The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-16
An Amusing Woman.


/ she made herselfrather unpopular, Peo-
pie wanted to like her, but it was dilscuit
| when she was laughingat them. They
! when she was laughing at them. They
| always forgaye her, however, when she
laughed at someone else And, without
| reservation and from the woman and
| reservation they admitted that she was
| the brightestgirlin town. So they made
| a great lamentation when she left there
withher family-her family was more of
| with her family-har family was more or
| less of an incident-and came TO Chicago.
| Lucy was sorry TO leave the little town,
! too, when she found that she would be
| lamented. She began 10 attach some i'm
| portance to herself. thing she had pre-
| vieusly failed to do, because of all the alb
surd creatures in the world of absurdity
had entertained an ambition she laughed
herself out of IT. Her attitude toward her
self, as well as toward the world, was
that of a mocker. And if a ray Of senti-
ment dared to find its way into her men,
tai compound she gave chase to it with
| derisive mirth.
When she had reached Chicago she went
around and looked at the city, and made
up her mind about men, and women, and
| business, and politics, and religion, with
the splendid ease and dogmatism Of the
| young. She sent away a number Of ar
| dent lovers.
Love-" said Lucy. Its an illusion.
Any one over 40 will tell you that"
When I marry it shah be for-for rea-
sons of state, so to speak. I shall marry
capable, brilliant, physically perfect
man. believe in the survival Of the fit
| test. I believe in the selection of species
This girlish sentiment that entraps other
girls shall not waylay me-"
And for once she did not know that she
was amusing.
One morning she awoke with an idea.
Il am going to be a nurse" she said.
! But I'm afraid you are too fond of ex-
element" the head nurse said, kindly.
But it seemed to Lucy the place for high
| spirits. 1t appeared to be, moreover, the
most exciting of places. Here were real
| tragedies-not mimic ones; here was the
| actual heroism. She was interested to
| absorption. There was, moreover, plenty
to laugh at--the pempesity of the doctors,
the solemn reverence with which they re-
/ garded themselves even in the face of out
| rageous plumbers and erroneous diagnoses
| and futile experiments; the hypochondria-
cal whims OF the patients.
Doctors are absurd she commented
| frequently. Il have never seen anything
so owlish and so ineffective as doctors.
The way they set up theories before
| which we all fall PROSTATE and the man
1
over presently, while we servilely applaud
is truly entertaining. I am glad we
| came''
You won't stay if you don't exercise
| more control Of your tongue" one of the
| truly obedient nurses once said to her.
80, we'll" said Lucy; ''the cars still run
by the hospital 81 can get away"
But stiIl 1 do not like doctors" she
said
| .,a,,,o+;,,,oz .ha Ala ,o+ Jtl~x ,o3;o1ts
| either. There was one old lady, for exam
pie, who never could divest herself of the
idea that Lucy was a common servant,
| and that whatever else she did she must
| never sit down. One day the girl had been
on her feet for hours, waiting on the pa
tient, rubbing her, feeding her, and caring
for her in fifty ways, and at length even
her firm, young body aehed IN every bone.
She dropped into a chair for few mo-
| ments of needed rest.
Miss Armitage," said the querulous old
| lady, the room appears to me to be I'M
tidy. wish you would pick it up"
Lucy looked over at the DISCONTINUED old
! creature, and smiled tolerantly.
Miss Coudry,'' she said; never before
have I been asked to do so difficult a.
! thing" and sat still.
Miss Coudry reported the nurse. The
! head physician interviewed her on the
subject. Lucy turned the matter with a
jest.
II was asked to pick up the ROOM" she
said 81 am not the magnetic strong girl,
so I said L couldn't do It,"
The physician tempered his reproof.
The months of probation over, Lucy was
accepted, and the first severe case COM
mitted entirely to her charge was that of
a young doctor who had been severely in
jured in railroad accident and one of
whose legs had undergone amputation.
The case was a bothersome one. The
! young man did not gather strength as he
| should have done, considering his youth.
He sank into a low fever, and drowsed
| along through life, week in and week out.
| Lucy stood by him Loyalty. She endeav-
| ored in every way to inspire him to make
fight for life But for long time she
could arouse no interest in him. At last
she had an idea.
81 will make him fall in love with me-
she thought to herself. 1T will do me no
harm, and it viii help him to get well,
and as soon as he Is strong again he will
forget all about It. The others always
have.
1t was a silly comedy to play-perhaps
it was rather a coarse farce-but Lucy en-
tered upon her role with enthusiasm. She
was really beautiful girl, but she sell
dom took time to remember it. Now she
stuck a rose in her dark hair mornings,
and she was careful to have faint per-
fume of violets floating from her exqui-
tie grey gown. Her cap and apron as
sumed an iudefnable coquetry. She took
pensive attitudes and talked upon senti-
mental subjects.
What a precious guy I am making of
| myself" she often chuckled IN the re-
cesses of her naughty soul. OF all the
! idiotic parts l ever assumed I have most
| cause to be ashamed Of thisp But it
| proved TO be the prescription Of which
the young doctor stood IN need He
watched for her coming in the morning
as frightened children watch for their
! mothers. He hung upon every word, ex-
/ ulted in her springing. firm step, was
| soother into exquisite peace by the touch
| of her cool white hand upon his brow
| and when he felt the grasp Of her two
| strong hands upon his in hours Of pain IT
seemed to him that with her by he would
find strength to endure anything
1T Will soon be over" Lucy said, to
| comfort her conscience. And IL I an
clever perhaps I can get him away before
he says anything 10 me. / hate horribly
to face the consequences Of my sin. II
had been making sin I should have
made il without consequences
But. clever as she was, she did not sue
coed il her desire. One day DR.. Halsou.
convalesceut. turned from the contenpls-
ton of the passersoy On the street, and
said. imperativeiy:
Miss Armitage. come here"
Aren't your pillows rIghtE" asked I.ncy
| with feigned solic.tude. She knew Ia her
! soul that the fatal hour had coma
"Ny pillows are well But ] wish 70
/ say TO you thing that you have been
prevented ne from saying for days You
/ are a beautiful ty-ant, bcf 7 wiii rot SUI
| fa- t,--annr aren Inn the haatftffrsl Z