Evening star., 1934-08-21

then raced madly. II only the super
visor or one of the internes would
show upl What II the man should
die while she was alone with himi
The two girls wheeled the stretcher
beside the bed.
Help me get him in bed" said
Cookie in an odd voice. Il want to
get out of here In hurry. before he
croaks."
"Oh, don't leave me-" begged Mazda,
Stay until some one from the ONCE
comes"
mot me. He may go out any min
ute"
Carefully they eased the dreadful
figure onto the bed and pulled up the
blankets. Then for the flrst time
Mazda really looked at him. In spite
Of the bandages, In spite Of the red
that stained his face, she knew him.
1t was Johnnie, her old friend, en-
deared to her by years of childish
friendship.
"Johnnie!" she screamed. "Dyingl
Oh, why didn't you tell me?"
And then, to her utter shame and
embarrassment, she tainted. When
be seen, and the CORY figure Of John
ME himself was bending over her. his
bandage aSkew above his anxious
face. In her CONSERVATION Mazda
opened her mouth for another scream
and Johnnie promptly put his hands
over 1t.
"shut up, you little NUT" he hissed
at her.
Into her dazed mind was beginning
to creep the realization that this
dying man was astonishingly vigorous.
"I'm awfully sorry, Mazda" he
went on. "I never would have done
1t If had known it was you"
What do you mean? How did you
hurt yourself so terribly, Johnnie?"
Don't you tumble yet? 1t was only
joke. Cookie Is on night duty over
on metabolism and she suggested 1t.
Told me the dumbeSt probe In the
hospital was on her first night duty
here and she thought 1t would be fun
to scare her"
But the blood and the bandages-
I'll never forget how I felt when I
saw it was you and thought you were
dying"
"Mercurochrome and catsup," ex-
planned Johnnie briefly. MAZDA, I
swear never would have done it II
had known you were the one Cookie
said was the dumbest probe In the
hospital. Darn her, anyhowl She
knows you're friend of mine. can't
figure out why she would want to pull
such stunt"
Johnnie was rapidly pulling on the
soiled bandages, rolling up the
blankets and putting himself in some
sort of order. Mazda watched his
honest perpledty, thinking mean
while that she could make q shrewd
guess as to why Retta Cook had made
fool Of her by the elaborate hoax
It was partly a malicious sense of
mischief, for she was noted for hazing
| the younger nurses, but largely 1t
must have been inspired by jealousy.
MAZDA had had no difficulty In seeing,
the night they had gone riding to-
gether, that Cookie wished to consider
Johnnie her property, and she had
| probably felt her supremacy menaced
| by MAZDA, not crediting the fact that
their friendship was friendship, pure
and simple. She hesitated to tell
Johnnie her suspicious: this escapade
would doubtless disgust him with
Retta Cook, but from an impulse of
sex loyalty Mazda did not care to have
anything to do with bringing about
the break
"Stick these dirty bedclothes In the
hamper and clean up the best you
can." advised Johnnie. 1--WE got to
scram before any one walks IN on the
| party" -
The supervisor did not come by
until an hour later. and by that time
all was in order and MAZDA restored to
composure.
BY the time Mazda had breakfast
and had gone back TO Paradise alley
it was still and deserted. and she
tumbled into bed. hoping for q few
hours Of uninterrupted sleep. She
got up at 8, and after bathing and
dressing. thought she would go out
| for walk and get something to eat.
She decided to wait until $3.50, hoping
that Bert would have afternoon hours,
but before that time Mazda was sum-
moned to the training school office.
What now?" she thought, with
the trepidation that always assailed
her when she was summoned to the
office. She did not think the episode
| Of the previous night could very well
have been discovered, as the room
had looked as usual before the day
nurses came on duty, yet there was
really nothing else.
What was the disturbance In room
80 last night, Miss Connell?" she was
greeted by Miss Burns. "The patient
in 80 has been insisting there was a
patient admitted during the night,
and telling of groans and screams
which disturbed his rest"
Mazda flushed and answered con-
fusedly, There was no one admitted
last night"
II know that, Miss Connell," said
Miss Burns sharply. "Just what did
go on the first night you were in
trusted with the responsibility Of a
floor? You have disturbed and
alarmed the patients and you may
tnd you have got yourself into seri-
Gus trouble"
There was no use trying to con-
ceal anything from Miss Burns. She
evidently suspected the worst. If
MAZDA did not wish to be considered
guilty Of moral turpitude, she had
better admit gullibility.
II received phone call to prepare
for an emergency patient, and as he
was fixed up rather artistically, am
afraid ! was silly enough to faint"
said Mazda with rueful smile.
This is no laughing matter. Who
brought in this patient? Was 1t one
Of the nurses?
He was brought in on stretcher. It
was only a joke, Miss Burns, and
was stupid to be taken in. I am sorry
1t happened, and did not know the
patients were annoyed"
"Who were the perpetrators of this
little joke?"
Il would rather not say. Miss
Burns"
You must say, for your own sake.
How can I take your word for what
happened If you have no proof to
SUPPORT it2"