The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-10

said, In decided tone. The sooner, the bet |
teri" after which he sank back with an
angry jerk upon his pillow.
TIE surgeon laughed a little, and presently
went away The nurse busted herself in
tidying the already scrupulously tidy room.
"ln what mad haste you are TO get rid of
mel" said Sir Rawdon at last, finding the
silence unbearable. How cold, how calm,
how unfeeling she appeared with that beau
tiful, unreliable face of hers!
"You see have your interest at heart,
she said -
Miner
"Yes. Do you forget how you we're pining
for your freedom only short two weeks
ago9 Now it lies before you"
you are ungenerous," he said Then mora
slowly, "a fortnight is long time One
may learn many things in it."
"True. You have learned to get well,
said she quietly.
"More than than thatn He flushed dark
rcd, and then held out his hands to her II
have learned besides to-"
He paused with terrible, unmistakable sud-
denness. The color died from his face, and
a quick pallor succeeded it. His very lips
grew white, because of the severity Of his
mental struggle What was it he had been
about to do9 To tell this nameless girl-this
worse than nameless girl, who was ashamed
to declare aloud her honest appellation-that
he loved her! To ask her to be MS wife! He.
Dare, and tine head of his housed His hand
sank once more to his side, he breathe1
heavily, and at length, without looking at
her, turned his face away from her to the
wall Here. bitter strife took place be-
tween his heart AMI him, but when it ended
his heart remained the victor, ana he reused
himself and looked round for her.
OF her, however, he found the room empty.
During that short but violent battle with
prudence and affection, in which prudence
had been slain, she had left him-had
vanished, as it were. In her chair sat a
probationer, young woman with pale eyes
and snub nose, and a generally afflicted
air. He had seen this probationsr before,
and had amused himself at odd moments
counting the number of aspirates she could
drop in half an hour, She spoke with a little
shuttle in her throat, and was otherwise in
many ways most hateful TO him.
Now, the knowledge that Nurse Eva was
never absent from him for longer than thirty
minutes at a tina became an intense consola-
ton to him. She would soon be here, and
that odious young woman would vacate her
chair, in which it seemed positive sacrilege
that she should be allowed to sit But the
minutes crept on, and the half-hour grew
into an hour, AMI the hour into two, and
still the probationer sat on, and Nurse Eva
made no sign.
The dragging hours were at first bore &c
| him, and at length became intolerable.
And when the probationer rose, and declared
| it was time for him to rise, as the carriage
would soon be here, and when a nurse from
! another ward came to assist her. he was al
most rude to them both
| But time Yves inexorable and wore away,
and at last the carriage was announced, and
two or three of his friends and relations
came in to congratulate him and help him
down to it The house surgeon was present,
also, looking really pleased at his recovery.
| To him, Sir Rawdon turned with some.
what hurried air and an amount of passion
ate anxiety he vainly tried TO conceal
| Where is Nurse Eval" he said, his voice
trembling slightly; Il cannot go until bio
her goodbye, and thank her-thank he'll
| for
! He stopped and cleared his threat huskijy
| "Pm afraid you can't see her to-day said
the surgeon, cheerfully. "She has beer
somewhat overWorked of late, you see; 81
when she asked the matron, a couple Of hour
ago, to give her holiday to take rur
down to Putney, or somewhere, you may h'
sure she got no refusal The matron-in
decd, we all think great deal OF her, anC
she did seem pale and fatigued, poor girl
when she came down from your room abou
10 o'clock. I'm glad the day is so fine, botl
for your sake and hers. She said, bye-the
bye, that you were so thoroughly conval
escent that you would require her service
no longer. She seemed to me in bad spirit
"a little overdone, no doubt"
"No doubt" said Dare. He said even thi
with difficulty. OF course, he understood
all! That brutal hesitation of hisl VIVA
| woman but would have taken fire be
meath such an INSULT His manner il
itself was unbearable, presupposing as
did that if he uttered his proposal it woull
of surety be accepted With what swee
dignity she had behaved She had uttereC
no taunt, had looked no scornl She hai
only withdrawn herself, and taken meas
ures to insure herself against the annoy anc
of ever being face to face with him again.
But it should not end here OF that h
was determined. He would, at least, Sc
her once more, and compeI her to believ
that when his craven wavering had draw
to close he knew himself to be hers, bod
and soul. He got down to the carriag
some way, and was driven home.
But he was good deal knocked up by th
exertion of removing, and suffered a Sigh
relapse that kept him to his bed for a wee
i or So The old familiar scenes were no'
too, changed to him, and touched him q
being barren and wanting in many ways.
When he rallied bit, and found himsel
il possession of a little of his former strength
the first use he made of it was TO driv
| straight over to the hospital He we
shown into the matron's room, where il
thanked her courteously, if little absentiy
for the care conferred upIn him whilst unie
her roof. After that he said casually tina
he thought he should like to thsnk his uurs
also 1t was VITA paling cheek he sai
this, and with eyes down cast
Nurse Eva" sad the nrttron "Oh, +
r left Us quite a fCrtnl yht ago. We were
SO sorry to lose her, she was such an exec
lent nurse. | am sure you, too, Sir Rawdon
with a smile-"will have good word fo
her on that score"
r "Leftp 1t was all Sir Rawdon could say
/ ayes; almost the day after you did"
"You know her address, perhaps"
/ When he asked this he felt like
y drowning man grasping at straw, Hand
t knew the straw would fall him.
NO." said the matron, regretfully 81
j thought him very kind young man. Graf
y tude, as rule, is not an overpowering pa
sion with the many. "But do not fret abol
} that, she said. II am sure she understood
= that you would wish to thank her. Yes, 81
Q was an excellent nurse-so sympathetic; v
were sorry to lose her"
I Sir Rawdon rose to bid her goodbye.
l II suppose DIR. Bland would not know b,
addressl" he said.
3 "No, am sure of that She went ava
a very suddenly-for family reasons, as 81
| told me-and left no word with any one
= to where she was going. Goodbye, Sir Ra'
g don; SO glad to see you so thoroughly i
| stored" etc.
Sir Rawdon, returning her farewell. to
| himself that he was not so fully restored
D | she kindly imagined, end that his streng
9 | was by no means what it used to be.
concluded Tomorrow