Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-05
lNALMA SIOUX
SCARBERRY

and she could NOS analyze ID. Later
She called IL love ut first signt-and
believed what she said.
DR.. Riley turned % the nurse, and
asked a few questions. then he
went over Janet carefully, 70 make
sure there were no injuries on her
body. ne was am physician Janet
marveled NO the way he treated her
Strange that she ala not feel em
barrassed. she thought. He was the
first man who had ever seen her
pleamin white body, which even the
drab surroundings and the coarse
hospital garment could not max
whit less lovely.
When he finished his examiua-
ton. he turned tn Miss Barnum in
a brisk husiness-like manner as
though there had been ro kidding.
"There is nothing wrong with this
Young lady. aside from the fact that
She 81 badly shaken up. and hcr
nerves are " hit under the weather
from the shock. She must stay here
III least tonight. and maybe tomor-
row. and rest up. Keep her very
quiet"
with y curt nod Or his head, Bal
lard Riley turned On his heel and
hurried from the room IN look after
his other patients.
Janet raised on one elbow and
looked after him.
"Nell. | like that. He didn't even
say goodbye, 70 70 the deuce, or
anything
The nurse raised her hands.
"Wcll. for cryin' out loudi That's
Just like a woman. Did you think
he'd kiss you goodbye 2"
well, not exactly-but, I'm used
To being babied when I'm sick She
laughed airily. with an effort to con
ccal her interest. and questioned
Miss Barnum indifferently:
"Oh- he's an old married man, J
suppose?'
Gle is notl He's a bachelor, and
sticky with money"
Janet fr0wned and broke in face
! tiously.
ooh, that's tough. Now suppose
I shall have t. fall in love with his
money"
Miss Barnum's answer was not IN
keeping with Janet's Righteousness,
She turned from her, and pulled
a shade neal the bed.
"He doesn't need money, Miss
James. Ballard Riley is one Of the
finest men / have ever known. He
is brilliant. Some day he will be a
big man. Even now, at 32, he il one
OF the biggest doctors on the staff
Janet raised her brows al the
nurse left the room quietly, and
closed the door.
well, I'm blessed! Nursie ~ hit
with the Woman Halter, too. Compe-
tition."
Janet turned on her side. She
felt sleepy and shaken. But there
was quiet and peace in the hospital.
She felt Hometown sheltered and safe.
Suddenly il struck her as humor-
Gus that che should spend her first
night in New York in a hospital bed
now that she knew she wasn't
really hurt, il seemed sort Of like an
adventure.
Anything could happen 20 one in
New York, couldn't bill? What "a
pleasant thought. Her well-ordered
life stretched before her, and Id
struck her with force how quiet ev-
erything had been. Why, She had
never spent a day in a hospital be-
fore in her whole lifel
Adventure number one! And she
had met the handsomest man she
had ever seen. How did one 70 about
to attract the attention of a man Of
the world like Riley? What could
she do? What sort Of a girl would
he like?
How foolish, she giggled to her
self. Here she was. lying in a hos
pital bed trying to figure now TO
vamp the first interesting looking
man she had met in Gotham. Then
she wondered If the town was full
Of men like him. Wouldn't it be
I glorious? Janet decided she was GO
ing to like men very much. She
had thought very little about them
before, because, in the sheltered sur
roundinEs Of Miss Briggs private
school there had been no such ami
mails.
TO BE sure, the girls had giggled
yer pictures and told wild yarns
about attractions that were thrilling
and most interesting. But they did
not touch Janet. In the mountains
there had been no boys who interest
ed her. They had seemed Of an
other world-seedy and ignorant.
She remembered the blacksmith's
boy trying to kiss her three years
before, and s~huddered. IL was y
terrible experience.
Janet had never been kissed in her
IS years Of life. Her experience was
little-but she was a bookworm.
and there was little she hadn't read