Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-10-19
ACQUIRED
Eyes MON" AND
mo NOM"
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II VIE uuClOE CuE Huu just uhANCh
away from Poker Chip ranch.
This picturesque name had
oeen bestowed by Its young pur-
chasers chiefly with an eye to the SEN
sation II would create as a letterhead
in eastern correspondence back home,
Charlotte Bowman, unprofesslonal
nurse, looked at her six feet One-half
inch OF patient and sighed. There was
something distinctly wrong with a
world where fine, outstanding young
men with bright, gold-necked green
eyes and correspondingly bright
smile drove tractors on wheat ranches,
said Eyes, mOm," and mo, mom,"
"you was" and shave saw" and played
fast-and-loose with a knife at their
meals. His manners save for few
peccadllloes at the dinner table great
ly Outclassed his grammar, which Mrs.
Maddox, her hostess and exroommate
at college, assured her was common
In western men.
Three weeks ago Mrs. Maddox, who
was bride and new to ranch life,
had rushed into her guests room with
visible excitement to announce:
1--WE have a Greek god with green
eyes for a new harvest hand"
The Greek god has been promptly
dubbed RED" by the men-not as
Mrs. Maddox had remarked, because
his hair was really red-only coppery.
And now, a few hours ago. poor
Red had been brought in from the
field with temperature Of 103b.
Typhoid, 1t looks like" the doctor
said, as he took drop Of blood from
the patients ear to send to the city
for analysis.
The sick man had been removed
from the clubhouse to the only spare
room in the ranch house; Charlotte,
as having the most leisure and the
only speaking acquaintance with
clinical thermometer, had volunteered
as nurse; hand had been laid off
from the field to administer the cold
sponges prescribed by the physician.
The patient was sleeping, Charlotte
rose softly and tiptOed out OF her
room for paper, pencil and watch. She
was to keep chart Of temperature
and pulse.
The heavy silver toilet articles and
embroidered silk klmOnO flung over
the foot of the bed were conspicuous
touches of metropolitan elegance In
the plain ranch house. As she lifted
the lid OF the jewel box on the dresser
one OF those concelts at which the
Swiss are so adept-the strains OF the
"Mlserere" floated out faint and fairy
like In tinkling melody.
For two successive days the sick
mans temperature mounted and upon
the third reached 1059S. Then he
went out OF his head and babbled Of
many things And It was borne In up,
on the amateur nurse that dellrlum
improved his grammar and that he
called upon her frequently by her
first name.
Though they had always been most
confidential, Charlotte did not men
tion these facts to her friend. Nor
had she chronlcled an encounter
week earlier with this young man at
the back gate.
After the evening meal in the cook
car, which was situated at this time
In field they were cutting about
quarter of a mile from the house. a
nelghbOr dropped In to call, and as
his conversation turned perslstently
upon equine diseases Charlotte had
slipped out unnotlced, as she thought.
to return to the house and read
book.
During the hour spent In the cook
car 1t had rained and cleared. They
dlned late during harvest at Poker
Chip ranch, and when Charlotte
emerged the stars were struggling
with the clouds. AS she was brought
to sudden halt by puddle some
eight feet long completely filling the
gateway. she was debating the posi-
blity Of scaling the fence in her mar
row skirt when suddenly from the
shadows there doomed up a stalwart
silhouette
"No, indeedl" returned Charlotte
firmly.
Before the protest was well out of
her mouth she was lifted up and half
across the little pond.
"Thank you, Red she murrnured
with dignity tinctured with conde-
scenslOn.
you're quite welcome" he replied
cOmposedly. "Walt minute. Miss
Bowman. You ought not to walk
about alone after dark. You're wear.
ing quite valuable rings and pIati.
nun wrist watch. That skinny Mexi
can, they call String Bean wouldn't
trust that greaser very far. Last
night noticed you walking quite a
distance down the rOad-alOne. Mr.. |
Maddox or will be glad to escort you
anywhere you want to CO."
Charlotte thanked him with In
creased dignity for his advice and
passed on. Nevertheless she needed |
the warning, especially since II was
repeated the following morning by her
host.
Before the report was back from
the city the patient was on the mend.
The afternoon II came Charlotte. sit.
ting beside her sleeping patient. saw
the Doctors car coming up the rOnd;
she arose softly with warning finger
on her lips. Silent, he held out teie-
gram for her to read. The analysis
showed a typhoid rcnctiOn.
The physician WIS Il bachelor pnsl
forty, far gone to embonpOlnt, with a
sentimental pale-bue eye; and as he
showed her the report plump hand
stole up and rested upon CharlOttes
where II held tue dispatch.