Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-02-22

NOV you may go for the doctor"
said tlp girl in gray, coming into the
kitchen with no more hustle than if she
had spnt her life there.
Shirby went joyfully, feeling that he
must b entertaining an angel unawares.
The FEVER would ran its course was
the docor's verdict. Good nursing was
all thepatient needed for few days. |
"All I" Thought Shirley, as he measured |
his greet siren ,th with the intelligent |
weakness of the "girl in gray" who
instinctvely did the right thing at the
right tine.
I" must look for some one to help
you," be said when they were again
alone.
"Thaak you, but there will be no
need. sickness is my strong point"
" 1 begin to think have no strong
point, unless it is Greek verbs"
She give mellow little laugh. IF
you are turning meek you must be hun
cry"
az believe 1 have eaten nothing to-
day"
81 thought SO. You shall show me
the pantry and will see what there is
for our supper, for am hungry too"
Shirley wond cred at himself that he
could eat so heartily in that presence,
but hunger and the good example of
the girl il gray were too many for him.
"My name is Rachel Gordon" she
said as soon as she thought of it. "My
mother was first cousin to the Gordons.
There was some unpleasantness be-
tween them while she lived, but she was
deeply anxious that 1 should win over
Miss Temperance if possible"
Shirley was Immediately convinced
that she could win over anybody to any
thing, but, having no practice in COM
pliments, he remained silent and stared
at her numerically. Rachel kept him
busy ali the evening with bringing in
wood for the night and making all sorts
of slight changes for Miss Strongs COM
fort.
"Now I have no more need of you"
she said at last. I" will bid you good
night, and if l need anything before
morning 1 will 60 up stairs and knock
at every door till find yours.
But-but-" stammered Shirley
who had fully made up his mind tc
share nights vigil with her.
81 know no such word.
"You must need rest, and am much
stronger than you are"
"The last clause is self-evident, but
YOU don't know SO well how to use YOU
own strength" said Rachel, opening
Miss Strong's door.
But-but-" persisted Shirley, utter
ly a. loss for the proper phrases TO
such an emergency.
"That must be one of your Greel
verbs, you are SO fond of il. Good night
and l will see you in the morning"
She disappears, and Shirley was rout
ed in his first campaign. He was Gel
tain that he should not close his eyes
but exhausted nature overcame him
and the small hours were growing larg
again when he stole down stairs, an
was guided to the bedroom by dir
light within. He meant only to look a
the invalid, but his eyes were caugh
before they reached Miss Strong. r.
chel mad been sitting by the oed, anc
laying her head where the least motto
of the sick woman would wake her, sh
had fallen asleep.
Shirley thought latter he came to til
thinking point that he had never see
anything SO lovely in all his days. Racht
had put on white wrapper with o Ion
cape to it, and, for comforts sake, ha
taken the pins out of her hair. TIL
light brown hair rippled round tn
small ear and strayed over the dres
and finally lay on the floor in sof
wee ~ way that was bewildering
Shn ley who had never before seen
woman hair-her "glory." A pa
sionate longing seized HIM to touch
snce, to see if it felt like his own stu
born curls. Rachel's face was too ear
est to % pretty. She had more of tt
romance of your stone ideal" tina
; those "ripe and real" women whol
, Byron preferred. Her best feature VI
, straight nose, which, as Miss Bront
says, will give clear look in any fac
, Hers bore marks of trial and hard earne
, rest, but its purity struck Shirley wit
;. awe. He never knew how long
: leaned against the door-post, gain
= with his soul in his eyes at the slee
ing girl. He learned her by heart
:, that look, as if she had been lesso
. from the little purple sprig on b
= white gown to the blue veins in b
. forehead. He saw woman for the I'll
. time, and he never saw another WI
the same eyes.
= From that moment the current of
eager soul SET only on her; a rage
covetousness possessed him; she "
+ the one thing needful to round his if
- it must have been for her that his hes
q had waited through his youth.
- He drew back at last with an inwa
;, wrench, in the fear that she might Wa
70 and find him spying on her solitude.
~ went into the cold kitchen, and the
a Rachel found him, sitting bolt uprie
\ on the old-fashioned settle.
"You have not been sitting here
- night, hope" she said.
-, - NO." said Shirley, with look of
! pentance that he had not done so, a
: SO have been worthy of little scoldi
of on her part. She had twisted upa all
~ wandering hair into loose knot, bu
T. did not alter the picture which v
=, - newly hung for all time in Shirle
= memory. He longed to tell her sol
>, how that she must use him in ev
possible way to save her own streng
but the right words were slow in conf
~ "Miss Gordon" he began more tt
". once.
'" "That name sounds odd to me-"
20 said. IT have never been anybody
Ia Rachel. My mother belonged to
ba Society of Friends, and though