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 nightgown were taken from her. She was bundled into a shroudlike garment of linen or canvas. Stockings of the same material were drawn over her legs, and she was hoisted to the table.

There was another nurse in the operating-room, a new one presumably, for the Misses Harris and Brown hustled her about ruthlessly.

A small brown-haired girl without a cap on her head abruptly rushed into the room. She was buttoning her uniform. "What is it?" she said to Miss Brown.

"Nothing. What are you doing here? Just a straight delivery. We don't need you."

"Heavens! The old man rang my phone and got me out of bed. I thought you were having two Caesarians and quadruplets up here."

"Might as well stay as long as you're here," remarked Miss Harris.

The girl with the brown hair walked over to Dot and smiled. "How are you?"

"In pain," Dot responded and managed to smile.

"A brave little girl, Miss Lambert," said Miss Harris. "There hasn't been a whimper out of her."

"Now you have something to live up to," Miss Lambert said.

Dr. Stewart came into the operating-room. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, and he wore a rubber apron. His face was white and pasty-looking. Perhaps he wasn't well, Dot thought, or maybe it was because he had been awakened in the middle of the night.

With his entrance, the nurses were galvanized into action. Miss Brown ran to the sterilizer with a handful of glittering instruments. Miss Harris fussed with a huge, hot light that threw a burning white glare on the table. The new nurse hurried in feverish dismay about the room, looking for something important to do. Miss Lambert