Evening star., 1934-09-01

charge; but II luck were against her,
there would be two bad marks on the
efficiency slip sent to the training
school Office, one for coming on duty
late. and one for appearing in uni
form in a ward where she had no
business.
Miss Blech, the senior, was at the
desk when Mazda came in, you
are late, Miss Connell," she said,
pointing to her watch, which showed
Is minutes TO 3.
81 know it, Miss Blech," said
MAZDA, forlornly. Il went into 1919
to see an old patient. The girls
told me he was asking for me, Miss
Blech. He died while I was there.
1t was terrible"
She looked so white and stricken,
standing timidly before the desk,
that Miss Blech was Jared out of
her usual composure. Here, girl,
you're not going to faint, are you?"
"I never saw any one die before,
and it was a sort of shock. I was
really fond Of the poor old man."
Get hold of yourself and get busy
on the rubs and I'll forget about
your being late"
"You mean you won't tell Miss
Kroll?"
eff you can get by with anything,
it's all right with me. I should &c
out of my way to tell that old buzz
zard anything. What she doesn't
know won't hurt her"
Ii %a
knowing that Miss Halverson and
Miss Kroll were not friendly, hoped
that Miss Halverson would be swayed
by similar feelings and would forget
about the breach of discipline.
She tried to put Wantupp's death
out of her mind and did succeed in
burying it at the bottom of her con-
sciousness while the work was press
ing, but after the patients were set
tied for the night and MAZDA sal
down in the little island of light
around the desk to do her charting
she felt so depressed that she could
have wept. 1t was not that the old
Indian had meant anything in par
ticular to her, although she had ha6
a sneaking fondness for him because
he had so appreciated her efforts
to be kind to him.
1t seemed so sad to think OF the
pitiable old failure going out alone
to meet the mystery of death with
no friend or kinsman near. In spite
of his stoical manner he must have
felt the want of ties, for he hac
shown that feeling by his clingine
to her and to the lawyer who hac
evidently befriended him. Maids
remembered his request that tht
lawyer be notified of his death. Al
the risk Of reminding Miss Helver'
son of her own breach of discipline
MAZDA resolved to tell her what the
old man wanted. 1t might NEAR
the difference between decent buria
and the potter's field.
The ward was really quiet, wher
she would have welcomed complica-
tions of a mild sort, just to shake
her out of the blues. Mrs. Bliss, al.
though still Sullen, had saner lool
in her eyes; after an outbreak, the
nurses said, she was usually quiet
for some time.
Mazda cast about in her mind fol
a cheerful subject. but as Is tht
annoying habit of the blues, her STATE
of mind cast its dark hue over every.
thing she thought about. She coulC
not doubt that there was cause fol
worry over Stanley. The way he hac
taken Norine's refusal, and his sub
sequent drinking, did not look well
If only he would buck up and be &
man; but Mazda had begun to feal
that Stanley's was nature thor.
oughly charming while everything
went smoothly, but too weak to stanc
up under adversely.
What a different sort was Gerald
Pryde. He, too, had been pampered
and he was undeniably critical anc