The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-10
A YOUNG MANS FANCY.

Harold Western had been i'll for four
Iweeks with typhoid fever, and was now
only a weak shadow Of his real self,
subject to nervous starts and chills,
and with just strength enough to turn
| in bed.
| 1t was in the chill hours of early
| dawn that he woke with a start and
missed the familiar figure that had
haunted his bedside for so long, blue
and white figure, with kind, quiet face
above it and cool, helpful hands that
always did just the right thing.
Nurse he called family, and mo-
| ment more brought the day nurse from
| the next room. Her blue and white
uniform was gone and her stiff white
cap. In their place she wore soft
wrapper and her hair was plated in a
heavy braid that hung below her waist.
She turned up the gas, drew a low
stool to the bedside and sat down.
1.-The night nurse has gone" she be-
gan quietly; you are so much better
we thought I could manage alone. You
have slept nearly all night, Mr.. West
ern, and now I shall get you your milk
and you will go to sleep again.
| He followedsher lazily with his eyes
while she lighted the alcohol lamp and
put the porringer of milk over it, Then
she sat down on chair, her head
dropped on her breast and she slept
soundly for five minutes, waking when
the milk was hot as easily as though
she were some sort Of a machine ad-
| justed to rest just so long.
! $50 there We're two of your he said
as she came toward him with the milk.
She sat down on the stool by the
bedside holding the drinking tube to
his mouth. This action brought her
quite close, and he noted, as he drank,
the soft sheen of her hair, the delicate
curve of her cheek the long lashes
shielding her eyes, the firm, sweet
mouth, and the strong white hands that
were ministering to his needs.
You are Nurse Dimple,'' he said, as
he finished. I don't remember the
| other one"
| She showed two dimples as she an
sWered, Yes, that is what you have
called me ever since came. Ny name
| is Wade, Emily Wade
Il like my name BEST" he answered.
VERY well, but now you are to go
to Sleep"
But the patient was not so easily
disposed of.
Nurse Dimple," he began as she
Der what they said and did when they
were delirous?''
II don't know" she answered 'If
they do they never spoke to me of it.
1 hope they do not, for most of them
| = 1l- &
they did,
you meant that for me- and you
know I remember that I insisted on
4 your calling me Harold or I wouldn' t
take any medicine or my nourishment.
And you did it, too" And he laughed
weakly at the remembrance.
Il shall call you something worse
than your Christian name if you talk
any more. Go to Sleep" And she
passed her hands over his forehead I'M
til drowsiness overcame him.
The next two weeks were very hay
| to the young man, and consisted of
long maps with occasional irritating
calls to drink Cruel or milk.
At last came a morning when the
fog cleared from his brain and he woke
refreshed Before him stood the nurse
| in a fresh blue and white dress, and
a snowy cap above her soft brown hair.
"A whole egg this time, Mr.. West
ern and you look as though you could
| take it,
He took the egg and asked meekly If
he might be allowed to talk, and was
granted ten minutes. After he had
learned the day of the week and month
he asked suddenly:
Did that night nurse ever come
back, or have you taken care of me
alone all this timer"
mot quite alone" she answered.
Your sister, Mrs. Albright, sits with
you every other afternoon, and Miss
| Violet Grant takes the alternate day.
She sits in the dressing-room and rings
the bell if you stir. She is too shy
to run the risk of your waking and
finding her here. She has brought a
bunch of these violets every morning
early and inquired for you"
She is little wood violet herself
| he exclaimed CALAMITY. But you
Nurse Dimple, are a very rose for
| freshness this morning. prefer roses. -
Spare your compliments, Mr.. West
ern. You are getting too well to be al
| lowed to talk nonsense"
Yes, I am better, thanks to your
care" he said soberly; "but if 1 am
not to be allowed to say what I think
and feel toward you, I shall wish my
self back into the days of weakness
and delirium, when I made you do what
l wished"
Your ten minutes are up, Mr.. West
ern,' Miss Wade said, a little sharply
and she set about tidying up the room
with unnecessary swiftness
Harold continued to gain each day
and, seeing that direct love making
was distasteful to his nurse and that
more careful advances must be made
he turned to studying her likes and
| dislikes. talking over books with her
and getting her to read passages from
his or her favorites. Thus a very real
and pleasant friendship sprang up be-
| tween them.
! But Miss Wade could not help seeing
that the lad was growing to love her
and many long hours at night she de-
| bated the question with herself Har-
old was much younger than Miss Wade
very handsome, and would soon be
very rich 1t was a temptation to the
woman, who knew just what the world
had to offer her.
She had nursed eight years, and
knew that two more were about as
many as the average nurse could do
Then would come some offer to become
matron Of an orphan asylum or some
| similar position or else she would be
obliged to hunt for chance as com
panion to some nervous crank or old
person. 1t was not a tempting future
| to look forward to- and here before her