The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-22
JAN.
BY LOUISE HOLLAND

BY LOUISE HOLLAND
| There walked down the pang-plank
bridging the little strip Of water which
! dubbed between the great ship and pieT
q blue-eyed. golden-haIred little Norwe-
gian girl No one knew her: no one no.
uced her; no one spoke TO her She was
| quite alone. She had come 10 the strange
! country 10 look for Jan. For long time
she had had no word from him. The dear
! father and mother had died and 50 Gud-
/ run sold the little moss-roofed home
/ which nestled among the snOw-capped
/ hills Of her beloved Norway and had
/ come across the sea 10 find the dear lover
! For now h. was all she had, and she was
! sure she could lind him. Love. she
! thought, could do anything
| When she was on the big ship and each
| day brought her nearer and nearer The
| land where Jan was, she was very, very
! happy. Ii all seemed 50 simple and easy
/ that she almost felt she might sce him
standing on the pier watching for her.
/ But even should he not be there, all would
/ be well. She would only have 10 ask for
| Jan. Surely every one would know hin.
! he was 50 big and handsome so good and
! 50 kind and 50 wise Oh, no one knew
as much as Jan. And when sne would
I ask: Where is JAM" they would point
! out 10 her the house where he lived and
she would go there and knock al the door
and Jan would open it and she would say.
Jan. here is Gudrun. your own little
/ Gudrun, come TO you from over the sea
/ And he would take her in his arms and
/ Oh, how happy they would be. And from
her fun heart there rose q little Nor
{ wegian song, 50 wild and free. 50 weird
/ and sweet-a song of JAMS. one he had
| taught her. for Jan could write songs.
and no greater JOY had GUdrun than in
singing them.
Jan was not at the pier waiting for her
and when she asked for him, no one heed
ed her questioning, for she spoke a
strange tongue. and no one understood
her. She had thought of this but fe-t that
when she mentioned his name, that il was
Jdu-Jan she was seeking they would
understand and tell her about him. But
she looked and asked iu vain.
oh, how strange and cold this new
country was-nO one knew any one else
every one was in such hurry. all seem
I'd so busy-did they never reSt2 How un-
like the quiet peaceful home across Jle
sea!
Indignation held sway among the nurses
of the big emergency hospital, for Miss
Elton. the superintendent. had committed
a crime without precedent. She had re-
ceiyed as pTObdtiOner Gudrun. the little
dinng-room maid.
And if she gets through her PROBATION
and is accepted, | shall go, declared the
head nurse.
And ] shall stay" re.orted the surg ry
nurse. for between them was fierce rival
ry, and they made il a point never 10
agree with one another IN anything
Il suppose you think We couldn't Iun
the place without you" sneered the first
speaker.
Not quite 50 bad as that dear" retcTn-
ed the other, but | will say they are
nurses i'm this hospital whose resignation
would be much more readily accepted
than mine" This thrust silenced her ii
val, who made up her mind however.
that whatever the outcome of GudIl.n' )
probation. she, the head nurse. wogld re-
main If for no other Reason than u spite
that cOnceited thing in the surgery
The outcome was in GudTun's favor
Quiet gentle. and thoughtful. she proved
herself in every way worthy Of the pro-
feSsiOn and ere long not one among that
blue and white sOwned band of women
" no fitted about from ward 10 ward and
from bed 10 bed carrying relief and COM
fort To suffering humanity but was glad
10 have GudrCn her friend.
Among the patients there was not one
whose eye did rot brighten as L rested on
the prettily rounded figure, the crown Of
golden hair, the deep blue eyes. so gentle
and loving and yet so sad. At night, in
the dimly lighted halls. in whose shadowy
depths it needed no abnormalls magma
tive mind TO conJure up many gvewsome
sight; in the cold, white surgery. where
in the wee small hours the proceedings
Of the preceding day were all vividy
pictured on the unusually acute sense. in
the long wards with the narrow white
beds Targed in. rows against the walls
with the duh yellow light casting an al
most death palor or tie sleeping faces
quiet and sad little GudIUn strangely har-
monzed as she glided silently along the
dim halls, in and out OF the gloomy
wards, freshening a rumpled pillow
mOisteUiHg fever-parched lips, soothing
to rest with SOFT, caressing hand an over
wrought brain, ana pausing IL each bed
side TO assure herself of the comfort OF
each sufferer in her care.
BE watchful of the man in number
forty" warned the doctor as he saiI
good night Hes threatened with 4 hard
run of lever. and / want 10 check it if
can"
when Gudrun finished her rounds. she
stole into the sickrOoa. On the bed lay
tail blond man, his flushed. heavily
bearded face bur half discerni0le in the
sost light sleep was a stranger TO tho
large blue eyes. and Gudrun, with the in
stinc,s and experience Of her profession,
hasteucJ 20 his relief
She straishtaned the diSOrdered hci.
cooled the hot pillow, bathed the flushed
face and burning hands and then seating
herself in 4 little low chair at the bed
side. siroked with soft and cooling hand
the throbbing brow. Rut in vain l.
seemed as II sleep would never again close
those burning eyes. Finally she bethOught
herself OF the little Norwegian s0ng-Jaus
Song-sh- used 10 sing in the dear land
she feared she would never see again.
SNret!y Yet softly her voice rose ana frA
ana - she sang her thoush h;s We're over
The sea.
Uuhe-drd lay the sufferer Al her side.
uuhee.el the shadoWy halls, the aim
wards. the great strange city, itself She
wandered again in the green field Of her
dear Norway. her Jan al her side. gazing
down al her with eyes full Of love and
tenderness
"Gulruu. Guiruu"
She turned Her heart stood still- The
song fr.Za on her lips Leaning JWa.l
her u4rh OItstretched arms, his eyes q lei
Win "a strange sweet ragerness, vas Jan.
Painting. trembling, she fel on her
knees az the bedside.
Jan. my Jaa" she cried. and clasped
in his arms. his lips pressed ~ hers. be
melted lucU her dream
t-sy.! 80. NV - Ls!!. st-r! E-5.!-A.LE ~