The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-06-08
SANATORIUM

Ill
Published by Special Advancement with The
chicago Trfbune-New York News Syndicate,
Inc.
Copyright: 1884: By George Carroll
IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE
THE sANATORIUM BROUGHT
STRANGE SOLUTIONS
TO THE PROBLEMS OF
VALERIE STANWOOD, NVALIDED
By TUBERCULOSIS, STEPPED IN
GLOOM BY THE RUIN OF HER
BANKER FATHER.
A small, white walled room. A room
where Science. concentrated, distilled,
uncannily perfected, forgot anything
else 1t had learned to assume the n
ton Of an Eye. An Eye that might
look at and through a human body and
come away instantly with that body's
innermost secrets!
Across an interval Of space the young
man in the long white smock turned
his searching regard upon the girl who
had Just come into the room. His
hands continued swiftly to be busy
among numerous dials that had to do
with intensity, distance, length of ex-
posure.
eyes,"
"Sure you're not wearing any beads?
Necklace?"
The girl conveyed a silent negative.
But the question had brought sudden,
slightly uncomfortable awareness. Be-
meath this shapeless starch stiff gray
cape the nurse had handed her in the
dressing room across the corridor, she
was wearing exactly nothing! Moth
ing, at least, above her slim waist.
"Couple of weeks ago." the young
man was saying, "a girl came in for a
chest X-ray. Wearing a cape, OF
course. When we developed we had a
fine shadow picture of a pearl necklace!
Nothing else, much!"
Then all at once he was issuing swift,
precise Instructions: Nov! just right
there :. lift your chin a little, please.
That's right. No! keep your hands on
your hips . Now, when I give the
signal take a deep breath-and hold it!
Ready"
A thin, sharp sound, as of the flight
Of numerous bees, filled the room. Time.
Without movement or meaning. And
then, seemingly out of nowhere, a voice:
That's all. Thank you"
The girl relaxed visibly. She emp
tied her lungs with a swift little noise.
Her lungs, that had suddenly assumed
such a terrible Importance!
With a barely audible, THANK you'll
she turned away. She wanted nothing
SO much as to get out of this o that
filled her with a dull sense of forebod-
ing, of fear almost! Watching her cur
iously, the young man in the long white
smock gave her his silent approval.
Something in the way she carried her
head, with its wealth of dark hair .
the narrow line of her shoulders .
the 1.-the swing of her body. Even the
cumbersome cape failed to conceal that!
The sanatorium lay sheltered in the
lee Of a long low mountain, heavily
wooded near its top. It covered many
acres and was close to being a self
sustaining community. There were even
q poStoffice, q library, and a chapel
important in the order named. But, of
course, the main business of the place
had to do with the modern hospital
like infirmary, the various Laboratories,
and the score of cottages housing
ambulant patients and staff The san
atorium was world famous And each
year it turned back into the world out
side an increasing number of notable
cures.
A private road, unpaved, and still
spongy from the late rains, traversed
the length of the grounds. On one side
1t maintained an Indifferent liason with
the base of the sheltering mountain;
On the other it looked out across q
wide, grassy valley to an horizon rim
med with mor and higher mountains.
Along this road, from the X-ray'lab-
oratory to the dining room in the adj
ministration building, Valerie Stanwood
made her way. She had renowned the
stiff bondage Of the gray cape for a
belted Jacket Of soft faun colored suede,
above a green wooden skirt. Her mind
was busy with many things. Spring,
after more than one false start, had
achieved the Adirondacks at last. The