The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-05-12

own affairs; and at the end of week
Mrs. Dorothy Dunning had decided
the same, and mentally vowed that
the handy Wealthy should forget the
relationship, and keep her place with
the children and mind the housework.
which she could perform with such
dexterity.
So Wealthy found herself one OF
the nurses, who were employed to
take care of the six Dunning chill
dren. her charge being the three
Oldest, except Lou.
She, being IS and out in society,
was considered beyonda a nurses care,
and never turned hand over to
brighten anybody's life.
But there were CLEANS of bright
ness in Wealthy's life, after all.
Pleasant days she took the children
TO the park, and, while she sewed and
minded them, she could also feast her
eyes on the beautiful trees and green
sward and the blue skies; so blue.
Wealthy thought; skies anywhere else
were never so blue as those. Little
by little she learned that the best OF
us all, IN one way or another, work
more or less, and she argued that, per-
haps, hers was not such hard lot as
1t might have been, in spite of the
fact that she was obliged to be busy
at something all the time. She was
thankful for what she had, and worked
and sang and made the best of it.
And so it went on for six months.
July came and Doctor and Mrs.
Dunning and Lou went away to cool
Birchlands.
doctor Edwards is coming to
Birchlands this season." reported
Mrs. Dunning at the end of the fort
night.
Every wealthy family. Bernard,
the Oldest son, has studied in Europe
and has returned and taken his
fathers practice. Every one is speak
ing of the celebrated Doctor Edwards
an excellent parti for LOU"
Lou matched her protty eyes with
prettier ribbons, and when he called
she rustled to greet him in the fleecy
raiment that had cost Wealthy hours
of patient endeavor to think out, and
tit, and make-a creature of dream
and fair to look upon, "as beautiful
as fancy" Doctor Edwards thought.
But in the chain of circumstances,
there were other incidents.
In the city the oppressive heat was
telling on poor, puny Arthur, and one
day Wealthy, nurse, housekeeper and
commander in chief, found another
care on her hands, n sick boy.
Gently she qnieted him, tendeclv
she cared for him, but at dusk she
stood despairingly by his bedside, with
the realization that the disease was
beyond the scope of her immediate
prescriptions and fully aware that the
boy was on dangerous ground.
What could she do? Send for her
uncle? He was miles away, and
Arthur might die before his father
reached him.
Send for doctor? Where? Neither
she nor any Of tho children know the
location of any physicians Office in
the city.
Speak to the neighbors? Yes, but
it is August, and they are all away.
Completely batfled in this labyrinth
OF perplexities, suddenly bright idea
occurred to her.
Looking hastily ont Of the window
she saw bright light away down the
street on the opposite side.
'"That must be Doctor Edwards
that ] have heard so much about, /
know" she said. And shortly after
ward, Doctor Bernard Edwards, pro-
indeed, but handsome, fine
eyed and kind. was obeying an urgent
summons up the street.
He stayed all through the hot night
with the sick boy, soothing and help
ing him and Tightening for poor
Wealthy what otherwise would have
been season of multitudinous terrors
and when morning dawned once
again, Arthur's life was saved.
And during that night he had be-
come interested in the faithful, lovely
young girl.
Doctor Edwards always looked
grim reality straight in the eye, and
ne fonnd out what her position was in
hat house, and such distasts for Lou
frivolous beauty came over
lin at the discovery that he hoped he
night never see her again.
He stamped and stormed little
md in his righteous wrath he spoke
,ome certain truths of the Dunnings.
''It is too scanlalously bad! he
wound up.
''You might marry her," suggested !
yrouty old Doctor Edwards, who had
rot the benefit of his sons late re-
earches.
''Have half a mind to-" said
Bernard.
Evidently he had a whole mind to;
Or the next day, before the gray dusk
vas fairly out of the sky, and long
before the children were awake,
Wealthy, standing weary and alone
~ the chamber window, found her.
elf clasped tenderly in pair of strong
rms. Lovingly the tall doctor stopped
md tenderly kissed the little girl.
"Wealthy, "he whispered, Wealthy
ooA at me, darling! I have some
l. :, - Ill ro,, o,J mani rou ~