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Show ttm. wLl?""UM-l 1 ti 1 1 1 f I lIIMMMM"'''t'''MMU,'fMMMIhlMl(MftM"V t a4Ve liiW XXi -. i P : iii I The Married Life of Helen and Warren I H it A 8 Rir TVTAPTTT Originator of "Their Married ;t ry lviLbiii. Ufc Author of ..The Jour. u g HERBERT URNER nalof a Neglected Wife," "The if H Woman Alone," Etc : H i y H WARREN'S DISCOVERY VINDICATES HELEN'S VIOLENT fj ANTAGONISM FOR A NURSE jj (Copyright. 1917, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) gr-r--: 'm. w-ax "These are single F X:p-' """- 1 sheets that's all I Jr J-v?Vj tliats in tliere" f ?-yi announced the ":r;-;: 7 nurse after an ex- tv'' r'i ' f; '- i ploration of the i J lia11 closet. siIVa "Oh, those are for the maid's Y V bed," Helen j turned restlessly OS:;. on her fever-heat- w;V1;IPi?PS:43 ed pillow. "Look m, nn tlle 1 o w e r j Mubol Hurbert Urcol Shelf." j "There's only : pillowcases and a spread no large J sheets." "Then we haven't any more," weak- ' ly. "Y'ou've changed the bed every ' day." "A sick bed must be changed every day," with irritating assertiveness. "I'll phone Ardman's and have some sent up special." "Mrs. O'Grady washes today," protested pro-tested Helen helplessly. "But I want to fix you up before the doctor comes. You'll need more sheets anyway." she was looking for the number. "Hello, Bryant S2200 Ardman's? The linen department, please." The flush on Helen's face was not due wholly to the fever, as she listened with smothered resentment to Miss Saunders' authoritative order for four sheets, double-bed size, sent special. Her aversion for this nurse's assertive asser-tive personality had become a feverish animosity. And her extravagance her wasteful extravagance ! Miss Saunders was now by the bed shaking down the thermometer. "Oh, rinse it off first!" objected Helen, shrinking back. "Rinse it off?" with a flush of displeasure. dis-pleasure. "I never give a thermometer thermome-ter without washing it thoroughly. Under the tongue, please." Their eyes met in open hostility as Helen held the glass tube between her unwilling lips. It had not been washed ! With an air of cold displeasure, Miss Saunders took her pulse, removed the thermometer and replaced it still unwashed. un-washed. Knowing her temperature was taken every few hours, Helen grimly determined deter-mined to watch that thermometer. Would she dare give it to her again without making even a pretense at rinsing it? There had been other things about which the nurse seemed inexcusably careless. In many little ways Helen knew she was deliberately ignoring the doctor's orders about the sterile and antiseptic precautions. "I'd like to brush my teeth first," as Miss Saunders appeared with a cup of chicken broth. "You can do that afterward. I want you to have this while it's hot." "I haven't brushed my teeth this morning," combated Helen firmly. Her thin mouth set in obstinate lines, she brought a glass of water, toothbrush and small enameled bowl. Beyond holding the glass, she made no effort to prop Helen's head or to help in the awkward operation. "Oh, I hate her I hate her!" flared Helen Inwardly as the nurse removed the things, her disdainful fingers holding hold-ing the toothbrush as though it were contaminating. The lump of enmity in her throat, Helen barely tasted the broth. Leaving Leav-ing the soup on the table, the nurse rustled out to answer the phone. "Hello! Oh, it's Mr. Curtis? She's resting very quietly. Yes, she's had her broth." For the moment Helen's hostility was submerged in the thrilled glow that Warren had called up within an hour after he had reached the office. "You can take that broth out and wash all those glasses," ordered Miss Saunders, as Dora came in with the sweeper and dust cloth. "I got my own work to do," sullenly. sul-lenly. "Empty that wastebnsket," coolly ignoring her unwillingness. "And put a fresh towel on tnis stand before the doctor comes." "I don't want to worry you when you're sick, ma'am but I can't do my work and hers too." muttered Dora, as the nurse flounced out. "Sho one-lit to do a little somethin' to earn her five dollars a day." "Try to got along the best you can, j Dora. It won't be for long," concili- j aled Helen. I "If you could see the way sho wastes things in the kitchen. All them white egg she uses for that alhumen water wa-ter what d'you think she does with the yolks? Throws them in the sink!" "Throws them away?" indignantly. "Why didn't yon tell her?" "No. ma'am, I won't have no words j with her. I won't take no more of i : her order-! and sho needn't -come out there makin' a lot of d'sh'-s." j As the morning dragged on,, it j e-med to Helen that -Mr?? Saunders 1 fle!ihor;!to!y ron'ifived to irritate and ' antagonize hr. Instead of a nurse's soothing sympathy, her whole attitude j was rasriingly combative. j Wh.