The Wilmington morning star., 1947-07-01
around unhappilv. like q frame
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Sitting back in his consulting
room chair, tapping with one'hand
on the table in trent of him, con-
sclous that upstairs lunch must be
ready, John Christcw was never
theless unable to force himself to
get up.
San Miguel blue sea
smell OF momosa a scarlet tri-
toma upright against green leaves
the hot sun the dust. . .
that desperation of love and sui
fering
He thought, Oh, Lord, not that.
Never that again! That's over.
He wished suddenly that he
had never known Veronica, never
married Gerda, never met Henri
eta.
Mrs. Crabtre, Re thought, was
worth the lot OF them. That
had been a bad afternoon last
week. He'd been SO pleased with
the reactions. She could stand .005
by now. And then had come that
alarming rise in toxicity and the
D. L. reaction had been negative
instead of positive.
The sold bean had lain there,
blue, gasping for breath-peering
up at him with malicious, indomit-
able eyes.
Making a bit of a guinea pig
out Of me, amt you, dearie? Ex-
perimenting-that kinder thing"
I'VE want to get you WE'LL" he
had said, smiling down at her.
up to your tricks, yer meant
She had grinnea suddenly. Il
don't mind, bless yer. You carry
OH, doctor! Someone's got to be
first, that's it, amt it? 'Ad me
air permed, l did, when l was a
kid. 1t wasn't 'alf a difficult bust
1ess then! Looked terrible, l did.
Couldn't get a comb through it.
But there-I enjoyed the cun. You
can ave yer fun with me. 1 can
stand it,"
Feel pretty bad, don't your"
His hand was on her pulse. Vital
ity passed from him to the pant
ing old woman on the bed.
"Orful, l feel. You're about
'Asn't gone according to
pian-that's it, isn't it? Never you
mind. Don't you lose 'eart. 1 can
stand a lot, I can!"
John Christow said appreci-
atively:
You're fine. I wish all my pa
tients were like you"
Il wanter get well that's
why! l wanter get well. Mum,
she lived to be eight-eight-and
old grandma was ninety when she
Popped off. We're long livers ir
cur family, we are"
He had come away miserable,
racked with doubt and uncertain
~. He'd been so sure he was on
the right track. Where had he
gone wrong? How diminish the
toxicity and keep up the hormone
content and at the same time neu-
tralize the %pantratin?
He'd been too cock-sure - he'd
taken it for granted that ned cir
cumvented all the snags.
And it was then, on the steps
St. Christopher'c that a sudden
WEAKNESS had over
come him-a hatred Of all this
long, slow, wearisome clinical
work, and he'd thought Of Henri
eta. Thought OF her suddenly, not
as herself, but Of her beauty and
her freshness, her health and her
radiant vitality - and the faint
smell of primroses that chung
about her hair.
And he had gone to Henrietta
straight away, sending a curt tele-
phone message home about being
away. He had strobe into
the studio and taken Henrietta in
his arms, holdin her to him with
, fierceness that was new in their
relationship.
There had been a quick, startled
wonder in her eyes. She had freed
herself from his arms and had
made him coffee. And as she
moved about the studio she had
out des1lltory questions.
Had he come, she asked, straight
from the hospital?
He didn't want to talk about the
hospital. He wanted to forget that
The hospital and Mrs. Crabtree
and Ridgeway's disease and all
the rest Of the caboodle existed.
But, at first unwillingly, then
more fluently, he answered her
questions. And presently he was
striding up and down, pouring out
a spate OF technical explanations
and surmises. Once or twice he
paused, trying to simplify-to ex-
you Sc, you have to get a re-
action"
Eyes, yes, the d.. reaction has
be positive. I understand that.
SO on"
He said sharply: How do you
know about the d.. reaction?"
II got a book"
stWhat book? Whose?"
She motioned toward the small
book table. He srorted.
"Scobell? Scobell's no good.
fundamentally unSound. Look