The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-31
Selected Story.
THE PASSING OF HOPE ABB
BOTT.
BY ELIZABETH G. JORDAN.

lSS hEhhICh lOOheu DIT JIG
lNI card rather critically. She
was fastidious, and its appearance
did not please her. She turned it
over doubtfully, and read again the
name engraved on its rather worn
surface-Miss Hope Abbott. There
was no address.
81 don't know the woman" she
said, refectively. 81 can't even re-
member having heard the name be-
fore. Thank her for her sympathy,
Thomas, and say regret that I am
not yet quite we'll enough to receive
calls"
The bell-boy departed with the
message, and Miss Herrick turned
to the trained nurse who was still
with her, but whose mission now was
to amuse the patient and to save her
from her friends. II suppose you
wouldn't have allowed me to see her
in any case, you tyrant," she said,
affectionately; "but it doesn't matter,
for l can't imagine who she is or
what she wants. Perhaps she has
come on business"
That Miss Abbott had not come on
business was shown by the return of
Thomas, bearing an enormous bou-
quet of sweet old fashioned roses and
large white package tied with gold
colored thread.
"She sent you these things, Miss
Herrick," he said, as he put them on
the table beside the convalescent's
chair. 81 told her you said you did
not know her." he added, expansively,
land she said she knew you didn't
know her. but that she knew you.
She said she came to your office in
the Searchlight building once, and
that you were very kind to her, and
she sent you these with her love, and
hoped that you would soon be back
at your desk again"
Miss Herrick looked at him help
lessly. She had worked hard over
Thomas during her three years of
residence at the Hotel Edward, but
his methods still left much to be de-
sired. Her heart sank as she pictured
the well-neaning stranger carrying
away the memory of what must have
seemed an ungracious reception.
She thew herself back in her chair,
and surveyed the roses with strange
mixture of feelings, in which regret
predominated. 1t was certainly very
kind and sweet of this unknown wo-
man to take an interest in her and to
send her these lovely roses. Their
perfume, laden with suggestions of
country gardens, filled the room.
The nurse had put them into water,
and was opening the package which
had accompanied them. 1t contained
five smaller parcels, each carefully
wrapped, and bearing the name of
a we'll known Broadway merchant.
She united these in her quiet, capa-
BILE way, and her patient looked on
with the interest which small thing.
excite during convalescence.
The fret package contained an
elegant little card case with silver
trimmings. In the second there was
a silver stamp-box. The third held
manicure scissors with gold hand
les. From the fourth box the amused
nurse drew little black silk purse
with silver mountings, and an investi-
cation of the contents of the last
package disclosed an ordinary crochet
needle.
Nurse and patient smiled at each
other irrepressibly, but Miss Herrick
was no less touched than amused by 4
this odd collection of gifts.
sit looks precisely" she said, "as
if some well meaning young farmer
had gone to the county fair and had