Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1941-09-26
CHAPTER SEVEN

Darling Elln0r! You're the DeSC
friend any one ever had" He took
her hand suddenly and kissed it. "You
know Elinor, do love you-just as
much as ever! Sometimes Mary seems
just like a dream. l might wake up
from it-and find she wasn't there !"
Elinor said: IF Mary weren't
there
Roddy said with sudden feeling:
Sometimes l wish she wasn't. =.
You and I, Elinor, belong. We do be-
long, don't WEI"
Slowly she bent her head. She said:
ooh, yes-we belong"
She thought: eff Mary weren't
there
Nurse Hopkins said with emotion:
at was a beautiful funerali"
Nurse O'Brien responded: at was
indeed. And the flowers! Did you
ever see such beautiful flowers? A
harp of white lilies there was, and a
cross ofyellow roses. Beautiful"
Nurse Hopkins sighed and helped
herself to buttered teacake. The two
nurses were sitting in the Blue Bit
Cafe. Nurse Hopkins went on: miss
Carlisle is a generous girl. She gave
me a nice present, though she'd no
call to do So"
"She's fine generous girl" agreed
Nurse O'Brien warmly. II do detest
stinginess."
Nurse Hopkins said: "Well, it's
grand fortune she's inherited"
Nurse Hopkins said, 81 wonder
49," and stopped.
Nurse Hopkins said, "Yes?" en-
couragingly.
"'Twas strange the way the old
lady made no will"
"It was wicked" Nurse Hopkins
said sharply. People ought to be
forced to make wills! 1t only leads
to unpleasantness when they DON'T"
"I'm wondering" said Nurse O'Bri-
en-, "if she had made will, how she'd
nave IeIC neE IlOil0y
Nurse Hopkins said firmly: II
know one thing"
whats that"
"She'd have left a sum of money
to Mary-Mary Gerard"
eyes, indeed, and that's true" a.
greed the other She added excitedly,
wasn't after telling you that night
of the state she was in, poor dear,
and the doctor doing his best to calm
her down. Miss Elinor was there
holding her auntie's hand and swear
ing by all that's holy" said Nurse
O'Brien, her Irish imagination sud-
denly running away with her, chat
the lawyer should be sent for and
everything done accordingly. Mary!
Mary the poor old lady said. is it
Mary Gerard you're meaning?' said
Miss Elinor, and straightaway she
sw0re that Mary should have her
rights"
Nurse Hopkins said rather doubt !
fully: "Was it like that?"
Nurse O'Brien replied firmly: |
That was the way of it, and I'll tell
you this, Nurse Hopkins: In my opin-
ion, if Mrs. Welman had lived to make
that will, it's likely there might have
been surprises for all! Who knows,
she might have left every penny she
possessed to Mary Gerard"
Nurse Hopkins said obviously: 81
don't think she'd do that don't hold |
with leaving your money away from
your own flesh and blood"
Nurse O'Brien said oracularly:
There's flesh and blood and flesh
and blood"
Nurse Hopkins responded instantly:
Snow, what might you mean by
that?"
Nurse O'Brien said with dignity:
I'm not one to gossip! And l would
not be blackening anyones name
that's dead"
Nurse Hopkins nodded her head
slowly and said: That's right. a
gree with you. Least said soonest
mended." She filled up the teapot.
Nurse O'Brien said: "By the way,
did you find that tube of morphine
all right when you got home?"
Nurse Hopkins frowned. She said:
"No. It beats me to know what can
have become of it, but think it may
have been this way: might have set
it down on the edge of the mantle
piece as l often do while l lock the
cupboard, and it might have rolled
and fallen into the wastepaper basket
that was emptied out into the dust
hin inst No 7 loft the house," She