The Portland daily press., 1880-04-19

would gladly have carried her back without
it if she would have taken him for better or
worse. Afterward she had parted with her
trinkets one by one for her daily bread, till
she could earn-wth all but the shiningring
that Angus had given her, and which was
now worn quite thin; though the odd legend
engraved within was yet plainly legible:
sgEsN "Tbough he seek till he be gray,
49, Love will find out the way
But in all these twenty years she had never
saved enough from her necessities to pay
her homeward passage. If perchance she
got few dollars ahead, some poor souls
greater need appealed to her; and it was
now fifteen years since she had gravitated
to Great Harrington and cast anchor, but
no one in all the place dreamed that TO
nance had ever touched so plain and old
and commonplace body as Miss Bertha,
who was doubtless made to sew, to tend the
sick, and stir gruels and broths and mus
tard plasters, leaving the poetry of life for
her younger neighbors. She had been out
toward the last of January, watching all
night, and as she stepped into the frosty air,
and began to remember that she was hungry
and drowsy, she suddenly encountered DR..
March coming round a corner.
Speak of angels and you hear their WINGS
said he. 81 was thinking of you, Miss Ber-
tina, this very minute"
Don't turn my head, doctor'
.Well, you see, the brig Abby Jane came
in last seek She's a whaler-been off these
two years. Most of the crew belong in
Great Harrington, and the deuce take it if
they aren't all down with the ship-fever;
came ashore as well as you are, too. Now
the bother is, some have families to look af-
ter them, and some haven't; and all the peo-
pie are scared as they were in the small
poX panlc,a nurses can't be found for love
or money-at least not enough. I've been
up myself these two nights with one poor
fellow, who's wild as hawk, and
am ready to drop not to speak
of my other patients, and can't find any,
body willing to look after him; and 1 didn't
Know thought to myself, There's Miss
Bertha, she's always ready to do good turn
and she isn't afraid of man, the devil OF the
smallpox"
ss'And so you'd like me to 60 to him?''
Exactly. He'll die If you don't It's
missionary work, Miss Bertha 1 don't
know as the man has a sou to pay nurse"
Il don't want any money, if he has," said
she.
CHATS lucky. Come home with me and
drink cup of Mrs. March's coffee, and
I'll take you to the Harrington Arms
There's where our patient put up when he
came ashore. Looks as if he had no kith or
kin in the place, and | don't remember his
face in these parts"
Poor fellow! Poor felloww Miss Bertha
had forgotten she had been up all night and
was breakfastess
81 thought, to be sure" she unused, dur
ing the next nights vigils-''I thought to be
sure, he was young man; but he is grayer
than l am. | wonder if his wife is looking
for him home soon. He isn't weather-beaten
like sailor; his hands are white and soft
like gentleman's. don't believe he ever
tarred the ropes before this voyage. Per-
haps he is reduced in circumstances, and
went whaling to sees his fortune. l wonder
If he will die" But the disease left her
little time for reflection and surr1ises, the
services OF the doctor, and the occasional as
slstance OF the other nurses whose patients
were convalescing, being all the relief af-
forded her. One night as she moved about
the room, coaxing the fire into a glow, STIR
ring the Cruel in the porringer, pouring the
VINE, dlscharging the ninety and-nine little
duties of the sick-room, it seemed to her
that the patient followed her with his ewes
curiously--those great hollow, darkling eyes
full OF sad questioning
do you want to ask me anything2" she
said, pausing beside his pillow, and meeting
the gaze.
PERHAPS, he faltered-" perhaps-you
could tell me-where I am-and howl
came here? Am l awake or dreaming?''
You are in the town of Great Harrington
at the Harrington Arms" she answered.
You have been ill with ship-fever. You
came in the whaler Abby Jane, DIR. March
tells me, which had pickhd you off the
wreck of the Atlas, bound for New York
you and others. You have been very ill.
and you must not talk"
"And you have saved my life. heard the
doctor say so this morning.
Hush, hush; that's only the doctors
palaver."
''Miss Bertha, Pm afraid you've won that
poor fellows heart that you've been taking
care of at the Harrington Arms" said DR..
March, dropping in week or so after he had
ordered her home to take care of herself, lest
he should have another patient on his hands.
lies been pumping me dry about you;
wants to know why you never married.
told him because nobody asked you but Par
son Chapel, and be was too big pill"
That's because you didn't prescribe him."
said Miss Bertha.
just then Sue Blair put her rosy head in
at the door.
''Have you smoked out, Miss Bertha?n
SAID she. rs 1t quite safe for me to como
in? I've such lovely valentine-from Sam.
OF course-that l must show you, even if [
catch the fever. It's St. Valentines Dav,
you know. Did you ever have valentine.
Miss Bertha?''
"Once-ages nearer the beginning"
ooh, by-the-way," put in DIR. March,
there's something for you that 1 took from
the mail as came along. It's wonder I
remembered it. Perhaps it's a valentine too:
it has blue stamp. Who knows?'
perhaps So" laughed Miss Bertha, OPEN |
ing and reading:
.'Though he seek till he be gray,
Love will find out the way.''
"HERRINGToN ARMS"
"Why, what does it mean?" she cried.
rising and flushing strangely 'Who could |
have been so cruel? Who conl1 know?
Who"
"My dear child,'' said Dr. March. "who |
could know what? Angus Aiken is the name |
OF our patient at the Harrington Arms.
Didn't l tell you that you had won his heart?
It's valentine indeedv'
"Just to Think" said the second Mrs. Cha
pell-"just to think of Miss Bertha marry
ing at her time of life! Who's going to do |
our sewing now? Wonders will never cease.
And to think that it was an old affair-of |
twenty years. standing! And they saw he's |
been from Dan to Beersheba to find her. and
has more money than he knows what to do |
WITH
"A O