
still face-so lovely with the char