St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-06-02

| AN UNAVOIDABLE DELAY
~ SsIS ~ T7S az "a N N IN az
A DRINK" entreated the weak
~ voice. ''A warm drink, nurse"

feeble fingers, left the room, her light
steps soundless on the rich, deep car
pet. Along the corridor, down the
stairway, she passed. 1t was late, after
midnight. Lights had. been extin-
guished in the drawing-room, the din
ing-room, the library. Only a single
globe, opaque and mellow, lighted the
way. This led to the servants quar-
ters. Under and beyond the nurse
hurried, chaste vision. Her blue and
white striped gown and the snowy lin
en- at throat and wrists and the coiled
dark hair aecentuated the pallor of the
patient, serene face.
It was still in the great house on
Michigan boulevard. Now that the
thaw had come, the crunching of run
ners over the frozen snow, the CHEEKY
jingle of sleighbells, the softened muir
muir of gay young voices no longer
reached the ear. Not that Nurse No
rine had anything to do with sleighing
parties-nor any other form of indi-
vidual diversion. But there had been
nights out of the last two months
when she had been bit bewildered at
times by the recollections these Chin
ing, irresponsible bells awakened. She
had caught herself standing still, with
one hand at her heart-istening to
note should they stop before this door.
She had dropped her hand with a little
sweeping gesture of self-scorn. And
she had resumed her duties with the
sudden glow in her cheeks dying out
as the flush of embers dies under the
pail of gray ashes.
Tonight, however, there was no ex-
traneous sound to divert-no personal
remembrances 10 distract her. She
passed into the great, immaculate, de-
serted kitchen. The servants had gone
to bed. She saw an expanse of polished
wood floor, tiled walls, sinks of mar
BILE and of metal that glittered like sill
yer; gas and alcohol ranges, and the
numerous minor commodities which
make the drudgery of domestic labor
comparatively light and easy.
Hark!
What was that sound just without?
A cautious, scraping footstep! She
listened - the saucepan poised in one
lifted hand. Silence. Pshaw! Itwas
nothing. 1t was no one. As if an at
tempt at burglary would be made in
this neighborhood and with the
light burning! 81 am getting nervous" ;"
she told herself. Constant vigilance,
continual wakefulness will tell on the
strongest of us after awhile. wish I
might warn all young girls who desire
to become nurses, dreaming only of the
romantic aspect of that profession
what the real life involves-what the
actual experience means"
She looked around the kitchen, and
swift retrospect brought the rose
color to her cheek. Here-it was down
here that she and Harry had stolen,
after the cook was asleep, to attempt
the compounding of one particular,
delicious dish. What a blunder they
had made of it! And she had cI t her
hand in welding huge knife Gver
small bunch of parsley. Harry had
torn his handkerchief into strips, and
tied up the injured member. He had
kissed the palm and said: "You have
such pretty hands, Norine!"
All, we'll! She reused herself with
sigh.
'"That was all so long ago,
And time works changes as we know"
The milk on the range was at boiling
point. She added teaspoonfu1 of vim
egar to the foaming mass in the sauce
pan, and, quickly removing the same.
poured the strange-scented mixture
through fine wire sieve. Her remedy
and refreshment were in readiness
the potent whey" dear to the heart of
transatlantic physicians.
Hark! Again!
She set down the bowl hurriedly.
Nearer that tread-and nearer! It was
on the back porch now. He-whoever
he was-had laid one hand upon the
window frame-was trying twas
shaking it softly.
Involuntarily Nurse Norine stepped
back. She was not one ofyour heroic
women. She could feel her heart
pounding, until it seemed to strain its
cords as a hound strains its leash.
Ought she turn out the light? Should
she try to leave the spot?
Thank God!' she painted, "Bessie
will never learn nursing"
Although the association OF bur-
glary with nursing was decidedly il
logical.
There was a grating sound at the
window.
Should she-how could she-arouse
the servants? And if there was to be
a sudden ummons-confusion it
might mean death for her frail pa
tient, Had not the doctors declared
that shock would cause cardiac col
lapse? No. She must confront what
danger there might be-alone.
The window was lifted by a strong,
stealthy hand. A blurred, wriggling
shadow fell across the floor.
Nov! breathed Nurse Norine.
4Nowi"
Her professional habit of self-con-
trol-the sense of responsibility to her
patient-these sustained her. Just as
the clump of shoes struck the floor,
she advanced. A lofty. Il-clad figure
confronted her. A face, indistinguish-
able between slouch hat and chin
bandage, was near her own. 4 grimy
hand gripped her throat.
Keep still" commanded the voice
back of the swathing handkerchief.
t'Keep still"
The command was superfuous, with
9ha hercT,1aa1, rr1.iy, ef }haeo S+ro,,cr 4; n,