Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-07-11
CHAPTER XIII.

Raymond Holbin had found it diff
cult to advance his cause with
Frances, if for no other reason taan
that few opportunities for seeing her
alone presented themselves. He had
sought interviews repeatedly and
offered the many little courtesies
which the male resident of house
may extend to those of the other
sex, but they had been declined with
persistence that only added fuel
to- the flames which were consuming
him. The girl seldom dined with the
family; she had during her fathers
long illness instituted a little house
keeping plan of her own and took
her meals in her apartments, a mat
ter very conveniently arranged by
reason of the position of the apart
ments and the constant attendance of
nanny. Occasionally, yielding to
the insistence of her stepmother, she
joined the family upstairs, but on
such occasions she carefully avoided
tete-a-tete with Raymond, with
drawing always with the elder wom-
an. On such occasions, the inevitable
topic had been the war, it's yicissi-
tudes, and the responsibilities it in
volved. In these meetings and the
presence of great events she after
awhile learned. if not to like her step
mother, at least to suspend judgment
upon her; indeed, sometimes she had
been tempted to doubt the correct
ness of her former judgment, for
when the city began to be crowded
with wounded Mrs. Brookin threw
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.
erosity 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 had known
you years ago we should never have
been less than friends. Try to forget
the days when / seemed unkind, please,
and do not cherish anger towards an
old woman" Frances tried to forget,
but always in the presence of Mrs.
Brookin she felt 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 day Frances assured
| him that if he should prove as good
| 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
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 commendation.
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;
but one day in the hospital he got a
brief report of the girls new expert
ence.
"If I had not discovered that am
better at saving off legs than fighting
scheming women, my child, 1 should
say that you have never been in SO
much danger as now; but / 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 a week"
NO" she said, sit would seem like
running. But tell Mrs. Brodnar 1 am
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 a
friend of ours got his wound?"
They have never been satisfied,
think. They tell me l am full of
whims, and perhaps they class that
night among them. You have not
heard-?"
Not a word. od-by!" DR.. Brod-
mar in the brief meetings with Frances
would never discuss Somers. 1t is
likely that his friends choice of sides
had been an immense disappointment.
Frances was bound to receive Brod-
mars hint unfavorably when she con-