The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-11
NURSE EVA.
Gore uded.)

II a
rather bored expression on his face, is being |
whirled swiftly northwards. He had checked
his journey by spending one day in Edin- |
Even now, when he is Fastening on to Aber-
deem, the stupidity Of his lonely stay there |
has not quite worn off. But he is alway
dull now, he tells himself, with disdainful
shrug of his broad shoulders, and grows |
moodier and moodier until, his journey /
coming to an end, he finds himself on the
chilly platform, with two cleaning car
riage lamps awaiting him. The drive Is
long one, and bitterly cold The change |
from it to the soft, brilliant warmth Oh |
huge hall, hung with many skins and brlst-
ling with antlers, is almost more than he |
can endure with fortitude. As In dream |
he follows the servant across the hall-rose-
lit from two large shaded lamps upon the |
dark oak staircase beyond-and valiantly |
suppresses desire to stay beside the huge
log fire forever. !
But the servant mercilessly marches him |
UPWARDS, and presently he finds himself in a
long, low, many -cornered room, full of peo-
pie, all more or less in the reposeful atti-
tudes that border upon Sleep There is a
soft, sweet, subdUed hum of slumberous
voices, a tender tinkling of delicate china,
the music of many spoons There are nc
rose-lamps in this room; nothing but the
leaping light of glorious fire that renders
all things as clear as day The divan-look.
ing lounges are covered with tartan, SO are
good many of the men, and only few OF
them have their neither limbs covered
Sir Rawdon, still unthawed, stares idly
round him. There is pretty girl in a vol
luminous armchair who mods brightly to
him-Miss Adair; and another crouche6
picturesquely upon the bear-skin rug before
the fire, who stops her chatter for an instant
to gaze at him curiously; and
Good heavensl who is that9 Who is that
sitting over there with her face, her figure,
the very hands of her!
A slender creature, reclining In low chair,
ndsclad in an exquisite tea-gown--all satin
andold lace. She is smiling One arm,
half naked, but mittened to the elbow, is
lying gracefully across the arm of her lounge
as she leans toward her neighbor; the other
is triAing with huge white fan.
Even as Dare gazed at her, spell bound,
she laughs; softly, merrily, at some remark
made to her by her companion, red headed
young Scotchman. The laugh some what re-
stores Sir Rawdon to his senses. Alas she
had never laughed; her lovely face had al
ways been t:nged with a deep melancholy.
What madness possessed him to make him
think he saw again before him the one
woman he had ever loved-the only one he
ever should love? And to dream OF meeting
her here, of all places! A hospital nurse a
guest at the Towers, in that gown, that
"Dear Sir Rawdon, so glad" says the
hOCfaaa--o 70 han1snTYNa OF
moment, coming languidly forward wits @
smile and graceful gesture 80 nice to
see you again"
Sir Rawdon murmurs something to the
effect that he is positively overpowered
with joy at the idea of seeing her again; but
his words sound vague and unmsaning-to
himself, at least-and his eyes are not his
own to deal with; they wander necessarily
TO the low chair and its lovely occupant, and
will not be controlled. Who is the owner Of
that tea-gown'
Il think you know everybody" says Lady
Dalruth, at the end of long sentence, moi
one word of which he heard.
Not quite all. l have not the happiness
Of knowing your pretty friend on the hearth
rug, or-the lady in the low chair ovel
there"
NO? Well, time viii cure that. The lat
ter is my cousin, Miss Monteith. You would
like to be introduced TO herr Come, them
Evelyn, dear, let me introduce to you Sil
Rawdon Dare, she says moment later
Miss Monteith turned slowly, lifts her eye.
fully to Sir Rawdons; and, after calm
comprehensive gl-nce, makes him the very
faintest Salutation.
II he had ever seen this girl before, it il
certain that she showed no recognition o.
ever having seen him. There is no SURPRISED
start. no faintest blush, no betraying palor
Her little bow is cold in the extreme, but
nevertheless, civil She answers his rather
agitated remark with the utmost composure
1t is some ordinary thing about the beauty
Of the scenery round, and hardly requires
any acknowledgment save n bare Eyes" {,
which she confines herself If, indeed, somt
wild freak of fate has suddenly changed tn,
Nurse Eva-for whom he has been so per
sistentle searching during all these inter
minably months-into this stately, repellen
girl before him, she is so clad in an i'm
penetreble armor Of reserve that be canno
pierce it.
And, after all is it she7 Could even fat
play such tricbs Is not all this rattle
some cruelty of his imagination, born of hi
long dwelling ON one engrossing desire2
Once or twice during the evening he triet
to speak to her; but though she Away
answered him very gently, still her name
was so cold as to check on every occasion
further conversation.
Dropping into the background, after las
defeat, hei finds himself close to an old beau
certain Sir Harry Loune, who is well
known to everybody and to whom every
body is known.
Wouldn't look at you, ehl" says this oil
gentleman, with a chucllle "Dont talk,
that to heart; more than you have got tn
same tale to tell She wontlook at any one
not even at the best parts Pretty, isn't she
Good form, eh3 Thing of the season next year
shouldn't wonder. Lady DalrIth wanted
riG% or wrong, to introduce her thi
year, but she wouldn't hear of it. Seems +
shrink from publicity. No wonder, too
beauty has made itself 70 doccod vulgar o
late" says the old gentleman, with shrut
Of disgust.
"Yes" says Dare calmly, but his look is il
itself question.
"She's charmin' -charmin',S goes on 81
Harry, when he has refreshed himself will
a pinch of snuff, mysterious as she
lovely"
"Mysteriousl"
"Rather, my dear boy. Mustn't say
word about it, you understand but whel
she was about IS, her father, Sir Pagan
Monteith, you know-eh-what? Don't wan
to knowi Ha, has Very good, indeed
Well, he wished at that time to force her int.
a marriage with some dilapidated person
an earl, notwithstanding quite old enough
TO be his father. Girl wouldn't hear o
this sacrifice at any price and when pressed
to it by angry parents, bolted-no one know
where, unless Lady Dalruth may For tire
long years she remained incognita. Odd al
fair, isn't iti Nobody can explain it"
Dare thinks he could. Again the belle
that Miss Monteith and his sweet nurse ar
one is full upon him; but he refrhins iron
making his thoughts known to this old Cos
sip.
"Why can't she say where she was, Ell?
says Sir Harry, in distinctively aggrievet
tone. "This deadly silence is very injuriou
to her, ehl"
@Why should it be injurious to herp ask
Sir Rnwdon fiercely