The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-01-28

SaS hAS"s oASS SANS f~
eradication and pruning; and as she
gazed into those innocent blue eyes that
opened at her approach, and stroked the
silken curls, the coming days seemed to
be full of promise-full of work and
worthiness. She had eliminated
Haines Leavinworth. She had "substi-
tuted" Sol.
CHAPTER I1I.-SOLCTIoN.
It was a fatal winter in the great city
where Ida Northrup lived. The pesti.
lcnce which broods in filthy courts, and
dens of moral and physical uncleanli'
ness, had struck at the strongholds Of
a%ristocracy as we'll; and mourning and
desolation were in wealthy homes, where
drainagc-pipes were defective, and skill,
money and devoted love powerlcss to
save.
A young physician with few patients
was sitting in his uptown office talking
with q college friend, when he received
a hasty summons to the house of Miss Ida
Northrup, a block or two distant.
"Child very ill with the pestilencc: "the
message ran.
His friend started at the name.
"Do you know Miss Northrup,
Charley?" he inquired, nervously.
81 have met her at old DR. Willard's,'
was the young physicians reply. She is
intimate with her daughter Mary. | be-
lieve she has lately adopted q child
some poor little waif whom she picked up
last summer in a farming village.
. ~ hllr oo11onfipr nhiolc
and powders, and was donning his street
coat, when his friend exclaimed:
"Charley, for old friendships sake,
listen to me a minute, and don't thwart
me, l beg of you. 1t is a matter of life
and death with me"
When DR.. Bruce entered the room
where Ida Northrup's little charge lay
stricken with the fever, he was followed
by q grave, professional man. wearing
green glasses, and a grizzlcd beard,
whom he introduced as a "nurse," Rob
ert Stafford. He had providentially me
him and brought him along, as it was
almost impossible to procure a lady nurse
at present, so great was the demand
Miss Northrup was so absorbed in her
adopted child, so anxious for the doc.
tors verdict, that she scarcely noticed
the nurse. All, could she have known
how hungrily the eyes behind the green
glasses were regarding her, it would have
made her heart beat a trife more quickly
in spite of her prc-occupation!
The new nurse was q perfect treasure.
Such devotion, such swift silent, con-
slant helpfulness, and such iron endur.
ance were seldom witnessed, even among
the many brave, self denying workers
in that city of the doomed. His unflag-
cing faithfulness had its reward. There
came a day when DR.. Bruce pronounced
Sol out of dangcr-and when Ida
Northrup bowed her beautiful head,
with tears of thankfulness, and held
out her hand first to the physician, and
then to his noble co-worker, the eyes
behind the green glasses blazed with
glad triumph, and the grave and quiet
nurse sang inwardly the song thaS
Miriam sung.
When the physician had taken his
leave, and Miss Northrup had retired to
her room for a refreshing sleep after her
long anxiety, the nurse watched her
from the door of the sick-room, as her
slender figure glided along the corridor,
and when she was no longer in sight, he
picked up a tiny knot of ribbon that had
fallen from her dress, and pressed it to
his lips again and again. A coming
footstep startled him, and he thrust it
into his bosom, but the ecstatic smile on
his face fingered there until his wear
led body sought repose'
The nurses duties were over. Sol was
convalescent: and her adopted mother
had come to settle her account with Mr..
Robert Stafford. He had been so gentle
manly, so refined, so unseltish that che
fairly shrank from offering him money.
With stammering, faint words, she finally
opened the subject, and, to her great re-
lief, found that Mr.. Stafford took it as a
matter of course, thanked her for the
money, and wrote a receipt in a thor.
oughly business-like manner.
''Then there is nothing more to be at
tended to-" remarked Miss Northrup,
g%raciously.
His eyes dwelt upon her face abstract.
eddy. "No-nothing more-to be at
tended to!" he answered, dreamily, and
bent over his little charge to receive her
good-by caress.
When he turned to Miss Northrup for
q grave, respectful leave-taking, her hand
rested in his for a moment, and he de-
tanned it in his clasp. He was trembling
with his long-suppressed emotion. A
strange thrill passed over his companion.
and she gazed at him piercingly. Memories
of a happy summer floatcd through her
brain-a manly form was at her side, a
pleasant voice was still beguiling the va
cation DAYS on mountain, road and river.
Could it be that the unforgotten presence
was beside her now? All, illumination"
was not yet complete!
His hand closed more firmly over hers
he drew nearer-raised his other hand,
and removed the green glasses and the
grizzled beard.
"Ida! Can you forgive me2 Have l
gained o title to your esteem at last, or
forfeited it for ever? Have l given you
any reason for taking back the words
you spoke the day we parted, That you
could never love q man who had not ut
some time performed q noble deed, or
fulfilled some high duty?"
Nearer-ncarer came the slender figure
crimson grew the cheeks pale with
vigil, pleading grew the lovely eyes filled
with remorscful tears.
1T is l alone who need forgiveness.
T%ruly-truly you have shown your alleg.
iance-and the guerdon of knighthood
is already yours.