Evening star., 1932-07-24

but it won't last long-ether jag. And that
isn't the half of 1t. I never saw such suffer-
ing
She fed, leaving Christine alone with tho
patient
Consulting the temperature chart, Christine
rang for more ice. As she turned from the
bell, she picked up an envelope from the floor
under the bed table. 1t was long, legal en-
velope, addressed to Mr.. John Helm, bearing
the business heading of we'll known firm of
lawyers, Joyce & Joyce.
1t had not been opened, but somehow it had
become wet; the moistened glue had given, so
that the seams were about to fall apart-John
Helm. So that was his name. Now where had
she seen it before? Well, he was in no condi-
ton for reading letters.
She placed the envelope on the dresser with
the newspaper she had brought for a chance
idle moment.
It was not a movement that drew her atten-
ton to the bed, nor an outcry. Her patient lay
as she had left him, rigid, with eyes shut. But
when she stood by his side she realized that
the whole bed shook with the momentum of
agony. It was going to be pretty awful,
worse even than she had feared.
And there little that she could do.
Suddenly Christine bent closer. A thin trickle
Of red wound its way across his shoulder to the
bed Hemorrhaee9 But no. Nothing in her
notes suggested such possibility
BreathleSSly she leaned over him. His teeth
crispIy.
He made sign she moved his arm, dis
infected and dressed the wound, and bathed
his face. But when she had finished and
stood thoughtfully beside him. she found him
watching her with speculative intensity in
his deep, pain-sunken eyes,
He must be, DR.. Mayer had said, sixty
odd, but there was in his stalwart frame no
suggestion of the f1abbiness of age. It was
loo, md horI 1pnri Tn, fl,o fono f11o torcr
and eyes of dreamer were coupled with the
tenacious jaw of fighter.
"Won't-do it-again." He spoke suddenly,
in labored jerks. Dumb thing to do. Can't
possibly-help. Lost sight-of that-for mo-
ment.'
tine spoke with just the right touch of con-
trolled sympathy.
.'Damnable. Nothing to what it's going to
be, guess
There was an echoing attempt at the matter
of-fact in his painful utterance, but his gaunt
eyes begged for reinsurance.
They'll get you fixed up soon if you'll help"
she told him.
He uttered a short, barking sound, half
groan half laugh
Patched up, you mean. See here, you
look like girl even a high priced surgeon
might let slip the truth to. They've promised
Newell, let's call it reprieve, if stick
around till they finish the job tomorrow.
Il gather-from what they didn't say-that
it's going to be- particular hades, now and
afterward. All right. I'm facing that, I've
got to have time.
What I want to be sure Of Is this-if
make good on my end, do get that reprieve-
signed sealed and delivered?"
1T depends" said Christine, entirely on
you"
Looking into her level blue eyes. he closed
his with slight nod of satisfaction
CHRISTINE did what she could for him.
- Then she stood, looking down at him in
troubled silence. Presently. as If he sensed
her presence, and was grateful for it, he un-
clenched one shaking hand and turned it, palm
upward, toward her, in mute, wretched appeal.
Christine drew a chair to the side of the bed