| Show I II Ir I r II I j K I II I I THE THE STORY SO FAR Sally Blair and Peter Douglas go I for one last ride before Peter marries mar mar- ries Linda Davidson and Sally marries marries mar mar- ries Lindas Linda's father Harvey David- David on con Peter crashes the car carand and Sally I to save him from notoriety crawls d' d away leaving Peter to be taken to the thet t hospital unconscious Peter seems to have no desire to to- tolIe live lI and Sally S f begs the doctor to allow her to see him for a few minutes They still love each other and Pet Peter r asks Sally to marry him when he Is well She accepts CHAPTER 47 After Alter midnight when she wa was in I Peters Peter's room which she used when she spent the night with Mrs Douglas Douglas Doug DouS las the phone rang Sally went to answer it it because Mrs Douglas was asleep Always the fear when the 4 I phone rang rane that It was was the hospital calling ab about ut Peter That he was worse The bell helI sent a shiver of or terror through her and her fingers were Veere unsteady as she picked up the receiver Hello who is this had Sally Blair Blair- Already Sally recognized the voice olce It was Linda Linda Davidson speaking Is Mrs Douglas there asleep asleep It What did Linda want She must have returned for her voice sounded very close Never Ne mind Just wanted to tell her wed we'd come conic home I called the hospital and Peter Is better Grand isn't it Oh yes es tell Mrs Ir Dou Douglas las lasin in th the morning that Iv Ive decided to marry Peter at noon tomorrow at atthe atthe the hospital hospital- What Yes Linda continued quite calm calm- ly bo Tomorrow noon at the hospital A quiet wedding wedding Dr Randolph thinks hes he's well enough I asked him f 4 Its It's going to be a surprise on Peter Dad is tending to the the- license and everything Ill I'll call caU again tomorrow morning The phone clicked on Lindas Linda's end but Sally stood rigid for or a long time holding the ther r receiver Linda was planning planning plan plan- ning to marr Peter tomorrow noon at the hospital Tomorrow noon Morning came as mornings will Slowly bec because use Sally was 15 waiting 4 for it so anxiously so longingly She was dressed and ready to lea leave leathe C the apartment by six but held herself there until seven when she sUpped slipped out the door leaving a note for Mrs Douglas and a neat breakfast ar arranged arranged arranged ar- ar ranged on a tray in the kitchen hen the coffee coHee pot on the stove rea ready to light The note merely said that she would be back later Nothing more All night Sail Sally had wrestled with her problem walking the floor of Peters Peter's room picking up one thing that b belonged longed to him laying it do down don n taking up another Looking at the college pictures of him on the walls but seeing another Peter than they portrayed A Peter lying ill III In bed his face wan his lips hardly able to move The Peter she had seen the previous aft afternoon Not the Peter with ith the smiling face who was lookIng looking looking look look- ing at her from the frames a healthy tanned Peter In football togs tOIS a Peter with with's a fishing rod on on his shoulder a Peter riding a horse The snow crunched under her feet as as she h walked the little distance from the sidewalk to the taxi she had I called Clean snow The click of the chains on the car as It turned the corner The streets so white in the darkness Stars overhead over over- h head had ad shining with a brittle golden light for the storm of ot the nl night ht was over They w were ere paling already a little littie little lit lit- tle tie In the cast east where the dawn was beginning to spread SALLY GOES TO THE HOSPITAL At the hospital she asked for Dr Randolph only to be told that he hadn't come In yet He has an operation at el eight ht so hell he'll be here about a quarter of one of the nurses said You can catch him best near the operating room but I warn you ou he never ne gets here I until the last minute and he do doesn't nt like to be disturbed before his oper oper- You'd better wait until hes he's through then hell he'll see you When will he be finished Sally asked A long one this morning About ten I should hould think Ten Sallys Sally's hopes sank Ill try to catch him before he goes In inThe inThe in- in The nur nurse e shrugged her shoulders and went on Her eyes the girl Irl noticed no no- were dull from want of sleep She had worked all night She found the operating room and waited walled outside standing st. first on one foot and then the other not daring to go away for a moment lest Dr Randolph come and she miss mis him Her Ber only chance and she had to se see him Now and then she wandered to the elevator where a clock hung against the wall and looked at it anxiously Seven thirty Dr Ran Rm- dolph should be here in fifteen min mm- utes But he wasn't At a quarter of eight two tv nurses trundled a cart through the operating room door and Sally had a glimpse of a gray ay face Under under un un- der the white she sheet t. t and heard a low moan The next fifteen minutes were agonizing to her At eight o'clock Dr Randolph got cot out of the elevator elevator eleva eleva- tor and rushed past her Dr Randolph she called and caught him by his overcoat I want to speak to yoU Sorry but Im I'm late now Later Later- And he was gone Into a a. small dressing dress dress- dress I log ing next to the operating room and Sally was left alone In th the hall disappointed discouraged I SALLY SEES THE TilE DOCTOR I The nurses who passed before her heron heron heron on their way to the different rooms rooms rooms' on the floor Joor glanced at her Interestedly Inter inter- from time to time but none of th them m said a word Finally at she saw the cart out of the operating room with its occupant and took heart only to lose It again when another cart exactly like Uke the first entered a a. few minutes later She cornered one of the nur nurses it Will Dr Randolph be through In a little while He couldn't be going F to perform another operation fi- fi Sorry are you waiting for him i He lie wont won't be finished for some time Dr Finnigan is ill ill and hes he's taking I two of ot his operations this morning L When will he be through with them 1 Not before noon noon noon- that Noen-that that was too late She wast was t t turning away despondently when Dr Dl 1 Randolph appeared a fresh gown on 01 and a white cap covering his hair You wanted to tee see me mc me Miss i Blair Yes Yes He had remembered then She needn't have worried worded so 0 I I much Miss Davdison called last night and said you'd oud given permission permission sion tt sion- Sally couldn't say any more She could Just look at him dumbly I told Miss Davidson when she asked me that she and Douglas could be married today in his room if it she wished That was what she wanted to know after she had in inquired inquired In in- about him Hes He's much better better better bet bet- ter and 1 If the marriage will make any happier and put him In better better better bet bet- ter spirits that's all I want I came caine to ask you to to- to Wh Why couldn't she say what she meant to say Why was she so 50 tongue-tied tongue THE THE DOCTOR CONSENTS What did dd you want Miss Blair Peter doesn't want to marry Linda Davidson idson Im I'm afraid that hell he'll get wo worse e when he knows It y It-y yester it-yester- jester jester- ter- ter day day day- What about yesterday Yesterday he asked me to marry him lim and andI I I told him I would She looked coked defiantly at Randolph So that's why the recovery be began began began be- be gan eh Well that puts a different different different differ differ- ent light on the matter And before Sally knew it she was pouring out outto outto outto to the doctor the story of or the accident accident acci acci- dent how Peter happened to drive the car off oft the road what he had said yesterday afternoon Randolph listened patiently one e eye e on the door of ot his operating room where a patient pa- pa lent tient was waiting for him Once a nurse Interrupted d them with some Inaudible words to him but he only nodded and turned again to Sally Miss Davidson doesn't know this you say he asked finally No NoWell No Well WelI the best thing to do then Is s to forbid any visitors to Douglas' Douglas room oom until I can tend to the matter mat mat- ter I left word at the desk that Miss Davidson was to see him at noon Ill I'll cancel that and that and let you straIghten out things as you jou see sec fit Douglas Is too ill to be bothered You'll excuse me now now now- He walked away but not Into the operating room Sall Sally saw him speak to a nurse as she took the elevator To be continued Monday |
