Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-09-11
CHAPTER XXI


Chris found when he came in that at
ternoon. Long before he came she
had recognized that slightly arrogant
step of his in the hall, and had has
tily run her hands over her hair.
Coming into the ward, he went direct
Nv to his case, and only nodded to her.
When he had finished, he stopped for
a moment.
We'll Miss Walters, how does it
go?"
She flushed at his impersonal tone.
Gal fright, Doctor. It's pretty mes
sy, but I'm learning"
Good" he observed and went out
again, leaving her resentful and hurt.
He had kissed her goodbye and
now she was Miss Walters and a
stranger to him. She went back to
her work, her mouth set and her head
high; but that night for almost the
first time in her rather detached
young life she shed bitter tears alone
and in silence.
1t was within a few weeks of that
time that the typhoid hit and hit hard.
The heat had continued and with 1t
the drought, Chris. after that first
case of his. had carried a bottle OF
city water 10 Dickinson At the hos
pital and got his report. 1t was
grim one, and he took II 70 Jenkins
st once.
Looks like a problem in arith-
metic to me, son. What's it about"
Typhoid. That's ALL"
well, tell 'em to boil their water.
That's the idea, isn't it,"
"They won't do it, Jenkins"
''Then they deserve what they get" y
said that gentleman tersely.
Before he left, however, Chris had
blocked in huge card and hung it
on the wall. Boil all water" it
said. "By city order"
Jenkins queried the last three
words.
"I'm part of the ety." Chris said,
land 1 order it. What's wrong with
that?"
"You won't be part of it long if
you raise fuss, son. Get this, Chris.
Either you're with the crowd, or
you're not"
But there came a time when even
the Lewis papers printed daily the or
der that the city water be boiled. A
major catastrophe was threatening,
and Lewis and the machine were beat
en- and knew it. The opposition
press was bitter and outsToken;
pointing out again and again that
the river was a sewer, that the city
had no proper filtration plant, and
that the houses in the mill district
were largely dependent on wells and
had no sewage system whatever.
Cases poured into the hospital.
Katie, rushing from this to that, had
to make her way around cots which
sat everywhere, even in the halls.
For Chris it was merely a repeti-
ton of the year before, coupled with
a fresh indignation. 1t was hard to
face Lewis these days, or even to con-
ceal his resentment from Beverly.
Days went by when Beverly never
saw him, or when he dashed in TO
hold her for a moment and then
dashed out again. When he had an
hour with her, he was worn and bag
to notice hdr increasing aloofness
Actually he lost the battle during
those weeks, although he did not
know it until later. For Beverly
needed him and needed him badly
She was worn to a thread, high
strung and taut. Her mother, rous-
ing out of a stupor in the middle OF
the night, would find her beside the
bed, haggard young figure of de-
spair in dressing gown over thin
nightgown, and try to send her back
to bed.
Annie herself was only half-aware
of her, occupied as she was with the
tedious business of dying. She had nc
curiosity now, only an infinite pa
thence. Sometimes Staunton sat by
her bed, but it was rather late tc
make much difference, save that il
was interesting to see him at last
facing something that he could not
dominate. She would have preferred
son at her side. Some one, for in
stance, to say:
"See here, old girl, snap out of it
Where's that hand of yours? Hiding
out on me, aren't you! Such pretty
hand, Mother. Nobody has hands
like yours"
Once or twice she asked for Chris
and by some miracle he found time