The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-05-13
Absent
treatment
Ely GORDON EMsLIE
g Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.


Peter Kane lay looking up at
his nurse with an expression of in
tense evaporation, the immediate
reason for his disgust being the de-
cree that he could not hope to leave
his bed for at least another week.
Peter felt suspicious of that "at
least" 1t smacked too much of the
ION the point of death but must not
be told'' treatment. Not that he
was possessed of any terrors, but he
wanted tremendously to be up and
about.
Head ache?" asked his nurse
kindly.
mol" lied Peter Grossly.
Something wet and deliciously
cold descended on his hot forehead.
There, thatn make your head
feel BETTER" murmured a soft voice.
"Tn lower the shade so the light
won't be too" y
"The lights all right" grumbled
Peter, reaching for book that was
just beyond his grasp. Almost at
once the book was miraculously
in his hand, his pillows were
pumped up, glass of fresh ice
water was by his siGe and the nurse
was unobtrusively seated by the far
thest window Still Peter felt dis
gruntled. His illness had reached
that not-very-bad, rather-headachy
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. stage, when ev-
erything within sight and sound be-
comes at times intolerably irksome
and nerve-wracking.
Miss Rogers" said Peter final
ly, "you must be tired Why don't
you go and take your walk?"
ut will be time for your medi-
cine shortly" was the reply. r:
"But, my dear girl" said Peter
testify, II still have the use of my
hands, you know, even if that fusty
doctor won't let me use my feet
"You might forget to shake the
bottle"
Peter raised himself little in or
der to get better view of her face.
Her voice made him suspect that
she was laughing at him. If such
were the case he knew that GER
tain elusive dimple would make her
we'll worth looking at.
I'm promise to shake it,"
And then put the bottle back
without opening" remarked Miss
Constance Rogers sagely.
Peter considered the point.
"If l promise to shake the bottle
and take a dose of that da-that
extremely unpleasant stuff, will
you go and take your daily constitu-
tional immediately"
ITS time for your medicine
now" said Constance.
After the medicine there seemed
to be all sorts of little things that
needed attention; the window had to
be raised, the shade lowered, the
counterpart Strengthened. He fret
ted and fumed inwardly. How he
hated to be fused over as if he
were an infant
81 believe" proposed Peter hope
fully, "that the best thing for me
will be to be left alone in order
that 1 may Sleep"
Constance made no move to 20.
Obviously that had been an iniudi-
cious statement, decided Peter. Per-
haps she thought it a subterfuge
meant to cover a plan to disobey
the doctors orders and get up and
dress.
81 think, after all, I'll read
awhile" said Peter, sitting up and
humping his pillows truculently.
"Just hand me that Cellini autobiog-
raphy, please-the one on the table
over there"
Constance brought him the book,
pumped his pillows, raised the
shade and started for her seat by
the window.
Nov that you have done every
thing you can possibly think of, you
may as well start, don't you Think"
suggested Peter.
81 believe SHALL, was the I'M
expected reply.
Five minutes after his nurses de-
parture Benvenuto Cellinps autobi-
ography slipped to the floor, the
cloth on his head felt so unbearably
hot that Peter hurled it viciously
over the footboard, the tassel on the
shade tapped maddeningly against
the window pane, the ice in his glass
of water had melted; in short, he
felt thoroughly miserable. BY the
time the clock had licked away 30
minutes he felt abused; here he was
lying helpless, neglected, in pain,
for his head was pounding harder
than ever. Nobody came in re-
spouse to his bell--where on earth
was June? Sisters never could be
depended upon anyway. She'd prob
ably run in next door for a minute
a minute that as usual meant a solid
hour. 1t was Thursday, his moth
er's club day, he remembered; yes,
and the maids day off, too. No won
der his bell remained unanswered.
A fine sister he had to desert him
at time like thisl When SIS min
utes had passed he was gloomily
rejecting upon his fast approach
ing end.