Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-02-14

OF lnonor. Nleu ,:her, aIso,-that Kitty
Nash accepted your attentions not
knowing that another had q prior right
to YOU
Without waiting for an answer from
Harmon, Kitty turned to the minister
and expressed her sorrow at his having
been summoned on a bootless errand.
Then she left. holding herself proud
ly erect, and only showing the pain that
was gnawing at her heart by the hectic
flush which burned so redly upon her
cheeks.
What passed after she had shut her.
self into her own room was only known
to herself and to Him who sees the Sc
cret thoughts of the heart.
The sympathy of the community was
with Kitty in the stand she had taken,
and Harmon found himself punished by
the avoidance of those who had hereto
fore been his friends.
Had he wished to obey Kitty's COM
mand with regard to Nettie, he could
not have done so, for the girl had dis
appeared.
No one knew whether she had car
RED out her threat to destroy herself or
wv, Oue etoe way tlc Se''Td! '"" ~
in the neighborhood. and it was shared
by Harmon, who, at last, driven to des-
peration by the GOODNESS of his treat
ment, joined perhaps to the pangs of
conscience, left the place, and was, at
ter a time. no longer ven thought
about.
=
Two years later, upon one of the Wis
iting-days at the hospital, beautiful
and stately Young matror accompanied
a party of friends through the wards.
She herself was one of the lady-mana-
gers, and knew about all the different
workings of the benefcent institution.
Her guests were from out of town;
two of them being a bride and groom.
The latter vas her cousin, who had
been ordered to the country the year
previous, to recruit after u course Of
exhaustive study in his Alma Mater.
He had been captivated by the naive
sweetness of a young country maiden,
and had succeeded in winning her love
not, however, without some trouble.
Fol-. she had received. one bitter lesson
in life which had, made.her doubtful, d
mankind in general. But here she was
with him, as. pretty; IS a rose just burst
ing into blossom, and this was her we'd
ding-trip.
"Katharine," said Mrs. Melville, II
am sure you willadmire one of thu
nurses in the Ward. She IS a-pet-
feet picture in her nun-like garb, with
her black eyes and red cheeks. BIZ:
she is so quiet that one would think she
must have met with a shock which had
turned her into a beautiful statue of ST.
lence."
''You are growing absolutely roman
tic. Cousin Lizzie!' said Oscar Wrigh-
ton laughingly. ''lW:hen. did the. change
take place in yon?'
but she is as quick and efficient as
though she lived and breathed only to
give aid to tho sick and dying" con-
tinued the Lady, smiling at Oscar, but
paying no other heed to his words.
"Here she isnow. But something must
have happened; she looks strangely OK
cited"
All eyes we're at once turned towards
the.young woman specified by Mrs.
Melville.
She wa indeed worthy of the encom-
ium which had been passed upon her.
She was tall and slight, with large
flashing black eyes and cxquisitely cut
features. which looked all the more
sculpturcsque for the plain white set
ting of her nurses cap.
She was bending ove a cot upon
which lay a man whose life was evil
IDENTIFY fast ebbing away; and, as Mrs.
Melville paused and spoke to her, her
agitated face made it apparent that she
had been recently moved by some strong
emotion.
Mrs. Melville was about to question
her about the patients under her care.
when a suppressed cry from the young
bride attracted the attention of all.
Katharine had turned very white, and
was clinging to her husbands ARM,
while her yves were fixed upon the
death-like face upon the pillow.
"Oh. Oscar she said shuddcringly,
ait is Harmon IIart!!'
With a tender Never mind, Kitty;
he is nothing to you now her husband
was about to draw her away from the
spot: but like a flash had come an in
Elition of her personality to the nurse.
She fixed her eyes upon Katharine's
shocked face, and asked gently:
Are you she who was Kitty Nash?'
Yes"
"Then Providence has brought you
to this bedside at this moment. am
Nettie Stanton. and the man who
wronged us both lies before us. He is
dying: l have forgiven him freely.
Will you also speed his parting soul?'
At this moment the patient opened
his eyes and turned them first upon
Ncttie, then upon Kittie. But he closed
them again with a groan.
kitty is here, Harmon said Nettie
softly, land l have told her that l have
forgiven you. l am sure she also cher
ishes no hard feelings towards you,'
turning her eyes upon Katharine.
But ven as Nettie spoke a shivcr
passed over Harmon's white face, and
he was no more.
Then, with lips as pallid as that:of
the dead. Nettie bent and kissed his
marble forehead.
Harmon had been her first and only
love, and now that he vas dead she
would remain his faithful mourner all
through the rest of her life.
The two women who had thus
strangely met beside that solemn DEATH
bed, formed for each other a lifelong
friendship.
Later on Nettie told Katharine how
in her despair she had attempted to
drown herself and had been rescued by
a stranger, who had taken her to his
home in an exhausted condition. How
his wife-an earnest Christian woman
had cared for her tcndcrly, and had
labored successfully to bring her to 3
knowledge of her Savior during the