St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-20
FAINT HEART NE'ER WON FAIR
LADY,"
"a hat of last years fashion %


decided"
Upright and sparkling, I should call it.''
:sNy dear Richard, you are really absurd.
The girl is a hospital nurse, and what woman
With any refinement or delicacay would take
up such a profession as that? 1t shows she
can't be nice"
''Ladies do such things nowadays"-less
defantly.
Now you know you're only saying SO be-
cause she's pretty. OF course ladies do queer
things nowadays, but that doesn't excuse an
unwomanly feeling. Besides, she's only a
solicitors daughter. I shant ask mamma to
CALI
''But don't you think common civilitY---'
':No, 1 don't. She's only staying at the
rectory, and we're not forced to call on
everyone's friends. Besides, Capt. Hard
wicke is expected home, and it would make
it awkward. What would one of Lord Bel
monts people say if we asked them to meet
a girl like Miss Traverse"
"All the same, she's as pretty and lady
like as anyone [ ever met in these parts"
every likely, but she's not in our set.
Now. Richard, if you say any more shall
begin to think you are falling in love with
her. if the idea is not too absurd.
But Richard had closed the drawing-room
door upon his six sisters languid voices, and
was halfway across the wide lawn with its
brilliant parterres Of summer flowers. Poor
Richard Allerdyce only son of the richest
banker in Chcllowdean, people Of good fam
lily, but with just that uncertainty of social
position which made them afraid Of overstep-
ping any boundaries, rather gratified at being
on intimate terms with Lord Belmont and
the HardwicSes, he was of divided mind this
summer afternoon. He had been greatly
taken oy that sweet face and slight figure in
the rectory pew last Sunday; was sensible OF
a thrill of more than civil interest when he
met their owner walking home with the good
old rector after services, and was introduced
to " Miss Travers, - while the eyes like gray
starsn were suddenly raised to his; and he
had ever since spent a larger portion of the
time than was strictly needful in walking
past the rectory's rose-covered garden gate.
But, on the other side, his sisters words had
certainly struck home.
Brought up, as all the Allerdyces were, like
hot house plants, sheltered from every breath
of frosty air. it was not strange that Richard
at %, though a big, burly enough young
Englishman to look at, was but little ola man
in mind or heart. knowledge Of the world
had been carefully kept from him, as from
his sisters, lest they should learn evil; but
their very ignorance had cost them the loss
of power to choose between evil and good,
and had given them weak prejudies and con-
ceited opinionativeness, instead of mind to
discern and prefer the right.
Richards handsome face was overcast as
he swung out Of the lodge gates and down
the road Miss Travers hospital nurse!
certainly it was a shock. Not only did it
seem to him unwomanly for a woman to
work at all, but infinitely more so to do
mental work. And then the awful thought
of what his mother, and sisters would say,
were they asked to receive a hospital nurse
as his future wifel For it had gone as far as
that in Richards susceptible mind, even in
these three short days. All at once his
thoughts broke off, as Miss TraYers herself,
sweet and bright as ever, in her black dress,
came out from the rectory gate, the great
rectory mastitf pacing behind her.
Now, Richards own collie was at his mas
ter's heels, and there was a border feud of
long standing between these two faithful fol-
lowers. There was one angry growl, heavy
rush, a thud, and then brown body and
black rolled together in the dust in manner
suggestive of a dogs funeral on one side or
the other Richard who was actually stag
gered by the suddenness of it all, could not
for moment regain his senses; and when
he did, it was to find Miss Travers, both
white hands locked in the hair of Rollo's
shaggy neck, pulling him from his foe with
all her strength, and calling to ''Mr. Aller-
dycen 20 take hold of his dog and pull him
off"
She was being whirled round in the cloud
of dust by the frantic walters before Richard
could quite settle where to ''take hold" but
that task was performed for him by a gentle
man in tweed knickerbockers, who started
out of the ''White Hart,n few rods away,
and ran to the rescue. Between Miss Travers
ard himself the combatants were separated,
each carrying away few fragments of the
others person; and Miss Travers, flushed,
painting, covered with dust, but looking love
lier than Richard had ever seen woman look
before, sank back against the rectory wall
and tried to laugh The stranger lifted his
hat looking straight at her with q pair Of
piercing brown eyes.
Excuse me, Miss Traversl ~ he said, in
rather an off-hand manner, ''but that was
about as rash thing as anyone could posi-
bly, do. The dogs might both have turned
ON you and bitten you badly.'
''Thank you, Captain Hardwicke, I had
not the least fear" was her only response,
given with little haughtiness; and the gen
tleman, with nod to Richard, turned and
strobe away as rapidly as he had come
''AIiss Travers are you hurt?'' Richard |
was able to articulate at last' You never |
should have done thing like that. Hard
wicke was right; it was awfully rashl By the
way, you know Hardwicke?"
''No, I'm not hurt BIT" The wonderful
gray eyes were dancing with fun now.
Don't scold me, please. I know it was a
silly thing to do but didn't stop to think |
Pray don't look so horrifed!'
''But if you had been bitten?''
''Well, wasn't" And her face dimpled !
with a friendly smile at his shocked ld6k.
But you know Hardwicke:' he persisted, |
unable to get over his surprise in that quar-
ter.
"Oyes," Her face grew cold instantly.
"Capt. Hardwicke was in hospital with an
accident some months agony hospital I |
had charge of him there, that's all.n And |
she pulled rose so sharply from the hedge |
that it fell to pieces in her hands.
''Look there!" she laughed, showering the |
petals on the ground before her; ''let US
cover over the battlefield with flowers" and
che laughed again.
Richard went home more thoughtful than
ever. Surely this woman was a novel thing
in his experience Of men and manners She |
acted with the skill and daring of man;
and yet he would rather not |
think what his sisters faces would be like |
had they but seen it. Was it
actually lady-lke? or should she not rather
have fled from the scene Of conflict, or even
have screamed and tainted! To be sure, she |
had looked as beautiful as an evenging |