The Key West citizen., 1940-02-26
Q.. n R.LreA BY '0SsF ss5sE sE"'

| nGT eyes LuTQGQ away. EdLSs Ills
haggard and ugly womanI It could
not bel
She remembered Aliens wife as
she had last seen her: Smartly if
a little too expensively dressed;
shining hair and painted nails;
painted mouth. too. but cleverly
painted.
Now the skin was waxy yell
low, with deep pouches beneath
the sunken eyes. Though she was
but a year or two older than Sue,
her neck was corded like that Of
an old woman. Her nails-those
shining ovals the care of which
was almost religion with their
owner-were bitten down to the
quick. Sue held back a shudder as
she looked at them.
No accident this, but a lingering
illness which had drained Pats of
everything. No, not everything
when Forest Webb, whose love Of
the beautiful was almost an obses-
sion, could hang above his wife,
incessantly crying her namel
The doctor came. the stimulant
was administered, Patsy reused
for few minutes, muttered thick
ly, lapsed into coma again. Forest
renewed his frantic plea for rec
ognition. The physician touched
his arm.
"It's not the slightest use, Mr..
Webb" he said kindly. II doubt if
she ever regains consciousness
again. She may linger on like this
for hours, even for some days. but
she'll not rouse again. Believe me,
it's better so. Hard for you but bet
ter for herI"
The long day wore on. A nurse
took Sue to a room across the cor
ridor. brought her a meal on a
tray.
"What is it?" Sue asked her.
''My brother was her first hus-
band. Mr.. Webb sent for me to
come. / know absolutely nothing
beyond the fact that she is dying.
Is its it cancer?"
The nurse shook her head. mo,
I'm thankful to say. Peritonitis.
She's only been i'll six days"
Sue was incredulous. "Six days?
And she looks like that?"
"Oh, my, yes! Her temperatures
been up to 106, time after time;
she's suffered horribly except
when she's been given opiates.
Her poor husband! It's been all we
could do to make him eat, and as
for sleeping" she shrugged elo-
quently.
Barbara
MIGHT came and still Pats lived.
' Sue tiptoed into her room, put
comforting hand on Forests
shoulder. realized that she did not
exist for him. and stole out again.
She was desperately tired but she
disliked to go to bed. At midnight
an inferno took her gravely aside.
'It's Mrs. Trenton, isn't it? I'd
get some sleep if were you. The
patient may live until morning
until tomorrow noon perhaps.
There's absolutely no telling. Her
resistance is wonderful. In any
case. she'll not know you. I'll in
struct the nurses to call you if
there's any change"
Pats died little after ten the
next morning. without regaining
consciousness. without knowing
that Sue was there Sue .breathed
a deep sigh of thankfulneSs when
it was over. She thought Forests
mind would surely go if the Sus-
pense had been prolonged single
hour. AS it was he allowed Sue at
last to take him home to the apart
ment he and Pats had occupied on
East Sixty-fourth Street. It was in
an old brownstone house which
had been remodeled, and the
rooms were neither so large nor
so well furnished as Sue had un-
consciously expected.
There's a guest room," he told
her vaguely. 81 don't know wheth-
er it's in order. or not. You see,
Pats-it all came so suddenly"
"Tll find what l want" she
soothed him. Forest, why don't
you 60 right to bed and get some
sleep? They told me at the hospi-
tai it's been two nights since you've
rested at ALL"
He passed his hand wearily over
his forehead.
There are things to do. must
telephone"
She moved to a small desk.
Give me a list of the people you
want notified and I'll call them:
send kilograms, too"
'I'd like Barbara to- come" he
said unexpectedly. "Sue, if we only
knew what it was Pats wanted to
say to you'll II only I'd called you
beforei But you see. the doctors
still gave me hope, so L"
81 doubt if she wanted to say
anything, Forest dear. l think it
was just delirium. People get odd
ideas when they're delirious. you
know"
It required nearly an hour of
coaxing to get him to bed. Sue
promised to see the undertaken,
she promised to call Barbara, she
promised to send wires to Pats
sisters. She alternated an attitude
of firmneSs with pleading, and at
last he stumbled wearily away, to
sleep for several hours, then start
up, calling Pats name.
Continued tomorrow