The Coolidge examiner., 1937-10-28

| clutching at his hand, all personal
feeling forgotten in the grips of life
and death, you can do something
for me, can't you? For Gods sake
get me out Of this. operate, do any
thing! That ass there" he whis-
pered, with a Pickering glance at
that agitated Cudworth, tells me
I'm washed up. There's something
you can do?"
Quentin spoke urgently, definite
ly:
Vic, get to telephone and tell
Anna to come over right away with
that big package that's on my desk;
it's from Lengfeld' s-she can't miss
it. Rush it! And just as soon as
you've done that, get the amah to
get plenty of hot water. boiling wa
ter. suppose there's table here.
long table. flat"
"You think so, Doctor?" faltered
the other doctor.
"I know SOL" Quentin shouted.
suddenly mad with impatience.
Just lie quiet there, Spencer" he
added to the patient, land We'll get
you out of this if we can"
I've got an even break?" Spen-
Ger asked.
Not quite so good. We won't
know quite what chance you've got
until we've gone a little further. All.
here's our nurse. We want a surgi-
cal bath here, nurse, as fast as you
can manage t; we've no time to
waste"
Vicky ran downstairs, ran upstairs
for sheets; Serena was not in evil
dence, and nobody asked for her.
The nurse suggested a rubber sheet,
and Anna painting in with the big
bundle, was sent flying back to the
Hardistys' for one. Presently there
was nothing for Vicky to do except
sit on a chair in the hall and wait
and think-and wait.
Quentin came out with nurses
white apron tied on him back to
front and asked for soda, just
plain kitchen soda.
"And you might as well go home,
Vic; this'n take it out of you"
mo, I'll wait. Quent, has he
chance?"
I'm afraid not, but Wen try.
They're putting him under now;
we'll know in an hour"
'She couldn't" t"-Vicky glanced at
the closed door of Serena's room
"She wouldn't have done it," she
whispered.
u don't know. But it's not for him
I'm fighting, Vic," Quentin said.
Its for all of us. It's touch and
90 now; if he lives, we live, and if
he dies, may have gotten you into
something you'll never get out Of,
my dear"
You'll be in it, tool"
III be in it, too. Oh, she couldn't
get me in as an accomplice, Quen-
tin said. But she could do enough
to ruin us all. We'd have to go
away, Vic"
Wed go away"
And the story would follow us,
and follow the children. That's all
We done to you'll" Quentin said.
The woman-the amah-has pro-
duced a bottle, half full, that would
kill ten men. Our one hope is that
it was about ten-times dose, and
in lemonade. Lemon is the only
anti-acid that touches it! If any
thing saves him, that'n save him
that is, if we get to the kidney in
time"
You will" Vicky said, with her
faithful eyes on his and her world
rocking about her and her lips
white.
You believe in God, don't your"
Quent asked, almost absentminded-
ly.
! Il do"
''Then-while I'm in there, you
pray, Vic" He kissed her without
smiling, without seeming even to
see her; released her from his
arms. MY God, you are tower Of
strength to me-" he said. You are
a rock of help! Pray for every
thing we've got, while I'm in there
the kids and the home-everything!
1 always thought - l always
thought" Quentin muttered, turn
ing away, that I'd like my boys
to be proud of their father My
kids"
He went into the sickroom, and
Vicky waited. There was a big
Spanish chair in the upper hall of
the Morrison place, and she sat in
it and clasped her hands to keep
them still and prayed A Navajo
blanket, richly striped with yellow
and black and scarlet, had been
hanging over the black iron railing
of the stairway; she wrapped it
about her; the night was bitterly
cold
CHAPTER XIV