The National tribune., 1901-05-16

WITH FEVERISH EAGERNESS
mouth with red lips, complexion of pink
and-white, like a girls on which lay 4
slight camePs hair mustache. He spoke
as diffidently and softly as if afraid of
the sound of his own voice.
As she looked her gaze turned to ad
miration as she noted these details, and
for the first time in many years she saw
Il man whom she really wanted. His
feminine refinement and grace seemed a
complement to her own ruggedness.
Il have lot of coffee here" said he,
gently, appealing to the dominant femi-
nine passion i'll the South, which I'd
be glad to exchange with you for some
old linen, if you care to-" He touched
a haversack, the fragrance from which
filled the room. 1T is freshly Drowned
by my own men,
Are you a married man." she asked,
irrelevantly.
Mo-
"Engaged?"
NO; entered the army as soon as
graduated"
''All doctors ought to be married." she
suggested.
Not necessary in the army-not de-
sirabIe, in fact" he ventured, diffidently.
Patients there don't mind whether you're
married or not"
Good, active young doctor'd do well
to settle down here" she remarked, tenta-
lively. ''AlI the doctors around here are
old and breaking down fast"
Its a fine country" he responded.
Especially" she continued, ''if he
could marry into a leading family, with
large connections, and his wife have prop
erty enough to give him 4 good start in
life"
THAT would certainly be windfalI for
n young physician starting in practice"
he remarked, non-committally.
Never had she heard such a musical
voice from the lips of man. The men
of his regiment usually alluded to their
Assistant Surgeon as Miss Nancy" and
said that he was the leading soprano in
the church choir at home; but it seemed
to Miss SophrOnia that it would be rare
happiness to always hear that voice. All
the emotions are strangely related in
women, and the very anger that filed
her breast predisposed her to much softer
sentiments.
What is your name?" she asked.
Charles Augustus Brooks, NJ. D., AS
sistant Surgeon, 1st Oshkosh Volunteer
Infantry"
Brooks? Brooks? There are Brookses
over on the Oconee, and they are quality
people. Own II big plantation and about
40 niggers."
Probably no relatives, ma'am," he
piped up, with a feminine pride of an
cestry. We BroOkses are descended from
Maj.-Gen. John Brooks, of the Revolution,
WaShingtOn's intimate friend, and who
was promoted for gallantry in stormins
the German works at Saratoga. There
are great many Brookses in the coun-
try, but they are no connection of ours.
My sisters call them the muddy Brooks
Many of them spell their name with an e.
None of them are our kim
How do you find your patients, Sur
geOn?" inquired the Lieutenant, in a dry,
official tone, as he came up. Il am wait
ing for your report"
''You shall have it presently, SIR" re-
sponded the Surgeon, quite as officially as
his softer voice could assume. Il found
some cases that required immediate atten-
ton, and stopped in the preparation of
my report to give it to them"
you will prepare your report first, sir,
and attend to them afterward. l desire
the information at once"
Excuse me, Lieutenant" said the Sur
geon, as quietly as if asking young lady
for cup of tea; ''the care of these men
is a professional matter, which l must
perform in my own way. I'll furnish you
the report in due time If you want a
list of the men, send around one Of your
own men to make it. I'm not your clerk"
you are under my command, SIR" said !
the Lieutenant, doing the authoritative
act up fine.
.'Yes and no. You are in command of
the camp. L am In cnafSe or the SICK.
We have our separate functions, and i
shall discharge mine properly. 1 hope |
you'll do the same"
''I'll see you later about this" said the
Lieutenant, striding off.
Goodness gracious" gasped Miss So |
phronia 81 was afraid he was going to |
eat you up. 1 picked up the poker to |
hit him if he laid finger on you"
80. he isn't going to bother me-" replied |
the Surgeon, placidly. Il outrank him. |
He's only a Second Lieutenant. while 1 |
rank as a First Lieutenant. Lieut.. Gil |
len is a very interesting man to study. He /
has great confidence in himself, and moro |
Of that force commonly termed mesmeric |
or odic, than any young man / ever met.
These qualities are essential to leader
ship, and if he has judgment equal to
them will make himself distinguished. I
always like to study him when he is e1-
erting them on other people. But when
he tries them on me I simply put them
under microscope, and analyze them.
same as j would examine his heart-beats
with q stetheoscope''
"How perfectly lovely you talk" she
admirfngly. II never heard a
nan talk so well before, in my life-not