erforates--well, we can send for the undertaker then."

"Has he had hemorrhages?"

"Two in the first week, but not profuse--he seemed to rally fairly well
afterward. We have been injecting ether in case of anemia. Really, Miss
Searight, the case is interesting, but wicked, wicked as original sin.
Killed off my first nurse out of hand--good little boy, conscientious
enough; took no care of himself; ate his meals in the sick-room against
my wishes; off he went--dicrotic pulse, diarrhea, vomiting, hospital,
thrombosis of pulmonary artery, _pouf_, requiescat."

"And Miss Wakeley?"

"Knocked under yesterday, and she was fairly saturated with creolin
night and morning. I don't know how it happened.... Well, God for us
all. Here he is--that's the point for us." He glanced toward the bed,
and for the third time Lloyd looked at the patient.

Ferriss was in a quiet delirium, and, at intervals, from behind his
lips, dry and brown and fissured, there came the sounds of low and
indistinct muttering. Barring a certain prominence of the cheek-bones,
his face was not very wasted, but its skin was a strange, dusky pallor.
The cold pack was about his head like a sort of caricatured crown.

"Well," repeated Pitts in a moment, "I've been waiting for you to come
to get a little rest. Was up all last night. Suppose you take over
charge."

Lloyd nodded her head, removing her hat and gloves, making herself
ready. Pitts gave her some final directions, and left her alone in the
sick-room. For the moment there was nothing to do for the patient. Lloyd
put on her hospital slippers and moved silently about the room,
preparing for the night, and making some few changes in the matter of
light and ventilation. Then for a while the medicine occupied her
attention, and she was at some pains to carefully sort out the
antiseptic and disinfectants from the drugs themselves. These latter she
arranged on a table by themselves--studying the labels--assuring herself
of their uses. Quinine for the regular morning and evening doses,
sulphonal and trional for insomnia, ether for injections in case of
anemia after hemorrhage, morphine for delirium, citrite of caffeine for
weakness of the heart, tincture of valerian for the tympanites, bismuth
to relieve nausea and vomiting, and the crushed ice wrapped in flannel
cloths for the cold pack in the event of hyperpyrexia.

Later in the evening she took the temperature in the armpit, noted the
condition of the pu