The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-03-23

on those Indian hills From crest to
crest leapt sWift-Winged flashes of en-
erald, amethyst, and amber colOured
light, kissing the gloomy peak sinto
glowing wOnderous life, UNTIL tired of
their lofty sport, the multicOlOured
| beam stole downwards on pathway of
their own making towards the earth,
hating midway at some dozen bell
tents, nesting snugly against the noun
tain's waist, by the side of a stream,
and, entering the slightly open flap of
the nearest, played upon the face of it's
occupant a sleeping girl.
! Tenderly, almost reverently, the rays
touched those dark, heavily fringed
Ieyelids, and caused the tears that still
rested on them to glisten like silver.
The girl stirred uneasily, caught her
! breath in half a sob, and sat up.
| Hubert, Hubert, [ never meant it,"
she whispered. IF you had only said
one word instead of going away in
silence, would have explained every
thing
| Her eyes rested blankly on the white
tent walls. For moment she had for
gotten that she was the only woman
left in charge Of a feVer-stricken hos
pital station, some twelve miles within
the British lines of communication that
Colonel Bertram had established be-
tween RaWee and I4odopore, in his
memorable expedition against the fierc-
est of all the hill tribes, the Jaguras.
| Yet three whole weeks had elapsed
since she had had companion, Sister
] ho1 t,.xy tn fcly
Icharge of No. l Station, and to give
| Temporary aid to the more seriously
wounded on. their way to Lodopore
from the field hospital established some
mine miles nearer the front, where cases
Required only a few days nursing were
| treated--by Orderlies and surgeons of
course, for no woman is ever permitted
to go beyond the stationary hospitals,
Hest disaster should befall our arms.
| With a guard of fifty men under the
command of young subaltern Robert
| Vicars, the girls were safe and happy
for the first few days. Then all news
| from the front ceased, although the in
termittent firing that re-echoed round
the hills, as we'll as the more distant
i fusillade that had been continued dur
ling the whole of the past day, told that
somewhere down behind those froWn-
ling mountain peaks yonder the field
hospital must be busy.
Probably the continued absence of
the transports would have caused them
more uneasiness; had not fever made it's
appearance suddenly in their midst,
land, with the exception of the nurse
land Wears, laid everyone low.
Then Sister Rose died, and Hesper
IGrah;tm was left alone with a garrison
reduced to twenty sick men.
For the first half Of the night follow
ling the loss of her companion, she had
minstered to the wants Of those en-
TRUSTED to her care, and then Wears, a
fair-haired young fellow, who had the
making of fine man, when contact
lof the world should have toned down a
somewhat unduly favourable opinion
lof himself and his belongings: peremp-
torily babe her get some sleep. He
would take her post till tawn.
Utterly exhausted by thirty hours
continuous work, she had obeyed orders
thankfully, and slept as she little
thought she could, with nothing but
trouble and anxiety hanging over her,
and her medical stores fast coming to
an end.
But she was not thinking of that
now, as she sat with her eyes fixed on
the golden glory the sunlight wove
about those four unsightly packing
cases-the sole furniture of the tent
In her semi-awakened state, she had
mentally turned back the clock three
years in her life, and saw herself again
a bright and happy girl, just released
from her training at St. Kits, and set
. ting out for Chester, to undertake hel
! first private case, a young doctor, HUI.
{ bert Kennedy.
II Diptheria had Well-nigh made an enc
lof him when she came on the scene
I but a good constitution and excellent
{ nursing brought him back to life. Ant
! then-well Hesper Graham was a beau
{ tiful girl, and her patient grateful. Sc
! love dawned with convalescence. An(
there being a dearth of relatives or
! either side to put the inevitable OBJ
objections in the way Of an impecuniou:
! bride, the two walked in an earthl!
{ |paradise, until more than usually
serious quarrel drove Kennedy to Lon
ldOn to drown thought in work; ant
Hesper to Netley, where, after she hat
undergone the customary six months
: probation, she was drafted off to Malt;
and thence to India, as an army nurse
}Ior, in soldiers parlance, a Grey Sister
q Well, that was all over and done witt
InoW. Kennedy was fast making hi:
}lway' to the front as a surgeon at home
) and she had put half the world between
I thenl-since he did not care.
81 "Sister Hesper are you awake? Car
I speak to your" cried Wears without
81 She flung off her blanket and came tt
I the door of the tent in her simple grey
! uniform, her golden hair still hanging
I labout her shoulders like a cloud.
s. The boy looked paler than his wont
q What news?' she asked.
"A mounted orderly has just come i,
from Rawee. We have had al reverse
and he is waiting to take you back witt
= him on his horse to Lodopore il
case of accidents
Her great violet eyes flashed. "Ant
leave all those poor fellows?'' she ask
ed, scornfully.