The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-15


these others who have left. e I.
SIN. one morning n letter lay on the
house physicians table. one he opened
and read FIRST. II was Written With her
tsuai restlexsness:
20. I'm getting like the 1rishman who,
gTng I'LL Sblue-molded for want OF d bat
tng. I'm all blIc-molded for the want
ot d fllrtatioriii o, write TO n,e--lo writei
|, 10 met I've been shut UP MI this time
with d smallpox case. Everybody has
been saying 4 should be dead before
tos, but live to he q thorn In the
\ ilcsh lof some one yet. don't know
Ytyhat possessed me TO sacrifice myself To-
3nihllpuxl Pcfhnpa merely only TO graft
stfyIny 0wr vanity. Now o.dny, when
< 10 NIL over. rush 10 write 10 you
and 10 make an Idiot OF myself When
1fhnye postcd this 1,shall get Into a rage
lind wish hadn't But write to me!
~, do write; write folly--anyihlng:, YOU
can't think the charity II woull BE-
4 Poor little woman" he said muslng-
as, eShc's got lots OF pluck In her! III
5iyrlte and tell her she'd better get mar
5fLife and death went In and out OF the
hospital. and the workers came and
SEent The house physician left Il In his
turn and twelve months otter he was
stationed at Alden. where. perhaps, he
had less work than he desired. One
afternoon the English mail brought him
% letter from Ruth. The writing on the
envelope sci him thlnklng--sadly.m may
sbe--of the old busy life III London, and
S6f the possibilities In her character for
( which, at this distance OF time and
space, he imagined he must have loved
Z her. He laughed at himself presently,
land opened the letter:
4 sYou said once was always fond OF
doing something sensational; then you
advised me to study Mrs. Becton.
have studied II: for have often done
what YOU told me. But don't think
shall live long to. dispense the good
ithings may learn from that world
famed cookery book. You know there
is an old, proverb, 'Toujours perdriS?'S
We'll, 1t Is this with me. 'Toujours par
500 He has driven me TO take more
OF Your advice sesiously-and I am go
Ing 10 be married. Sometimes think
I bliss With religion, would gladly give
.hnything-threc years OF my life-to
really enjoy things now while am
young and could be gay. It's awfully
hard TO be Just a nurse. and to have
TO worry and wear myself 10 death, and
Ito get thin and old and cross and saw
Y age, while l SEQ other women with ev-
lerything they want and oil the fun or
life. Dear me! What nonsense am
writing! Tear II UP, but write TO me.
I Oh, do write TO me once more! am
SO miserable. weary, and lonely, and
Tired, dreadfuliyl tired, OF mechanically
doing my duty"
little Ruth! Jolly little Ruth!'
4, he murmured, as he settled more COM
! fortably into his lounging chair. He
rolled up and lit another cigarette, and
;pondercd for few moments over his
attraction to this woman. There, had
been others. Well, 1t Is usually with
this kind of excuse that men remember
their flirtatlons; and, OF course, hold
themselves blameless. Perhaps there
may have been q vague regret In the
doctors mind. Alden Is not place where
old fllctations or platonic friendships
can be buried without regret. 1t Is
place where the memory of either
back through them on England and
home. on the green fields and young
LEAKAGE quivcring In the spring sun
light; while the seeing eye is turned
ever on mass upon mass OF lava and
brown rock. As lie looked out the drear
mountain that rises almost sheer from
the placid sea was glorltied by the GRIM
son fire Of sunset, and, though its clear
outline was cut grandly against the rich
light. II had become hateful to him.
With this thought on his mind he ended
his reverle and went on opening his mail
letters. There CHANGED TO be some
Christmas cards among them. full Of
good wishes and sentiment. One of
these had a pathetic littla verse that
suited his humor, so presently he put
1t in an envelope and sent It of to Ruth
with the outgoing mall. This was not
fair, for he knew that at the time she re-
iceivcd 1t she would be married, and this,
so far as he was concerned, closed the
correspondence
;; Once more she wrote, little more
so6erly. perhaps:
Thank you so much for that card
you sent! After all. I am only Nurse
Ruth in your thoughts, and you ore In
imine-well. 1t Is hard to say what you
ore. have made up my mind never to
write again, because it does me no
good to be thinking OF you. This Is the
beginning of the new year. and am
full OF resolution to try to do better. in
II than I have ever! done in any other
- -Npl plOAlSt ad6o l WAS
half in love with YOU. and was aw-
fully miserable on New Years day, be-
cause had Just found out what q mis-
Itaket was 10 be in love with the moon
and to cry in vain for 1t. really believe
] am growing sentimental. Cornish mer
and Cornish manners are affecting me
strangely. but can't bear to think over
old days q. the hospital, and I can't
bear thinking Of the future, because I
hate thinking of being On old woman
with dropsy. or cancer, or some horrid
disease. was married three weeks ago.
tits deadly dull In the village. I can't
begin oil at once to critIcise and find
pleasure in the sins OF the poor as the
squire's wife. At times long to be back
in the old surgical ward, or for the ex-
element Of q big operation, where.with
all the hurry and rush. things had to be
done. and done well. At times long to
he tired as used to be at the end OF
the day, when there had hardly been q
moment In which we nurses could take
our meals. AT times 7 wonder how
could have left It! That was life. And
this-ls home!"
lie Pray I'd, Too.
'I have a kind Of cold chill when lay
down IN my berth sometimes and feel the