The Opelousas courier., 1898-12-17
the b~rown-eyed nurse brought him a
,rrnaf Huroh nf rneos hoI,uht o. a., |

/ tAV DIO" GU AulSC UlOuEuI u1HJ I
great bunch Of roses, bought at tht
price of, her weeks salary, and tolt
him that Ethel had sent them. Whel
she saw how Jack buried his face IL
the roses and kissed their petals lin
geringly, as if they were Ethel's lips
a wave of angry hate surged in tn,
nurses heart for the girl who could
play with such a love, forget it an(
forsake it. The wave, receding, lief
its traces in the trembling Of the coo
white hands that smoothed so deity
his hot pillows and brushed SO gently
his THICK, wavy hair.
But not a word escaped her lips, and
Jacks evil day might have been put
eff indefinitely had it not been fol
Evans, the bhnderer. When Jack
grew well enough to see his friends
for a few minutes at a time Evans
was n Of the first to call, and with
his usual i'll luck plunged directly into
condolences. Jack did not quite 9dn-
derstand at first, but Evans, founder
ing ahead, soon made it clear to the
liza III Itu uOJ DtCA III,
but that, on the contrary, .uhile the
issue of his illness had been still
doubtful, she had thrown hin over
and had announced her engagement to
another.
After that Jack went back into the
valley Of the shadow and knocked at
the very gates of death. But the doc
tor and the nurse, working desperate
ly together, pulled him away and led
him back into a gray sort of lightless
life. Whereat he was not so grateful
as he ought to have been. And when
he found that he must get well, wheth-
er he would or no, he announced that
he was going back to work at once
The doctor demonstrated, commanded,
begged, in vain, and the shy pleadings
Of the nurse had no effect.
Back he crept to his old haunts, a
thin, pale ghost of his former self. The
young fellows who were doing his
work looked at him with a pity that
was akin to fear and asked them
selves: "Shall we, too, come to that?"
For they thought that work had
caused his illness. and that illness had
made him what he was.
His old desk had long since been in
the possession of another, but the pro-
prietor, when Jack asked for a place,
gave orders at once that he should be
employed at whatever he was able to
do. The managing editor, cycling him
obviously, but recalling the %brilliance
had once been his, turned him
to the city editor. And the city
whom Jack had had instructed
IN the rudiments, did not forget the
1ebt he owed, but placed Bingham
opposite the easiest assignments in his
book until the staff would have risen
n open revolt had the object of this
been any n else.
As It was, Jack himself was the first
complain. Banquets and balls, re-
and races, lectures, sermons
md interviews, quickly cloyed the ap-
'etitie of the newspaper mar who had
'een used to the strong meat of jour-
lalism for his daily diet.
"Give me something with blood in
t." Jack said to the city editor one
Eay. I'm tired Of this woman's work.
When was on earth before they were
lot afraid to send me out after big
tories once in a while"
ITS for you we're afraid and not
or the story, Jack, and you know it,"
xpostulated the man on the city desk.
Even the Kid believes that no man
D the paper can work up a sensation
nth you. But you're not strong
nough yet for a rough job, Jack.
ook in the glass and see fer yourself.
ust take 1t easy for a while longer,
Id man, and trust us to work you hard
nough by-and-by to make up"
The "story with blood in it" came
,oner than any one expected. The
cry next night Jack CHANGED to be
one in the reporters room when the
ty editor came to the door and cast
worried glance around. I
mo one else here, Jack" he asked. :
you will have to go. 1 hate to l
md you, for it's a hard trip, but We'll d
clip you out all we can. They have i.
lst t%elephoned me from the union 4
that there's a big smash at -Mad .
liver. A wreck train will go out in =.
n minutes. Catch it on your life. I
ush in a first story for an extra and .
zen plan to do the Introduction for ,
e later editions. I'll get more men y
1t to you just as soon as possible. &
hey, will report to you and you can =
= out the work for them. You know :.
hat to- do better than I can tell YOU. Il
here's q cab at the door. And take .
much care of yourself as you can" y
Before the last words were out of l. Il
e city editors mouth Jack was half II
az down the stairs, pulling on his u
ercoat as he went. His nerves were Il
lgling with that subtle elation of q
nfict which newspaper men know D
well as do soldiers on the verge Of !.
tile and sportsmen in sight of big '
me. He whistled under his breath 1
the nighthawk -,cab jolted and u
lnced him over the stones to the p
ltion, and when no other reporter ap- o.
AIRED to claim a place on the wreck IL
lin he even hummed a tune, some u
.ng he had not done for months. III
As, the train rushed along through II
2 night Jack learned all that the e.
Llroad men could tell him of the dis II
Ter. An extra freight and a through p'
press. had collided On a curved en- III
nkment which skirted the banks Of 'es
In the strong light of a sum- &C
r day the landscape was a picture. pa
beauty; the long sweep Of the black in
,cks through the green valley and tn
tho;r side tbo oIo,, - -, he