Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-28

open her house to them and gave
much of her time to their care. The
gentleness with which the elder wom-
an entered into this work, her gen.
crosby and her universal courtesy
were bound to impress such girl
as Frances. Once, as though yielding
to a noble impulse, she placed her
arm about the girl and said:
''My child, you have surprised and
gratified me of late. If 1 had known
you years ago we should never have
been less than friends. Try to forget.
the days when l seemed unkind, please,
ands do not cherish anger towards an
old woman" Frances tried to forget, !
but always in the presence of Mrs.
Brookin she felt q constraint. She
seemed ever to have entered an atmos-
phere that had been stripped of its cleo
tricity. Try as she might, it had been
impossible to respond unreservedly to
her advances; the best she could do
was to meet them with courtesy.
The presence of wounded men in the
house gave Raymond for a short time
an opportunity to see something of
Frances, and he, too, became famous
nurse. But one Gay Frances assured
him that if he should prove as good a
fighter as he was nurse promotion
would follow; then he came less often.
Twice before she had been. unable to
resist the temptation to touch the raw
place; once she had asked him directly
how it was that man could keep out of
a war in which other men were win
ming fame; and once, in reply to his
question: will you ever like me,
Frances?" she said: "A Virginia
woman should not be expected to like
civilians overmuch when Virginia soil
is invaded" AT length. to avoid him.
she gave more of her time to the hos
pital, yielding the care of those in the
home to her stepmother and the
trained nurses. Mrs. Brookin won
golden opinions in those days. A week
seldom passed without the appearance
of her name in print coupled with Law
ish commentator.
DR.. Brodnar, busy every hour of the
| twenty-four in which his giant
strength could sustain him awake. had
but little time to spare for Frances;
4 but one day in the hospital he got a
| brief report of the girls new expert
ence.
'lf I had not discovered that l am
better at saving off legs than fighting
sche ming women, my child, l should
say that you have never been in SO
much danger as now; but I have re-
tired as an adviser of young women.
BY the way, have you decided that you
will come out and keep us company at
home? My wife sends an invitation not
less than once week"
"No," she said, sit would seem like
running. But tell Mrs. Brodnar / am
i very grateful for her kindness"
"All right. Come when you please;
and, Frances, call me fool as often as
you wish, but be careful what you eat
in your stepmother's house-and take
no medicine there! How have you sat
isfied them about the night when {
friend of ours got mis- wound?"
"They have never been satisfied,
think They tell me l am full O.
whims, and perhaps they class tina
night among them. You have mo-
heard-?'
Not word Good-by!" DR.. Brod
mar in the brief meetings with France!
would never discuss Somers. 1t il
likely that his friends choice of side
had been an immense disappointment
Frances was bound to receive Brod
mars hint unfavorably when she con
sidered the new and continued kind
/ ness of her stepmother. Often the lat
, ter said:
when it is all over, my child, thi
: cruel war, these scenes OF suffering
t we will take our trunks and go abroa'
5 somewhere for year of rest TIL
idea seemed to be favorite one wit
!, her; she told all of her acquaintance
l that she and poor dear Frances
were going abroad as soon as hostili
I. ties closed; that the child was simpl
worked down. And in the face of thi
= tender solicitude and the old lady's de
l votion to confederate sufferers, pee
t pie shook their heads and acknow
i edged that one should not always be
d lieve the unkind things whispered OF
y pected person, in year Mrs. Brook
achieved immense popularity and wo
the confidence of even the highest o.
fcials, in whose home circles she wa
as welcome as they were in hers. Ho'
!, welcome they were might be estimate
from certain government records,
: the records were accessible and poss
- l>la of trapSlafiop now
3 Holbin had heard OF Frances late'
e whim, the union soldier. He had nj
It interested himself in the latter's we
h fare, but he made his appearance
Ell the wingroom on the day after Louis
g had been pacified, and. finding onl
re NANNY there with the wounded ma
s he entered and engaged him in chez
e. full conversation. He gave him II
'k latest news from the front, and su
t piled him with cigars. Responding
" these attentions. the soldier readi
t. told his story. When the name of Ricl
OF ard Soners. his former enemy, W;