until at last she helped Dr. Marsden change the dressing on an arm cruelly gored by a bull. She smiled wearily.
“ And that ’ s the last one, ” she announced.
“ And clinic hours were over an hour ago, ” he reminded her, smiling. “ You ’ d better run along and get some lunch. Can you come back from two until four? ”
“ Of course, ” Hilary assured him. “ There ’ s nothing in the Club that the P.N.s can ’ t handle, and Middy ’ s there. ”
“ Good! ” said Dr. Marsden. “ I can ’ t tell you what a pleasure it ’ s been to have your assistance. Janie ’ s a nice child but — well, you ’ re a nurse! ”
Hilary glowed happily.
“ Aren ’ t you coming to lunch, Doctor? ” she asked, watching him hang up his white coat, slide into his jacket and overcoat, reach for his black bag.
“ No, I have some house calls, and on a day like this I ’ ll have to step lively to make them and get back in time for the clinic, ” he told her.
“ But, Doctor, you can ’ t go without food. ”
“ I have a couple of patients I simply have to see, Nurse. I ’ m—well, I ’ m worried about them, ” he admitted, and looked a little abashed. “ I know it ’ s considered unprofessional to get personally involved in a patient ’ s problems, but there it is. ”
“ I ’ ll bring you a tray when you get back, and you can eat while I keep the clinic patients occupied, ” she told him firmly.
He was already at the door opening into the clinic but at the mention of a tray he turned and glanced at her, his blue eyes brimming with abashed laughter.
“ So we ’ re going to have a tray patient after all, and it ’ s going to be me? ” he mocked lightly, and added quickly, “ I want to apologize for last night. ”
“ Oh, skip it, ” urged Hilary. “ You just didn ’ t understand. I mean, if you knew Mrs. Barton ... ”
“ I had that pleasure first thing this morning, and she is really a grand little soul, ” said Dr. Marsden firmly, and scowled. “ I ’ m wondering how she is going to adjust to the Club. She seems so frightened and forlorn, like a small bird that ’ s escaped its cage and wishes it could find the way back inside. ”
He seemed to remember the passing of time, and pulled himself up, lifted his hat in a little salute and went hurrying out.
Hilary came into the dining room, looked swiftly about for a vacant table, and in a far corner saw Mrs. Barton. Neat, crisply fresh in a pale gray cotton dress with tiny yellow flowers sprinkled over it, Mrs. Barton sat drawn back, looking about her with wide, terrified eyes.
Hilary went swiftly toward her, and the way Mrs. Barton ’ s eyes lit up at the sight of her touched Hilary deeply.
“ Oh, I ’ m so glad to see you, Miss Westbrook, ” Mrs. Barton murmured, looking about her uneasily at the other women in their smart, expensive morning dresses. “ I feel so lost! I just don ’ t belong in a place like this! ”
“ Nonsense, of course you do, ” said Hilary lightly. “ It ’ s just that you haven ’ t had a chance to get acquainted. ”
Mrs. Barton threw an anxious glance about the room and seemed to shrink into an even smaller space.
“ They—they all look so—so—well, so sure of themselves, ” she said huskily. “ I just wouldn ’ t know what to talk about to them. I ’ m not used to women who wear expensive clothes in the mornings! ”
She tilted her chin defiantly at Hilary as though fearful of being laughed at.
“ All my friends have housework and cleaning and cooking to do, and children to look after and gardening, ” she went on in a little rush of words. “ These women look as if they ’ d never had a worry in the world. I ’ m going to write Jill to come and take me back home. I ’ ll find somebody to stay with me ... ” Her voice broke, and she set her teeth hard in her lower lip to control its quivering.
Hilary waited, not trying to answer her, knowing that it was good for her to talk
“ And that ’ s the last one, ” she announced.
“ And clinic hours were over an hour ago, ” he reminded her, smiling. “ You ’ d better run along and get some lunch. Can you come back from two until four? ”
“ Of course, ” Hilary assured him. “ There ’ s nothing in the Club that the P.N.s can ’ t handle, and Middy ’ s there. ”
“ Good! ” said Dr. Marsden. “ I can ’ t tell you what a pleasure it ’ s been to have your assistance. Janie ’ s a nice child but — well, you ’ re a nurse! ”
Hilary glowed happily.
“ Aren ’ t you coming to lunch, Doctor? ” she asked, watching him hang up his white coat, slide into his jacket and overcoat, reach for his black bag.
“ No, I have some house calls, and on a day like this I ’ ll have to step lively to make them and get back in time for the clinic, ” he told her.
“ But, Doctor, you can ’ t go without food. ”
“ I have a couple of patients I simply have to see, Nurse. I ’ m—well, I ’ m worried about them, ” he admitted, and looked a little abashed. “ I know it ’ s considered unprofessional to get personally involved in a patient ’ s problems, but there it is. ”
“ I ’ ll bring you a tray when you get back, and you can eat while I keep the clinic patients occupied, ” she told him firmly.
He was already at the door opening into the clinic but at the mention of a tray he turned and glanced at her, his blue eyes brimming with abashed laughter.
“ So we ’ re going to have a tray patient after all, and it ’ s going to be me? ” he mocked lightly, and added quickly, “ I want to apologize for last night. ”
“ Oh, skip it, ” urged Hilary. “ You just didn ’ t understand. I mean, if you knew Mrs. Barton ... ”
“ I had that pleasure first thing this morning, and she is really a grand little soul, ” said Dr. Marsden firmly, and scowled. “ I ’ m wondering how she is going to adjust to the Club. She seems so frightened and forlorn, like a small bird that ’ s escaped its cage and wishes it could find the way back inside. ”
He seemed to remember the passing of time, and pulled himself up, lifted his hat in a little salute and went hurrying out.
Hilary came into the dining room, looked swiftly about for a vacant table, and in a far corner saw Mrs. Barton. Neat, crisply fresh in a pale gray cotton dress with tiny yellow flowers sprinkled over it, Mrs. Barton sat drawn back, looking about her with wide, terrified eyes.
Hilary went swiftly toward her, and the way Mrs. Barton ’ s eyes lit up at the sight of her touched Hilary deeply.
“ Oh, I ’ m so glad to see you, Miss Westbrook, ” Mrs. Barton murmured, looking about her uneasily at the other women in their smart, expensive morning dresses. “ I feel so lost! I just don ’ t belong in a place like this! ”
“ Nonsense, of course you do, ” said Hilary lightly. “ It ’ s just that you haven ’ t had a chance to get acquainted. ”
Mrs. Barton threw an anxious glance about the room and seemed to shrink into an even smaller space.
“ They—they all look so—so—well, so sure of themselves, ” she said huskily. “ I just wouldn ’ t know what to talk about to them. I ’ m not used to women who wear expensive clothes in the mornings! ”
She tilted her chin defiantly at Hilary as though fearful of being laughed at.
“ All my friends have housework and cleaning and cooking to do, and children to look after and gardening, ” she went on in a little rush of words. “ These women look as if they ’ d never had a worry in the world. I ’ m going to write Jill to come and take me back home. I ’ ll find somebody to stay with me ... ” Her voice broke, and she set her teeth hard in her lower lip to control its quivering.
Hilary waited, not trying to answer her, knowing that it was good for her to talk
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