The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-05-13

JO llllu INOl t ollIiliS Oli ol4C OOVOOii step of the stairs, like a small watch dog.
 How is his hand?' she asked, trying to hide her terrible anxiety
 He shrugged He should have called me sooner"
 There was something almost cruel in his indifference. Nora pressed him.
 Please tell me"
 What can I say?"
 He made a gesture of cutting off the right hand at the wrist. She shuddered.
 "Ycu can't He's painter" Life is like that"
 Life is like that"
 Nora flung out her hands to- ward him as though she would shake him out of his imperturbabil- ity
 You must do something!"
 He is unreasonable. He will not listen to me He is a little mad, l think" he said, tapping his temple. She would do anything to help, she told him passionately She had forgotten everything but the artist and his future, the man who had painted the old peasant woman. For had it not been she who had asked him to unfasten the shut ter? But she was cool and quiet as she listened to the instructions that Dr. Madroni gave her. Nora could not encompass such tragedy as that which would re- suit if the doctors fears concerning Nicholas hand proved justified. In that event, she felt herself as the blind means of his fate. Why had she let him open the jammed shut ter!
 When the doctor had gone she knocked at Nicholas'S door and went in. His bed was unmade and his room was in a state of seething disorder. He was walking the floor and grooming aloud.
 This damn thingl" he exploded. Look what it's doing to me. I've got to get out of here and get to work. I can't do thing until this is better"
 She got hot water, tore up an old silk slip for bandages, made a poultice, and returned to set his room in order He could not eat thing, he told her; but she made pot of tea for him and watched him drink it.
 He gave up his restless walking after a time and flung himself down on the bed.
 Does it feel any better?" she could not help asking him.
 For Gods sake don't ask me that"
 He turned over and lay on his face. After a while he asked, Did the doctor say anything to you"
 Nothing she said, lifting clear eyes to his. 1 All through the afternoon she stayed with him, changing the poultices. Where was her father all this time? Why had he gone off and forgotten his guest? She had heard her father say that he could not bear pain He was too sensi- lively aware of it, he had often ex- plained to her He suffered more than anyone else could suffer ;.
 When the early dusk had come she lighted the lamp and brought him her fathers frayed dressing gown The doctor had given her Q lsedative for Nicholas and he drank lit with a wry face. He was not easy to care for; he was too impa- tient. After while she saw he was asleep
 She sat by his bed watching him, remembering the cruel gesture Dr. Madroni had made of cutting off la hand at the wrist She felt shaky; Fshe had eaten nothing since noon But she did not like to leave him Hong enough to go down to the Kitchen. I Outside the widow she heard lthe ryhthm of cicalas. In the room was a low mutter. For now the sedative had worn off he rolled and twisted, groaned aloud with a sound that tore straight through her breast.
 ! Perhaps Nicholas was dying. Per haps this blood poisoning would kill him!
 | Copyright, 1880, Jessie Douglas
 A death sentence? Is that