The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-04-16

To-day there was a new conductor on
~, and it was Miss Emmas beau-Mr.
Thatcherl"
Well, did stare, and was sure jim
was mistaken, but he said he'd know Mr..
Thatcher anywhere, and he was sure
that was him. We talked about it a long
time, but you see there was nothing we
could do, and thought Jim was right,
after all, and maybe Miss Emma's pa had
sent the poor fellow off, when he lost his
money.
1t was, maybe, two weeks after that, or
three, that one day Mr.. Sanderson came
to the house, all in flutter. Miss Emma
was sick with typhoid fever and they
wanted nurse, and she wanted that
nurse to be me. Dear, dear, but / was
flustered; but / sent Jim to his Aunt
James to board, and shut up the rooms,
and went off to the grand house.
Poor Miss Emma We nearly lost her,
though her pa had the best doctors, and
l nursed her faithful. She took the
fever visiting one of her other Sunday
school scholars, and she was not very
strong any time, so she took it very hard.
One day, when she was very bad, heard
her ask her father:
"Papa, where is Harry"
''I don't know" he said.
Then he began to tell her something
in a very low voice, and l went down
stairs to make lemonade, not to hear
what wasn't meant for me. The poor
young lady was very sad all that day,
and mistrusted she cried, when no one
was watching her.
1t was none of my business to inter-
fere, but fretted more'n little about
what Jim had told me, and wondering if
Mr.. Thatcher was Harry. Icouldn't ask
jim, because l would not let him come
near me for fear of the fever. Miss Emma
was so weak, too, didn't dare for her
| life say anything to excite her, and so
held my tongue till the fever took turn
and she began to get better.
1t was uphill work then with us, fol-
she was weak as baby, and didn't seem
t0care to get WELL She had to be coaxed
to eat or to try her strength, and was
willing to lie quiet all day, which amt
natural in young folks after long sick
ness. Most times they are in too great q
hurry, and throw themselves back again.
The doctor said she wanted rousing.
So one day, after she had her bit of toast
and little bird nicely Drowned, with
the best cut of chocolate | could make, /
coaxed her to sit up bit in a great arm
chair. When had her all comfortable,
l said
"AIiss Emma, I've been wanting to tell
YOU something for a long time, but l was
afraid you'd think Twas stepping out OF
my place"
81 should never think anything unkind
of my dear, good nurse" says She, and
slipped her little, thin hand in mine Sc
loving it made the tears come in my eyes.
"Well, Miss" 1 said, "if you won't
think it is impertinence, I'll tell you.
Jim told me that he saw Mr.. Thatcher
in the cars bit before you was taken
sick, and-well, Miss, don't feel too bad
about it--he was conductor.
l was afraid she'd faint, ma am, and
cry. l was never so took aback in my
life as l was at the way she acted. She
sat right up in her chair and clapped
her two little hands together, and just
laughed like a child. All the merry
light that was gone so long from her
eyes came back.
"Oh, you dear, darling nurse" she
said to me, 81 could just kiss you, and
l will"
And she did!
''How did he looll?" she asked me.
'Jim said he looked very grave, and
as if he had some care on his mind" l
told her, "and he had none of his fine
clothes on, but gray suit and slouch
hat"
She laughed again at this.
"And did he take the fares, Just like
any other conductor, and ring the bell?"
The idea of that tickled her so much
that she had to laugh again. suppose
l looked as astonished as l was, for
pretty soon she said:
"Now, for your good news, you shall
know all about it. l suppose you
guessed" and she got rosy-red, ''that
Harry and l were lovers!n
"Jim suspicioned it' | said.
"Jim has sharp eyes! Now you must
know first, dear nurse, that my father,
though he is a very rich man now, was
as poor boy as jim is, and he made all
his money by hard work. So he has a
great contempt for young men who do
nothing. He thinks every man in this
country, rich or poor, should have some
honest work TO do, and do it. Money is
often lost, you know, nurse, and if a
man is too fine to work, he may starve. 4"
''lndeed, that's so!" | said.
"Harry-Mr. Thatcher-nurse, had a
large fortune left him by his father, when
he was boy, and he never did a days
work of any kind in all his life. did
not know why he stopped coming to see
me, and-well, l will tell you-I felt
ashamed and sorry, for l thought he did
not care for me as Ihad thought, while /
did love him. OF course, nurse, nobody
knew that, and nobody ever should
know it, only that you have told me
such good news to-day. When was so
very sick l asked father where Harry was,
for knew he saw him the very last time
he was here. Then he told me that
Harry came that day to ask if he might
marry me if loved him. He told papa
that he was rich, and we know he is an
honorable, good man. Then papa told
him that he would never give me to an
idle man.
"'When YOU can show me three