The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-02-23

corner, and dropped heavy carpet.bag
ON the doorstep while she scrutinized
the house. Shirley rushed to the door
and opened il noiselessly.
MADAM, beg that you will come in,
il only for moment. You cannot
think how great charity it would be-"
"Certainly l will come in; have
been travelling all day for that express
purpose. if this is Miss Strong's house y
and the girl leaned forward to pierce
the gloom which snveloped Shirley, who
waited for no more words, but lifted
her, bag and all, into the little hall and
shut the door.
"Miss Strong is very i'll and wander
ing in her mind, and am wholly alone
with her. You could not be more well
come if you were an angel out Of hea-
ven," said Shirley, in the extremity of
his delight and relief. He found her
hand somehow in the dark, and shook
it as heartily a. If she had been Lenox.
~ thank you," said the girl simply.
miss Strong is my cousin, and, If you
will be SO good as to bring light for a
moment, will take off my cloak"
| Shirley found a candle, with light
heart; the clear, low voice of the new
conner seemed to create a new atnos-
phere in the hc use.
| She met him in the parlor, and held
out her hand again, frankly, to be
shaken.
I" know you now" she said. II saw
you with Mis- Temperance at the com.
mencement."
She had taken off the water proof
disguise. and stood before Shirley-the
identical "girl in gray"
"This is my cousins room, sup
pose," she went on, with smile which
might mean confusion to Shirley, in the
memory of their first meeting, or might
not She gave him no time to decide,
but pushed open the door and stood
with him beside the bed where Miss
Temperance lay moaning in her sleep.
these are her bureau and wardrobe,
of course. She must be undressed first
of all. and while do that you may
make good fire in the kitchen and
will come to you there"
Now you may go Cor the DOCTOR"
said the girl in gray, coming into the
kitchen with no more hustle than if she
had spent her life there.
Shirley went joyfully, feeling that he
must be entertaining an angel unawares.
The fever would ran its course was
the doctors verdict. Good nursing was
all the patient needed for a few days.
All y thought Shirley, as he measured
his great siren til with the intelligent
weakness of the "girl in gray" who
instinctively did the right thing at the
right time.
Il must look for some one to help
you," he said when they were again
alone.
THANK you, but there will be no
need. Sickness is my strong point"
al begin to think i have no strong
point, unles. it is Greek verbs"
She gave mellow little laugh. If
you are turning meek you must be hun
cry"
al believe l have eaten nothing to-
day." =
the pantry and will see what there is
for our supper, for am hungry too"
Shirley wondered at himself that he
could eat so heartily in that presence,
but hunger and the good example of
the girl in 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 unpleasantne.s 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 Strong's COM
fort.
snow l have no more need Of you"
she said at last. 81 will bid you good
night, and if need anything before
morning will 60 up stairs and knock
at every door till find yours.
But-but-" stammered Shirley,
who had fully made up his mind to
share nights vigil with her.
~ know no such word"
!" You must need rest, and am much
stronger than you are"
"The last clause is selfevident, but
you don't know so we'll how to use your
own strength" said Rachel, opening
Miss Strong's door.
But-but-" persisted Shirley, utter
~ a. loss for the proper phrases for
such an emergency.
"That must be one Of your Greek
verbs, you are SO fond oft. Good night,
and will see you in the morning."
She disappears, and Shirley was rout-
ed in his first campaign. He was GER
tain that he should not close his eyes I;
but exhausted nature overcame him,