The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-08-03

and bent silvered pipes, zebra
skin cushions, and on one wall
large, painting in the style of
Picasso's early distractions. in
which a mandolin, a stepladder,
eight apples and three pears and
a green banana, a foot-rule and
what was apparently Titan's up
per teeth were combined.
'sBut where is Howard?" said
Amy, frantically. "Isn't there a
nurse, or a servant, or someone
! want to see him"
"There are, two maids and two
nurses" said the Colonel, "but
we ought to see Doctor Gavin
first" He could not take the re-
sponsibility of letting Amy en-
ter that room to see her husband
in his present state without the
doctors consent. But the arrival
of the doctor relieved him.
"He is a desperately sick man."
the doctor told Amy. "We've done
everything we can. 1t is now sole
ly a question of his own strength.
He has the most dangerous type
of pneumonia-but l have seen
recoveries. He is very strong. His
heart is sound. There is no imped-
ing fat. He has a chance. That's
all l can say"
"May I see him." asked Amy.
"You may look at him from the
door, though well, / think it's
inadvisable. Don't speak to him.
He won't know you anyway. I'll
go with you"
She walked down the hall with
the doctors hand under her arm,
steadying her. The doctor was
watching her. She was, he saw,
a very different type from Miss
Terry and he wondered cynically
why a man with wife like this
should mix himself in an intrigue
with the other woman. "But there
it Isl" he thought. "He's in the
army and on the loose, and a
thirsty man'll drink dirty water
if he's thirsty enough and there's
no clean at hand"
1t had never entered the doc,
tors head that James story of
Howard as a relation was true.
He was surprised that the Colonel
had been tactless enough to bring
the wife to what the doctor called
"the other woman's apartment. 1"
The Colonel himself had had his
doubts. He had long-distanced
Marburg with many misgivings.
Luckily Mary Jackson had answer
ed and the situation had at once
been cleared, but he had not re-
membered to tell the doctor this.
So the doctor watched Amy,
and held her arm, while for an
instant she looked through the
isinglass window of the oxygen
tent and saw Howard, blue-parch-
ed and gaunt, a stubby growth Of
beard giving his face a strange
neglected aspect, his lips drawn
back, his eyes half closed. while
all the room sounded with the
suffering labor Of his breath. Two
white-masked, white-gowned nurs-
es tended the oxygen pump -
! they and the strange apparatus
made the room like a spectral lab
oratory.
Amy did not tremble now as she
had trembled when she stood be-
fore Jane. She stood very still and
put out one hand, palm up, very
little way, as if she offered him
her own strength, her own indy
ing tenderness and trust. 1t gave
the hard-boiled doctor a queer
awe. He felt her heart going past
him, going to that dying man on
the bed, pushing death back from
him, denying it, refusing its ter
rible imminence.
As they went slowly to the liv-
ing room, Amy said: 81 wish he
could be got out of this place"
"Ah," thought the doctor, "she
knows. A damned shame" Aloud
he said, OTIS impossible. Of course
he never should have been brought
here, but he can't be moved"
at must" went on Amy, al
most as if talking to herself, "be
the greatest Inconvenience to
Jane. Not that it matters"
The doctor had always prided
himself on being injurious on per-
sonal matters. Now this pride
failed him. "Do you know Miss
Terry" he could not help ask
ing.
'T've known her ever since we
were children" said Amy. She
answered the question mechani-
cally. Her whole being was back