The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-30

'Dr. Morgan engaged me Wnen ne
found you were H."
Am / very ill?' he asked.
NO: you're all right now, but you've
been pretty sick, and now. IL you want
10 get well right away. you've got to keep
quiet"
I'm In no particular hurry" he said;
Pm willing 10 be i'll awhile, TO have
you so awfully good to me-
There was a suspicious huskiness in
his tones again. which she saw the need
OF checking.
"Of course I'm good to you" she said.
in a matter-of-fact voice. that's what
I'm paid for
PAID for?" he said, with a look OF
Naturalization, "who pays you. IL like
10 know'
Il suppose you are going to when you
get well. I'm a professional nurse, and
this is my business.
She could see that this aspect Of the
case was not an agreeable one to him,
and Il amused her.
Indeed, / am'not going to pay you" he
said that ruins everything"
Not pay me my wages Dear me-" she
said, "well have 10 see about thls-but
now we can let IT alone for the present,
and you are 10 be quiet-or I'll leave the
room, and then you'll have no one TO
talk TO-"
but you can't. It's your business to
take care of me. You have just said so.
It's what you're paid for"
"But you've just refused to pay me, so
I'm exempt
"Il take that back. Don't leave me,
I'll pay you double
She only only laughed in answer. and
he saw her take from the chatelaine
at her side a mysterious little glass in
strument, which she proceeded to put
i'm his mouth
81 want to take your temperature" she
said, 80 you must hold this under your
tongue for several minutes It's good
way 10 stop all this talking. Don't
open your lips. now, until | take II out"
lie was very passive and during those
long minutes in which his eyes were on
her face as intently as hers were on the
face Of the watch. both were thinking
busily.
He was wondering what this young
refined beautiful girls life had been. be-
fore she entered the profession which
by p good providence had thrown her in
his way, mad she was thinking the very
thoughts that would have answered him,
could he have read them from that quiet
face. as calm and UNDERTAKING as was
the face of the watch.
She was thinking how wonderful II
was, that after the bereavement which
! had deprived her Of her father and her
home at once she had been irresistiby
melted 20 the career Of an artist by her
enthusiasm for the work of the man now
Ler patient. whose pictures she had ST.
lcntly worshipped for years, and now
stranger still IL was that, when III with
disbursement. her last cent gone. AMI
| no prospect Of success before her In the
art she so loved. she had seen 1t her duty
10 give IL up, had forced herself to recog-
nize the fact that she had over-estimat-
cd her talent and had. after a long
struggle, become a professional nurse,
feeling it her duty 10 do what she knew
she had capacity for. and inspired by the
hope Of ministering 10 mankind. ia the
real and practical. instead Of the ideal
sense-how strange that, after all this.
fortune should have led her at last TO
this mans side. not, as she had onca
fondly dreamed, TO sit at his feet and
be his disciples in the art they both so
loved. but 10 minister TO him. 10 have
him-the great and superior being that
she had always thought him-depending
upon her for service, looking up 10 her
for comfort.
The eyes that watched the human face
SO intent upon the expressonless face or
the watch saw a sudden change and soft
oning come over IL, but this expression
quickly disappeared. as the nurse put
away her watch and took the thermome-
ter from her patients mouth.
She examined the little instrument, and
registered its record on her chart. as he
watched her with intense interest. and
then settling him comfortably In MS
bed. and smoothing his pillows, she told
him TO 20 to sleep. and that Joe, his
man. would come and sit near him.
Il don't know how you manage to make
everything so comfortable he said,
'.Nhy are the sheets so smooth? 1 gener-
ally get my sheet into thousand rum
pies under me-
I'VE stretched and pinned it down with
safety pins" she said 80 that you can't
do that"
90 how nice. and do you really do all
that just for me|
She only laughed for answer. and put
her finger on her lips. lie begged 10 have
her sit by him while he took the ordered
nap. but she was obdurate. and went to
take a little needed rest herself sendlns
the devoted Joe 20 him.
And so. for many days to come, she
ana Joe and the good doctor watched and
tended him back 10 health again.
When he was almost well the nurse and
natfent narted lie wanted TO keep her
longer. but she refused TO stay, saying
there was nothing now for her TO do,
and that there were others who needed
her
Somehow the mention Of these others
vague and indefinite as they were, gave
him a twinee Of pain. He did not Ike
ia think that he was nothing more than
a natient TO her he could not believe IT.
How could that be. when. during those
long and happy DAYS Of conValeScene,
tbe,- had nroved their likeness and con-
eeniality i'm thousand ways. their sim
iiaritv If taste in hooks, their common
in+crest In art and likenesses that went
deener vet. and nearer to the heart?
After she was gone. Dorrence found
himself so lonely that even his beloved
njctures had lost interest TO him, and
though he felt well enough for work
again. the old subjects had suddenly lost
their inspiration.
one dav an idea struck him, ana seiz-
ing his tools. he fell 10 work on new
picture at which he worked hard enough
almost to make him i'll again. But 1t was
s,oine finely. and he could not stop IT,.
TTc had been interrupted by his illness In
the work that he had meant 10 do for the
enrino exhibition, but there was yet
time. and he had found his subject. He
| admitted no one to the studio during this
time. He did not even have a model
a thing ipheard of with him.
AT last the picture was finished and
sent to the exhibition. IL was named in
| the catalogue "A AInistering Angel"
on the opening day Of the great exhi
bition Frank DOrrence, dressed. as ne
was sure 70 be-. I'm the freshest toilets.
entered the ROOM in the company OF
Young lady as totally unknown TO the
fashionable assemblage as he himself
was known and distinguished I'm It. Her
i. n 90 nd a Z