The Coolidge examiner., 1937-11-25

tone of authority. Il thought gave
orders that this room should be thor
oughly cleaned ready for a patient
at $3.50 this morning. Miss Martin.
are you on duty here this morning?
What does this mean? This room
was to have had a thorough clean
ing"
1T was cleaned, Miss Grandon."
"And you put another patient in
here? Who is she? What right has
she here? Who gave the order? Is
she paying the full price? How long
has she been here? This room was
reserved for Mr.. Mountcalm. No
body had right to put anyone in
here"
why, think it was an emergen-
cy case" explained passing nurse
who was an undergraduate and very
much afraid of her superior. II
don't know who gave the order. but
the doctor said it was all right"
Miss Grandon marched into the
room and confronted Margaret, who
was listening to the alteration wide
eyed.
How much are you paying IN this
room?" she demanded severely.
This is one of our most expensive
rooms for private patients. We're
you told of that? Are you paying
full price?"
"Oh, no." explained Margaret
sweetly, I'm not paying anything.
l told them 1 ought to be put in
the ward, but they explained to me
that this was a memorial room for
strangers, and then l felt better
about it. 1t was wonderful to have
had such care-!"
Memorial room for strangers?"
snorted Miss Grandon. Nothing of
the sort! We haven't room in the
institution like thatl Who told you
that extraordinary story?"
why, the gentleman who brought
me here, and the nurse. My nurse
is Miss Gowen. She is down at
her breakfast now but she will be
back any minute and explain it to
you"
Gentleman" shifted Miss Gran
don. $50 there's a man in it, is
there? might have known it. Well.
young lady, your young man has
been putting a fine story over on
you. This room is one of our most
expensive private rooms and never
has been nor never will be a me-
mortal to anybody. For strangers!
The very idea! Well. suppose one
can know what kind of girl you are
then, letting a man bring you to the
hospital. Wasn't he any relation to
you?"
"Oh, no." said Margaret, her eyes
flashing now. and her cheeks sud-
denly glowing, "he was just stran-
ger who picked me up"
"Oh, he picked you up on the
street! Yes, know that kind of
man. And you let him, of course!
You didn't object to a stranger
bringing you here to the hospital"
II was unconscious. l had fallen.
l didn't know what was going onl"
"Oh, well, that's a nice excuse
and it may be true and il may not.
However. you're not unconscious
now, are you? You're able to get
up, aren't you? If you aren't I'll
have you moved over to the ward.
But if you're able to walk you bet
ter get your clothes on and get out
of this building before the people
down in the Office find out what is
going on"
Trembling so that she could
scarcely stand, Margaret crept from
her bed and found her clothes where
the nurse had so carefully put them.
Her knees were all but collapsing
under her, and her fingers were
shaking so that she could scarcely
fasten her garments, but she got
herself dressed in an incredibly
short space of time. put on her little
hat with the brave feather, took up
her fiat pocketbook and got herself
down the great marble hal, which
she was thankful to find for the mo-
ment deserted. Got herself slowly,
step by step, down the interminable
flights of marble stairs and walked
out of the door and down the street.
ITO BE CONTINUED