The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-22

| voice Of the did lady. the room appears
to me to be untidy. ! wish you would
pick it up"
! Lucy looked over at the disconnected
old creature and smiled tolerantly.
| Miss Coudry." she said, 'never before
have | been asked to do SO difficult a
thing" and sat still.
Miss Coudry had no suspicion that her
| phraseology was at fault, and she re-
| ported the nurse. The head physician
interviewed her on the subject. Lucy re-
Trained from commenting upon the tyran-
ny Of the poor old hypochondriac. She
turned the matter with jest.
| ~ was asked to pick up the ROOM" she
said. Il AM not the magnetic strong girl.
so l said couldn't do it,
| The physician tempered his rcproof.
| The months OF probation over Lucy
/ was accepted, and the first severe case
| committed entirely to her charge was
that of a young doctor who had been Sc
I verely injured in q railroad accident and
one of whose legs had undergone ampu-
tation. The case was 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 endeavorcd in every way to inspire
him to make fight for life. But for q
long time she could arouse no interest in
him. At last she had an idea.
| Il will make him fall in love with me-"
she thought To herself. ut will do me
no harm, and it will help him to get WELL
and as soon as he is strong he will forget
| all about it. The others always have"
Ii was silly comedy to play-perhaps
| it was rather q coarse farce-but Lucy
| entered upon her rele with enthusiasm.
| She was really beautiful girl, but she
seldom took time TO remember it. Now
| she stuck Il rose in her dark hair morn.
ings, and she was careful to have a faint
| perfume of violets floating from her ex.
| quisite gray gown. Her cap and apron
assumed an indefnable coquetry. She
| took pensive attitudes and talked upon
sentimental subjects.
What precious guy I am making Of
myself" she often chuckled in the re-
cesses of her naughty soul. "Of all the
idietic parts | ever assumed l have most
| cause to be ashamed Of this!' But it
proved to he the prescription of which the
young doctor stood in need. He watched
for her coming in the morning as fright.
ened children watch for their mothers.
He hung upon her words, exulted in her
springing, firm step, was soothed into
! exquisite peace by the touch of her coe
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.
st will soon be ever" Lucy said to
comfort her conscience, land if am cley-
er perhaps l can get him away before he
says anything to me. ] hate horribly to
face the consequences of my sin. II
had been making sin, should have made
it without consequences"
But clever as she was she did not sue.
coed in her desire. One day DR.. Halson,
convalescent, turned from the contempla.
ton Of the passersby on the street and
said imperatively:
Miss Armitage, come here"
Aren't Your pillows right?" asked
Lucy with feigaed solicitude. She knew
in her soul that the fatal hour had come
my pillows are well. But l wish To
say to you thing you have been pre-
venting me from saying for days. You
are beautiful tyrant. but l will not suf
fer tyranny even from the beautiful. ]
lind upon consulting with my-with my
physician thnt ] shall require your serv
Ncb HnueuHilciy. WANT tnem as lOHS u
life lasts. ! must take you away with
me. | must have you for my wife"
Lacy had many times prepared in heI
mind tho rebukcs that she would utter in
answer. TO these remarks. She would
bring him To an understanding Of the alb
surditT of the thing, for. of course. this
was 4 piece with the rest of the absurdity
of the werld.
But this is what she heard herself say
linz:
my dear, dear, knew you could net
do without me. OF course I couldn't
think Of leaving you" And this time
when their hands clasped it was hers
that were trembling.
Then she laughed. She fairly shouted
with laughter till the patients in the 9th
er rooms hear and smiled responsibility
What mad absurdity! What a perverse
" amusing world! She would marry
only man OF great physical superiority
she hated physicians!
And she had just kissed a one legged
physician and promised to be his wife!
Il was never so amused" cried Lucy
You were never so amusing. my dear
hanrt Sail har loyar-lyh;oo,,o Tr;Irna