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Show Nettie, Page 92 reason for her staunch belief. The fervency of her desire to walk again had been the basis of her success. "My dear, I wish you the very best of luck," the Colonel once more took her hand andpatted it, then bade her goodnight and turned toward his combination office and suite. Nettie sighed in content, then ambled down the long hall once again to her room. It was comforting to see her few things placed here and there in the small room and Nettie prepared quickly for bed, not forgetting her nightly rituals of rubbing and massaging her legs, and then kneeling on still tender knees to pray. At five in the morning Nettie was startled awake by a knock on the door. The knock came again while Nettie struggled to remember where she was and what she was doing there. "Just a minute," she finally managed to call out. Half stumbling and half falling to the door, Nettie opened it to reveal a woman dressed entirely in black with the exception of a white collar, cuffs and apron, holding what appeared to be a similar costume in her arms. "Here. These is for you," and she thrust the clothes abruptly into Nettie's arms, turned and walked quickly down the hall. Nettie stuck her head out the door and called "thank you" but the retreating figure gave no indication it heard. As rapidly as she could, Nettie lighted the lamp in her room, then warpped her shawl around her nightgown and went quickly to the bathroom down the hall, washing carefully before returning to her room and donning |
