The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-04-17

| 1erred that Miss May was perhaps bit of
cynic.
Emily May lived with her mother,
in an inland town in New York.
She had a little property of her
own, and, with what she could earn by
her pen, she managed to dress herself, pay
for summers journey now and then,
and keep her own house over her head.
| 1t was her way to look after her sick
neighbors, poor or not; to visit, now and
then, at the hospital and the county house,
and do what her hand found to do. She
made no fuss, and laid down no rules, and
was under no ecclesiastical Correction :"
in particular but | am inclined to think
SIC was as useful, and far more agreeable,
than if she had made herself hideous in a
poke bonnet, and committed mental
| suicide.
| When her holiday was over that sum-
mer, she came home, and settled quietly
| down to her work.
She was busy at her desk, one day in
| October, when a carriage drove rapidly
up the street, and stopped at the door, and
Dick Bush jumped hurriedly out, and
rang the bell. Emily went to the door
herself, upon which Dicks hurry seemed
suddenly to subside; and when he came
into the parlor, he appeared to find great
difficulty in expressing himself, and Emil
| ly, greatly wondering, asked after his
friend Mr.. Millburn.
| Dicks tongue was loosed.
"Oh, Miss May" he said, with shak-
ing voice, "Evert is dying.'
"Where? How? said Emily startled, and
| sincerely sorry.
Now Dick had been rather melodramat-
| icaliy inclined. He had meant to act like
the hero of a lady's novel, and administer
a severely inflexible reproof to the woman
who had trifled with Evert; but in Miss
May presence he found this plan imprac-
ticable, and wisely retrained.
"He went out shooting with fool of a
boy, and he, the boy, fired wild, and
Evert was badly hurt, and fever set in /;
and, oh Miss May, he keeps asking for
you, and he won't be quiet; and the doc
tor said, if you could you ought to come,
for it might make a difference. There's
his note, and Mrs. Millburn's."
The doctor wrote, succinctly, that, con-
sidering the state of the case, Miss Mays
presence might possibly keep the patient
quieter, which was all important Mrs.
Millburn's note was an incoherent blotted
epistle, begging this unknown young lady
to come and save her boy.
Emily could not refuse; her mother
hurried her off, and in two hours she was
seated beside Dick, on her way to Spring
field. Her reflections were not pleasant.
Every one would talk, and suppose there
was romance. ELY st. John would be
sure to know about it, and ELY was such
} a little chatter-boX and to try to make a
mystery of the matter would be still
worse.
Then she had ''nothng to wear" And
how should she get along with Evert's
mother and sisters? And who would
take her Bible class on Sunday? And
what was to become of her little book
. | e. 81 10
81 dare say it's all nonsense his want
ing me-" she thought. people never
mean what they say in fever. l remem:
ber Pat Murphy insisting that he would
have ahippopotamus handy in the houses;
and if Mr.. Millburn comes to himself how
horribly embarrassing it will be J"
On the whole, Miss Mays feelings were
rather those of vexation than romance.
They rode all night, and when Emily
reached the door of the handsome old
fashioned house in Springfield, she was
wished herself anywhere else.
The door was no sooner opened thar
she was embraced by little old lady il
black, and pretty girl in an elegan
. morning dress. Both were in tears, an(
i had evidently been for some time on tht
e verge of Mysteries and Emily at once Sc
e them down as 1.-THE sort of women whC
!; are never of any use.H
u sob, my dear 1t is so good of you! Sc
4 very good of you!" said Mrs. Millburn
II am sure you will be his guardian an
! GEL" said sentimental Hatty.
{ mot at all. Mr.. Millburn and | were
=. very good friends, and l shall be very
4 glad if | can do him any good" sale
4 Emily, in a very matter-of-course tone
l and then the doctor made his appearance
S and begged her to come up stairs.
: eff he could be kept quiet, there nigh
:, be chance for HING said the doctor
J but so much depends ON nursing
! and the doctor ended with an expressive
: silence. Evert was moaning and sob
9 bing, and begging that some one wOul(
i ! send Emily May with zone drop o
= wateY.'
: The nurse, who, to Enily's critica
> eyes, looked anything but capable, wa
= fussing over him in way that wa
enough in itself to drive a sane persol
y y mad. Emily poured out goblet o
water with steady hand, and as the ic,
tinkled against the side of the glass sh
:, held it to his lips.
J "There is water" she said, in her ord
y nary sweet CHEEKY voice. Now if yo
II will try to be quiet, l will stay with you.
y She could not tell whether he recognize
u u her or not, but the nervous feverish dis
- y tress and excitement seemed in som
~ measure to subside; and, after time, h
was completely quiet.
r. Now nursing wounded man in feve
sounds very romantic in novel; but, i
>, its real details, it is anything but rC
n mantle business.
~ Emily May, at Evert Millburn's bee
n side, felt herself in an entirely false pt
n, sition; but she took care of him, for thel
"a was nothing else to be done. The nurS
ID went off in huff with Miss May and tt
~ doctor; Mrs. Mlllburn and Hatty coul
at only cry and rustic about, and overs
things with their dresses. Evert wou
W. grow restless as soon as Emily lett hin
so that the charge, in spite of herself, fe
IT. into her hands.
d. Happily Mrs. Millburn and Hatty we
la not Jealous. On the contrary, they a
mired Emily exceedingly, and were vel
lis grateful and affectionate.
k. Before the end of the week, Evert can
EN- to himself. 81 have dreamed you we
e. here" he said, with faint smile. "No
IF. l see it is you, and no phantom"
he The delirium had gone, but the doct
, a said nothing encouraging. Evert insist
lv on hearing the exact truth and learn
y at last that he might possibly live fl
lie, days, but no longer.
Or Then, to Emily's wonder and disms
Evert entreated that, for the little til
nd there was remaining, she would take
Id name. His heart was set on this i'd
lot and he pleaded, for what seemed such
useless boon, with vehemence Il
.he seemed likely to hasten the last n
i've ments. Mrs. Millburn and Hatty