The advocate., 1894-01-17

nights, while Kate was to be nurse in
day time and was to be relieved OF all
other duties-another girl having al
ready come. Her mistress further
stated that the Doctor wished Kate to
sleep and rest after her recent vigils so
as to be better able to take up her labor
Of day nurse on the morrow, and in the
meantime her wages would go on as
usual. Next morning, bOuyant after
a good nights rest, Kate went to her
charges room, "tidied up things" let
in a little sunshine and sat down to
read-the old man being in peaceful
slumber. He aWOke at last, saw his
nurse beside him and greeted her with
evident pleasure. Having told her that
he had requested the change in order
that she might sleep at night and he
have pleasant company in day time, he
requested her to get book from a
travelling bag which he had just
had brought from the hotel, and read to
him. 1t was the book of books for an
aspiring poor working girl to read
George Sands COnSttelO; the heroine a
young GypSey woman who bOasted
that she had none but "pure plebeian
blood" in her veins.
We need not stay to hear the story
read. Suffice it that, in conversation
and in reading at intervals, the days
went by, the book was finished and the
patient improved. One morning when
Kate entered he was sitting, or reclin-
ing, in an easy chair; the bandages and
the patches were gone from his head
and face, and she greeted him with an
exclamation of honest, girlish delight
and surprise. The stranger was tall
and of pOrtly frame. His firm but
pleasant face had that peculiar frOWn
which accompanies pain, and which,
never failing to appear when sympa-
thetic persons see suffering or hear OF
it, is, when habitual, the sure sign of
benevolent nature. His mobile but
grave features indicated life full of
misery philosophically endured, and,
clean shaVen as he was, he might read
lily have been taken for one Of those
broad, good priests everywhere so
loved by the poor and so trusted by the
sad and the erring. Kate took seat near
him, to which he had mOtiOned her,
WhereupOn he remarked:
81 have been thinking about you
ever since early morning. Indeed, L
dreamed of you last night"
dreamed about me? What did
you dream?" she asked with eager
curiosity.
81 can't remember the details, said
he, "but / saw you highly educated,
distinguished woman; saw you max
ing a speech, and great audience was
applauding you with the utmost en-
thusiasm."
He looked at her. The girls face was
beaming with delight.
"Oh, if only that could ever come
truep said she, clasping her hands
with a gesture of eager impatience to
do what the dream had aroused her to
hope she might. "Did you dream any
thing else about my futureY
Eyes. You were married and had a
happy home and plenty of money"
"Married, had happy homeland
making speeches?"
eyes. Why nOtP Don't men make
speeches and be married and have
happy homes? But no matter. That
dream determined me to talk with you
this morning about something which
has been on my mind for some time.
You are not only beautiful, Kate (she
blushed at this), but you are good,
kind-hearted girl. With no expecta-
tion of any other compensation than
hired girls wages, you have taken care
of me as if had been your own father,
all these weeks. l am going away soon
(Kate looked panied and dismayed),
and | cannot endure to leave you here
to work for others at wages. AT this
moment, | do not know that a single
being still lives that love as / do you,
my dear. | have more of this worlds
nnnhs than I need | have nobody to |