Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-11-19

OF sophistry was far more convincing
to the elder woman than TO the young
er. who. though she acquiesced in the
arrangement, left me no doubt that
she regarded the argument as falla-
cious. Inasmuch, however. as through
it I secured a great deal more of her
society, I was content, my object thus
accomplished. Moreover. to this day
it seems clear to me that in forcing
Mrs. Loring to throw off somewhat
OF her acquired feeling of helplessness,
and TO learn that she was not entirely
dependent on her companions minis
trations, I did her 4 great service. So
far as the girl was concerned, there
could be no question of the benefit she
received from the 1essening of her
hours of attendance upon her aunt.
No calling, as we all know, is more no.
bic, more self-sacrificing, than that OF
the nurse; in none is there greater need
of reasonable relaxation from the de-
mands upon body, mind and spirit; and
never is devotion more sadly misapplied
than in those cases in which the tribute
TO supposed duty and real affection is
paid needlessly or in obedience to an
others over-indulged caprice. The
light of common sense should be strong
enough to show the flaw Of usclessness
in many a picture of accomplishing
martyrdom.
As events proved, the country life
was much to Mrs. Loring's taste, in
spite of her years of travel and her
long sojourns in great cities. She
struck up friendships with Mrs. Clark,
Mrs. Weston and the other housewives
of the neighborhood, and, through
them, with the residents of Rodney
town village, among whom she gained
considerable popularity. She became
a regular attendant at the village
church, and soon was received into the
circle of its sewing society. At these
things L marveled and rejoiced, know
ing very well that her new friends
could do more to promote her recovery
than all the drugs in the pharmaco-
peia. Seven days in week, gossip was
better for her than tonics.
It was almost inevitable, in the cir
cumstances. that should be honored
often with Dorothy Gray's company.
Long drives together over the winding
country roads. walks to the show spots
of the vicinity, and rambles when the
moon was doing her best to make man
kind believe that nothing in the world
was worth considering but sentiment,
such pleasing diversions filed many
an hour. Sometimes I paused to con-
slider how completely the girl was dom
mating my thoughts. Even when a
glimpse of Hiram Jones going stolidly
about his business reminded me of the
IL >aorfnir1tU Of 1noSifinn r
myself specializing more about what
she might think, if the worst came to
pass, than about the extent of the mis-
fortune over Lamar's head, and posi-
bly, over mine as well. On shipboard
we had been very good friends, she and
I. We were very good friends now.
but with difference. What a dull
ride ] had if she declined to accom-
pany me! how the evening dragged if
she kept out of sight. what wretched
substitute for her presence was even
the best pipe in my growing coilec
ton! How was it that when we were
together, even if our talk languished,
the time never passed heavily? How
had it come about that no longer de-
bated the question of her beauty, no
longer compared her with this girl Or
that? Such questions I asked myself
now and then, puzzling my brain with
endCavors to answer them in any other
way than the one in which they could
be answered. The simple truth of the
matter was, of course, that 1 had fallen
in love; but for difficulty of compre-
hension commend me. above all things,
- e&Sa.
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