Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-09-11

are keeping MN very quiet. Are you q
T relative of his ?"
1 "I'm his sister. That is, his father
: married my mother. It's just the same
\ thing" the brown eyes filling with tears
, as she spoke. When the telegraph came
, saying that he'd lost his arm, felt to
come, and there was nothing to keep me,
so | set off Mt once. l can see him, can't
} L? don't think it'll do any hurt. We
have always been friends, Martin and
: NO."
She looked so good and steady that l
: did not think it could be harmful, so l
: permitted her to come in. The meeting
was undemonstrative. "Well, Martin2'
| How are you, Jessie, and all the folks2"
| "a clasp of the remaining hand-and
, that was all. She took her seat by his
| bedside as by right. And her presence
was SO evidently satisfactory to him that
we made arrangements for sleeping quar-
ters and notified Jessie that she could stay
as long as sho wished, or as Martin wish
ed for her.
Thank you kindly" was all her an
swer; but the pretty brown eyes contin-
ued the speech with oloquence. She had
"never been with sick folks much," she
f told US, but was evidently true nurse
patient, deft, noiselcss, observant, possess
or of that " faculty" which replaces eI-
perience. All day long she sat by Mar
tin, feeding him. tanning him, applying
ice, changing the wet bandages on his
arm, talking little now and then, or
reading aloud, but never long enough to
, weary or excite. When Martin slept sho
would steal from behind the screen, and
do little services for the other men, all
t with the same helpfulncss. Her presence
a was comfort to more than Martin. AnC
n we were constantly signing for NOR,
4 nurses like her. 1--WE shall never be
able to get along without you, Jessie, -
n said B. one day. "You'l have to take
, the oath of allegiance, and stay on at
: Jaggers till the end of the war"
d Martin will wait for me good bi
$ yet" was the reply. Martin was evi
c IDENTIFY her one thought. l wondered a
/ times if the relationship, which, after all
was none at all, had avaled to guard his
| adopted sister from the dangers of so
close an intimacy where there was no tie
of blood. Tho brown sensible face told
: no tales, nor did Jessie seem of the stuff
| out of which love-lorn maidens are con.
struoted, still
n Days passed. The time was come anC
gone when answer to Martins letters
I might be looked for, but no answer ap
peared. Martin continued very weak
his strength was at stand-still; ; he did
, not fal back, but neither did he gain.
Every afternoon a little access of suspense
came on when the mail appeared and tho
other men were reading their letters.
saw the restless look in his eyes and then
the depressed pallor which succeeded and
if ever l prayed in my life, it was that
the suspense might end the answer come
and Lucy" do her duty That she
would do it never doubted.
IHoTe WIS Duu Chsct yusI tutilt VI
Ward f, and / was unavoidably absent
! good deal from G., an absence made
I easier by reason Of Jessie's helpful pres
, ence. Coming in at early twilight of tho
seventh day, / was instinCtively aware Of
something amiss. Martin spoke, smiled
when | addressed him, but there was an
indescribable change iE his face. 1t had
sunken. Dark shadows lay about the
mouth, the paleness had deepened into
ghastly color, out Of the eyes, spite of the
brave smile, looked forornness beyond
0 relief. 1t was the aspect Of a man smit-
ten by some sudden and terrible blow.
drew Jessie aside.
:, What is the matter9 Is Martin
worse ? Has anything gone wrong ?"
l 81 don't know" she said, hesitating
over the words and looking very unhap-
py. "Nothing has happened that know
of-but-he won't say what it is."
What Ohdt is2"
81 went over TO tho linen room to fetch
some Sheets" she went on, trying to
speak collectedly. When / came back
Martin was lying with his face hid. lie
made believe to be asleep but he wasn't
asleep. When he moved at last and
spoke he looked different can't say
how, but ! knew it. You knew it, too.
You asked right away what was the
matter"
"Dd the mail come in while you were
out ?" asked with sudden fear.
~ don't know. Yes, do; O'Rourke
had letter from his wife, 1t must have
come, but Martin said nothing about
having anything. Why, what makes
you ask ?"
| would not violate Martins confidence
so / avoided answer, but every glance at
him increased my anxiety. Always tho
same smile, the same patience, but al
ways the inexplicable look, set there by
agencies OF pain whose source dare to
guess. / trembled as the hour OF the
Doctors visit drew near. One glance at
his face as he turned. TO the bedside gave
my fears confirmation.
"When did this change begin ?" he
asked in a low voice.
"I can't say exactly. was with
Keller until six when came back to
Martin / at once saw he was not WE'LL
What is it ?"
~ hope nothing which NAV not pass,
but there are some symptoms Of pyema."
"The hospital scourge She has killed
him." / groaned to myself, but said
nothing.
Twenty-four hours of alternate hopes
and fears, then we knew the worst; our
Martin was donmnd Ha knnw II fnn