Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-08-22

"fhe injuries are not fatal. Your
father may live for years"
Nellie's tears fell fast now.
" But" the doctor continued, "he
will never be able to walk again. The
injury to the spine will keep him Grip
pie for life."
Never walk again! While Nellie
soboed out her anguish in the drawing
room, John Somerville, unconscious of
the dread fiat that had gone forth, slept
under the influence of a powerful opi-
ate.
For many days the two woman who
loved him had no thought for anything
but the strong man stricken down in
the prime of his life, needing care like
Il little child. Under the influence of
u real sorrow, the crust of sel6shness
melted from the wife's heart, and she
became devoted nurse, forgetting the
fancied ailments she had nursed for
years, in ministering to her husband,
as he lay helpless and suffering.
But there came a day when John
was told, kindly and eau
tiously, of the doom before him. 1t
took all the Christian strength of the
mans nature to endure the shock.
Better death, he thought, than life at
such a price. The first agony over, he
thought of the factory; the bread-win-
ner for wife and child-the business of
his life. Must the old firm die at last,
and the Aourishing business be sold for
want of masters care. Involuntarily
he turned to Nellie and talked long and
1t was a surprise to him, in spite of
what he had seen, when she replied:
"I knew the factory would be your
first anxiety, father, and Stephen has
been here every evening to report 10
me, bringing me all the mail matter.
To-day I went down myself. Every
thing is going on we'll. The orders for
this month are all filled, and the new
ones under way. I have put in some
new material. Do you fell able to 60
over what I have done?"
Clearly she explained every detail of
the business in the four weeks that had
passed since the accident, and mOdestly
showed him the memoranda she had
kept of every business transaction.
"Nellie," he said, when she had
finished, elf Heaven denied me son,
it has given me a good daughter.
Will you take a sons place now !?
With you to assist me, eau still carry
on my factory, though lie crippled
here"
There was buzz of comment in the
village when Miss Ellen Somerville as
sumed charge of the frame factory her
father had owned so long. Some of the
workmen refused to be ordered
about" by girl, and were promptly
discharged; but the majority worked
better under the stimulus of Nellie's
iudicious praise. People who sneered
at masculine women" were forced to
confess that Nellie was as womanly, if
not as helpless, as the finest lady OF
them all. Patrons of the factory who
prophesied it's utter ruin were forced to
confess that their orders were filled as
promptly and as we'll as ever before.
And Diet, in the counting-house, only a
woman controlled the entire business,
kept the books, answered the letters,
and guided every detail Of the vast es-
tablishment.
Three years had passed since Nellie
became the head of the business, when
Holten woed her for his wife.
He had saved from his salary sufficient
to make pleasant home, and Nellie
knew he loved her faithfully, as she had
long loved him. So, with her happy
consent, he sought her father to ask for
his child.
From all the world" John Somer-
Vile said, 81 could not have chosen
man to whom I would SO gladly give my
Nellie. 1t will comfort me, in the
years that may be left OF my life, to
know that my brave girl has pro-
tector when I am gone. But, Stephen,
there is one wish very near my heart
that you can crafty"
"Name it, sir"
II shall, on your marriage day, deed
to you the factory and business, sub
iect only to a moderate life-income for
myself and wife. But l would like to
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