The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-02-10
Married Nzubt j j vs.. .: ::==e4
Q 1922 NEA SsNiee. Inc

'idown sick yourself. Miss Gypsy"
She drank some tea and ate /.
ipiece Of toast.
THAT nurse, she take good care
sof herself, / notice." Clytie said
with a baleful glance after Miss
Mcpherson. "She eat everything
and look like she expec' more
"Oh. we'll, it's job with her,
you know"
Clytie snorted.
There were things later that
Gypsy had to do. Even in
house of illness food must be
bought and laundry sent out. The
necessity of concentrating on a
few small tasks cleared her head
and partly drove away that sense
of sick futility she had expert
enced ever since coming into the
house the night before.
The laundryman shook his
head and went away. The phone
bell had been partially silenced
but every now and again whirr
brought the waiting girl to her
feet. Upstairs everything was
deadly quiet. Occasionally Gypsy
could hear the pad-pad of the
nurses rubber heels as she
crossed the room to record a tenn
perature on the chart. Otherwise
the silence of death had already
settled on the house.
CHE could not escape her
~ thoughts in this silence. She
kept seeing pictures Of herself
with her father. How good and
kind he had always been! He had
never thought of himself. He had
worn that old overcoat for-how
many years? Until it was green.
at any rate. While she and Bea
and Bertram had had dancing les
sons and ice skates and summers
at camp-eVerything! Oh, he
mustn't die! He mustn't! They
had all accepted his self-sacrifice
without thinking.
Gypsy could remember being
violently and suddenly sick once
In her little room down the hall.
She was IL and she had been 10
Sunday school picnic and eaten
all the injudicious food one does
at those affairs. Daddy had been
wakened by her grooming. He
had come in and carried her back,
limp and green. from the bath
room. He had got her hot water
bag, had tucked her in bed, had
stayed with her. He had always
been like that. Nothing was too
much trouble.
She mopped her eyes.
Miss Gypsy, Miz' Pettingill's
just brought the baby back. Do
you want to see her for mo-
ment?"
Gypsy went out into the vesti-
bule with its scuffed linoleum and
its blue umbrella jar. David, rosy
in his woolly suit, crowed at her.
"You were an angel to take
him off our hands," She held the
baby close, finding in his warm
nearness some solace.
Don't you say a word" Mrs.
Pettingill beamed at her through
the thick glasses. Hes a lamb
and I'd love to keep him. How
is he?" she asked, her lined face
serious again, indicating the room
upstairs.
Just the same" Gypsy stead
led her voice with an effort. "He's
won't give up" she went
on after a moment. But somehow
the big tears were rolling down
her cheeks, wetting David's curls,
before she knew it.
Now, now, you must keep up for
Mothers sake!" the other woman
said warningly. e.
II know. l know"
AS Mrs. Pettingill went down the
steps DR.. Martineau's big car slid
silently up and stopped. The uni
formed driver got down and ran
around to open the door.
"Now we shall know" Gypsy
thought, chilled. "He said he would
decide this afternoon whether or
not an operation could be risked."
Ito Be Continued]