Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-04-19
rigid one. 81 am Mr.. Egerton's sis


"And | think he should be kept
very quiet" added Miss Della Eyer
ton.
al perfectly agree with you there -
said the new nurse. "Will you take
me to him without further delay?"
eff you insist upon it; but | must
say that l think"
81 do insist upon it.
Miss Egerton tossed her head.
81 don't know what women are COM
ing to nowadays" remarked she, "but
| suppose Alfred will desire to see you
once at least
Naturally yes" observed Marcia,
And she thought to herself that it
was scarcely courteous for this woman
to sheer at her profession, even while
she awaited herself of its advantages.
dts very disagreeable,' she cogi-
tated, "but in this life one must expect
to encounter many disagreeables."
The patient-a handsome, fair
haired young man-was tossing rest
lessly on his bed. He held out a
fevered hand to Marcia.
dts so good of you to Gomez said
he, looking eagerly up in her face.
"Not at all, said Miss Thorne, COM
posedly.
''But you are not what | expected"
He turned his face to the wall, with
discouraged sigh, as he spoke.
81 dare say we shall do very well, :"
said Marcia, glancing at the medicine
walls.
"That photograph must have been
taken some years ago" added he
petulantly.
ooh, it was !" conceded Marcia, who
had been instructed always to humor
the whims of fever patients.
"But that wasn't fair !"
Perhaps not. When does the doe
tor come ?" asked Marcia, anxious to
turn the conversation.
"The-doctor!" echoed Mr.. Eyer
ton. You were not expecting to be
married to-day p
"I'm in no hurry" said quiet Marcia
Strengthening the pillows with one or
two def touches.
Miss Egerton looked persistently out
of the window.
"You can easily see that he is sick
of his bargain p said she scornfully.
as he as Eighty as this all the
time ?" asked Marcia.
"And," added Miss Egerton, "right
feeling would dictate your immediate
withdrawal, Miss Thorne."
Marcia smiled superior.
"You must have poor opinion of
my continuity" said she. "When I
begin a job / intend to go on with it.
"Then you'll go on with it by your
self said Miss Egerton, founcing out
of the room. 81 shall not countenance
the matter at all, and so | give you
warning"
Marcia looked after her in grave
surprise.
"Can it be that this is mere sister
jealousy?" said she to herself "She
can hardly be delirious. Oh, here is
the doctors carriage now !'
The fever heightened that afternoon.
Alfred Egerton paid no more attention
to the nurse after that than he did to
the blue flies buzzing in the window, or
the little mouse that came and nibbled
at the Wainscoting of night.
He kept raving-raving about
photograph and letter that had not
been answered. But DIR. Rexley was
an able physician, and Marcia an ex
cellent nurse, and presently the crisis
came and went, all was well.
"You have been very kind to mt"
said Egerton the first day he sat up
among the pillows and cushions, very
pale and wasted, but strikingly hand
some through it all.
"Have |? But | always get attached
to sick people whom | care for" said
Marcia bluntly.
A red bar rose to the patients pal
lid forehead.
81 must own" said he, "that l was
a little disappointed, just ut first. /
| expected to see one much younger p
did your Marcia smiled in the
consciousness of her thirty summers.
ooh, | don't call myself young. In
fact, l feel just as if you were my son,
Mr.. Egerton p
"Your-son? Then you don't intend
to insist upon our bargain p cried he.
Twenty dollars week ? Certainly
| do"
"What are your talking about?" ex-
claimed he.
Miss Egerton here precipitated her.
self abruptly into the conservation.
alfred" said she, 81 never told
YOU, but | didn't send that last letter
you left on the mail tray. 1t was a
piece of nonsense from first to last |
never mailed it"
"Then, how came Miss Thorne
here?"
"That's what | can't understand
myself" said Miss Egerton, knitting
her brows.
"Mrs. Grately sent me here" said
Marcia, ''from the Nurses Agency, in
answer to a requisition from Doctor
Rexley."
"But all those letters you wrote to
Alfred p
Letters ? II"
Miss Egerton stared.
"Do you mean to deny" said she,
chat you advertised for husband,
and that you sent your photograph to
Alfred when he answered the adver-
tisement? And that you wrote him
these letters ?" hurriedly taking a
packet from a rosewood desk.
81 never knew there was such a per-
son until Mrs. Grately sent me here
that day, said Marcia. "Do | look
like woman to insert matrimonial adj
vertisements in the paper p
"There comes in the mystery Of it r