Then continuing, he
said, "Would you kindly give me your card that I may know your full name
in case you call at other times than the regular visiting hours?"
She opened her pocket book as if to take out a card, stopped and
reflected a moment, and then said, "Well, never mind my last name; just
remember me as Arletta," and before I could collect my wits sufficiently
to voice my agitated thoughts they passed from the room together.
CHAPTER XXIV
As I lay musing over the strange occurrences recorded in the previous
chapter, and wondering whether my entire life was a reality or merely a
peculiar dream, one of the white-capped nurses strode up to the side of
my bed and without the slightest warning roughly pushed a little glass
tube in my mouth. Not knowing whether she wanted me to swallow it or was
merely trying to puncture a hole in my tongue, I put it out again and
asked what she intended doing.
"Now look here," said she, in an irritated way, "I have about lost all
patience with you, and unless you do as I tell you hereafter I shall
have the orderly punish you again."
"But," said I, in amazement, "you have not mentioned yet what you would
have me do."
"I have told you fully a hundred times to put this thermometer under
your tongue and keep it there," replied she, exhibiting considerable
temper, as she viciously jammed it once more into my mouth and twisted
it under my tongue. "You are about the biggest chump that ever came into
this hospital," continued she, grasping my wrist as though she intended
breaking it and simultaneously taking my pulse and temperature.
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