CHAPTER XIII.

MARION FINDS SALLIE.

As Marion rushed back to the hospital a boat moved slowly away from the little dock. It was the boat from Bellevue and had left its usual quota of patients. The horrible scene which she had just witnessed was one which she knew would remain with her always and which she would almost have given her life to have prevented.

“Oh, how terrible his life must have been!” she thought, “if the poor fellow preferred death in such a horrible manner.”

Then, curiously enough, on the very steps of the hospital she came face to face with the “Bible reader.”

“What has happened?” asked the woman, as she read Marion’s horrified expression.

“A convict shot and drowned,” was the young girl’s low answer. “Another victim has paid the penalty of sin or weakness!”

“Unrepentant, unforgiven,” murmured the woman, in horror.

The young girl turned upon her with an agonized countenance.

“We cannot say that—we do not know,” she said very sharply; then she fled hastily up the steps and into the building.

In order to reach the floor Marion had to pass the reception ward, and, as usual, she glanced in at the door in passing.

There was something going on that was out of the ordinary, but she was too upset to inquire into its meaning.

All that night the scene that she had witnessed haunted her, and she arose the next morning looking pale and haggard. As she left her room the Superintendent of Nurses met her. She was a middle-aged woman, rather stout and very dignified.

“I am going to transfer you to the medical ward for awhile, Miss Marlowe,” she said, briefly. “You can go in there at once and report to Miss Franklin.”

Marion bowed and turned in the direction indicated. It was a sad disappointment to her to be obliged to leave the “Maternity.” “I almost love Miss Williams,” she said to herself, “but as I seem to have a faculty for loving almost everybody, perhaps I shall love Miss Franklin.”

As she reached the entrance to the ward she stopped a moment. There were several new patients being put to bed, and Miss Franklin was busy.

Suddenly from the direction of the patients’ elevator there came a fearful shriek.

Marion’s face turned pale and her knees trembled as she heard it.

Miss Franklin darted past her just as the elevator stopped and let out an orderly and two doctors, who were all struggling with a patient.

Marion shrank back against the wall to give them a chance to pass her, and as she did so she overheard the house physician saying something to Miss Franklin.

“It developed yesterday as she was coming up on the boat. I’ll have her transferred to Ward’s Island to-morrow.”

“And meanwhile we’ll have all the other patients standing on their heads,” was Miss Franklin’s curt answer. “It seems to me that all the lunatics are brought straight to the ‘Medical’!”

“Can’t help it this time,” said the doctor, smiling, “and you know you can manage her the best of any one, Miss Franklin.”

The head nurse flushed at this genuine compliment. She was as conscientious as she was exacting, and such words were her recompense.

For the next few minutes everything was in commotion, for with a sudden effort the new patient sprang from the orderly’s arms and, rushing the length of the ward, bounded up on a table which held some charts and glasses.

“Quick! before she secures a weapon!” said the doctor to the orderly in a low, fierce tone.

The orderly sprang forward, but he was a minute too late. The woman had snatched a couple of glasses and cracked them together. With a piece of jagged glass in each hand she stood, alert and waiting.

Just at this very moment Marion took a step into the ward. She opened her eyes wider as she stared hard at the woman.

“Come on, Sile, and I’ll finish you!” shrieked the poor, crazy woman defiantly. “Jest strike me ag’in, yer coward, an’ I’ll kill yer, Silas Johnson!”

“My goodness! It is Sallie!” cried Marion with a gasp. “Oh, be careful of her, doctor! It is Sallie! Poor, dear Sallie.”

Before Marion could say more Miss Franklin stood before her.

“Hush! you simpleton!” she said, sternly.

“Don’t you see what you are doing? Is it any reason because you know her that you should frighten all the patients!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” cried Marion, who was scarlet with embarrassment. “I will not make another sound—only do let me go to her.”

Miss Franklin smiled in a sarcastic way. “Certainly, go to her if you wish and quiet her if you can. She evidently takes the orderly for some other person.”

“She thinks he is Silas Johnson, her husband,” said Marion, as she started down the ward. “Oh, can it be possible that this is poor Sallie!”

“Don’t go near her yet, miss,” said the orderly, as Marion approached. “She’s ‘as mad as a March hare.’ She’d cut your face open with that glass in a minute. We’ve got to do a little planning to capture the lady.”

Marion looked at Sallie as she crouched on the table. Her face was ashen, her eyes red and glaring, and her hair, which was always poor Sallie’s one beauty, fell in unkempt masses over her back and shoulders.

Not once did she take her burning gaze from the face of the orderly, and fierce, undying hatred was stamped upon her features.

“If you will only go away, I am sure I can calm her,” said Marion, bravely. “Sallie will not hurt me—even if she is crazy.”

“You can go, orderly,” said the physician, who was close to Marion. “I think this nurse can quiet the girl, and I don’t wish to resort to force if it can be avoided.”

Marion thanked him with a smile, and the orderly backed away with a grin of delight.

It was not always pleasant to be taken for a crazy woman’s husband.

“Sallie! Sallie! Don’t you know me?” asked Marion, softly, as she walked up slowly and stood beside the table.

The maniac did not notice her until the orderly had disappeared, then with a sigh of relief she dropped the sharp weapons that she had been clutching.

“He’ll never strike me again now, Marion,” she cried, shrilly, “I’ve done jest as yer said. I’ve defied him at last, an’ now I’m goin’ ter run away an’ go tew the city.”