-n jit T2 o'clock she again too': the thT::vineter from the cliif- j : fonier, Helen was watching her every movement. Without even taking it into the bathroom, she shook it down and brought it to the bed. "Miss Saunders," with quiet intensity, in-tensity, "that thermometer hasn't been washed since I had it before." "I beg your pardon." loftily, "but I always wash a thermometer when I take it from the patient's mouth. Under Un-der your tongue, please." "You didn't wash this one," unflinchingly. unflinch-ingly. "I watched you." "Now I'd like to take your temperature." tempera-ture." Her voice implied that Helen's remarks were the ravings of a sick and irresponsible mind. "Not until you rinse off that thermometer." ther-mometer." "Then I'm to tell the doctor you refuse re-fuse to let me take your temperature?" tempera-ture?" "Y'ou can tell him anything you choose." Sick, unstrung, her heart heating in her throat and arms, nelen lay in feverish, consuming hatred, as this nurse swept out. Her head ached, the pillow was too low. The glass of water was just beyond her thirsty reach but she would wait until Dora came. When the girl, with eager but clumsy solicitude, was ministering to her wants, Warren, without his usual heralding her-alding of heavy footsteps, tiptoed noiselessly into the room. "Why, where's the nurse?" frowning frown-ing at Dora's awkward attentions. ''Oh oh, I'm so glad you've come ! I don't want her I don't want her ever to touch me again." And Helen burst into a hysterical account of the morning's happenings. "Now you're getting yourself all worked up over nothing. If she wasn't a good nurse doctor wouldn't have her here. You've got one of your foolish fool-ish prejudices, and you can't " "Warren, it isn't prejudice ! I tell you she doesn't follow the doctor's orders or-ders ! She hates her work she isn't fitted for the nurse. If you won't tell him about that thermometer I will ! No conscientious nurse would " "Oh, all right," yielding with frowning frown-ing reluctance. "I'll speak to him." "Dear, don't think I am unreasonable. unreason-able. If you'd only believe me ! You're not here all day you don't know what she does." "Now, we won't talk about it any more. You quiet down or you'll send up your fever. I'll stay here till the doctor comes." Weak with exhausting emotions, Helen lay back with closed eyes. The sense of injustice rankled sorely. It was useless to combat Warren's belief in the nurse, for when either he or the doctor was present she was always ao-licitously ao-licitously attentive. It was after one when the doctor came. Helen, listening tensely, heard Warren take him into the library, where she could catch only the mumble mum-ble of their lowered voices.. After an interminable wait the door swung open and the doctor came in followed by Miss Saunders, her face flushed and set. "Well, how is our patient today?" with professional cheerfulness. Not trusting herself to speak, Helen shaded her eyes with her arm, but her lips quivered betrayingly. Drawing a chair to the bed, he took her hand with a soothing: "We're making a change in your nurse. Miss Saunders has a slight cold, and we can't risk your catching It. She'll stay with you until five, then Miss Reeves will relieve her." Her eyes still shaded, Helen only nodded, but the lace of her gown rose with a smothered sob of relief. The doctor gone, she lay in relaxing quiet, now cleverly he had done it! What had Warren said? What had they told Miss Saunders? "Well, she's fired !" Warren was alone with her now. "Feel better?" "Oh, yes yes." Then qui verlngly : "But you don't believe me! Y'ou flunk she's all right and that I'm unreasonable." unreason-able." "No, Kitten, I guess you had her number." num-ber." There was a grim note in his voice. "I've just found out a thing or two myself." Forgetful of the doctor's orders, Helen, in breathless Inquiry, half rose on her elbow. "You don't have to prove your case against that female." lie had risen to close the door. "Did a little sleuthing on my own account. Got the goods on her ail right. Caught her faking the chart." vThe chart? You mean " "I mean she didn't write down a blooming thing yesterday. Just before be-fore the doctor came she took a blank chart, dated It Thursday and. filled it out tej.-ifierat lire, medicine, nourishment nourish-ment the whole rigmarole. I kept busy with a newspaper till she was through then I started something!" "Oli. she knows " "She ought to." with a grin. "My language lan-guage was emphatic, but plain. The doctor's pretty hot, too. He let her down c:.,-y before you, but it's the last cpse she'll ever get from him. You're all right. Kitten this time your hunch was 1ho re;.! thing." |
