The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-02-08
ICoPYRIGHTED.1

she said aloud. 81 guess it amt nothin'
very bad"
Il don't know" Mary answered, II
hope not. But I'm afraid it is" And
then, later in the evening, when they
had been talking of something else, she
said, suddenly: ''He hasn't a soul to
look after him, except that stupid
Jacob"
Mrs. Hayes looked at her inquiringly.
81 just WISH" said Mary, TREMENDOUSLY,
''that you and could"
"Why, bless your heart" cried the
old woman, 1--WE will! 1 know what
you're going to say-wem go right up
there tomorrow. 1 don't know why 1
didn't think of it first"
Good nursing is well enough in its
way, but when added to good nursing
the invalid hears a voice that he loves,
talking outside his door, to his little,
old, kind nurse, or is told that ''Mary
made that Cruel" or watches, dream
lily, through feverish eyes, Mary NOV
ing about his room, or even feels her
touch upon his forehead-why, he can
not help get well. At least that was
what Dick Wheeler said, first to him
self, and afterwards, shyly and awk-
wardly, when he was better and was
sitting up, to Mary. But, poor fellow!
Mary's blank look almost landed him
back in his bed again. He began to
realize, in a slow, pathetic way. that if
she had been less kind he might have
had more hope. "And Don dead seven
|
propped up with pillows in big, black
wooden rocking chair that had roses
painted on the head rest, and gay cal
leo sleeves tied over it's stiff arms.
1t was a soft spring afternoon; he
was much better; Mrs. Hayes and
Mary had gone home. and only came in
for an hour or two each day to see that
he was comfortable. 1t was Mrs.
Hayes who had packed him snugly into
the big chair in the south window, and
put a footstool under his feet, and
drawn a little table with his medicine
and glass of water close to his side.
''Jacobn help you back to bed, Dicky,
as soon as you feel tired; now, mind,
don't sit up minute longer than you
feel like it, And I'll come in tomorrow
morning and bring some beef tea.
Mary's great on making beef tea"
When she went away Dick sat there
in the sunshine, looking out of the win
dow. He made up his mind that he
must get over thinking about Mary;
there was no use; it only worried her,
''and it kills me-" he thought simply.
He wondered if he could always feel SO
duly Indifferent to everything, just be-
cause he couldn't have Mary? The sun
was warm on the grassy. slope in front
of the house; a big vessel, coming slowly
up the river with the tide, leaned, and
her white topsails Swelled and CLEANED
and tapped loose again; the trees at
the foot of the garden showed faint
mist of green; a pigeon wheeled and
f1uttered down to the doorstep and sat
preening itself and putting out its white
breast. The feeling of spring, and joy
and promise was in the air.
''And 1 don't care a darn!" Dick
groaned to himself. ''Well, I've got tc
get over this. I'll go away; I'll get out
of it; Mary shan't know why; I'll lei
her think I've never thought of hel
since the last time / spoke. Good Lore
it was two or three years ago! and
I've not gained an inch with her." AND
then he opened his eyes, and saw Mary
coming up the path; she was on hel
way home from school, and stopped tC
know how he was getting along.
Look at you, you careless fellow,
she scolded, you've dropped thai
shawl off your knees; what would
Mother Hayes say?"
''Oh, Mary" he said, and somehow
the tears stood in his eyes, he was Sc
weak, Give got to go away"
Mary's instant look of concern, anC
light touch upon his wrist, showed
what she thought of such crazy words
and poor Dick gulped and tried to get
back to his resolution not to tell her
81 don't know why said that didn'
mean to, he told her.
''You are tired" she said, soothing
ly, you've been sitting up too long"
Nothing of the Sort" Dick an
swered, GROSSLY. 81 am only tired O
this business! Good Lord! Mary-there
1 can't help it; oOiU yOu take me? didn'
mean to ask again; was just saying