The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-05-09

you years ago we should never have
been less than friends. Try to forget
the days when I 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 it's 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 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 a
fighter as he was a 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
pltal, 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.
DIR. 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, I 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 week."
NO." she said, 1T would seem like
running. But tell MIS-. Brodnar l am
very grateful for her Kindness
Call right. Come when you please;
and, Frances, call me a,fool as often as
you wish, but be careful what you eat
in your stepmothe house-and take
no medieihe there! How have you sat
isAed them ABOUT the night when
friend: Of oYrs got his wound?"
',They have never been satisfied,
think. They tell me I am full of
whims, and perhaps they class that:
might among them. You have not
heard-?"
"Not word. Good-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-
sidered the new and continued kind
ness of her stepmother. Often the lat
ter said:
when it is all over, my child, this
cruel war, these scenes of suffering
we will take our trunks and go abroad
somewhere for year of rest" The
idea seemed to be a favorite one with
her; she told all of her acquaintance
that she and poor dear Frances"
were going abroad as soon as hostili-
ties closed; that the child was simply
worked down. And in the face of this
tender solicitude and the old lady's de-
votion to confederate sufferers, peo
pie shook their heads and acknowl-
edged that one should not always be-
lieve the unkind things whispered of a
neighbor. From the isolation of a sus-
pected person, in a year Mrs. Brookin
achieved immense popularity and won
the confidence Of even the highest Of
fcials, in whose home circles she was
as welcome as they were in hers. How
welcome they were might be estimated
from certain government records, if
the records were accessible and posi-
BILE of translation now.
Holbin had heard of Frances latest
within, the union soldier. He had not
interested himself in the latter's well
fare, but he made his appearance in
the wingroom on the day after Louise
had been paciied, and. finding only
nanny there with the wounded man,
he entered and engaged him in cheer
full conversation. He gave him the
latest news from the front, and sup
piled him with cigars. Responding to
these attentions, the soldier readily
told his story. When the name of Rich
ard Somers, his former enemy, was
reached, Holbin was visibly excited.
Still, not for one instant did it occur
to him to connect the presence of the
wounded man in that room with the
fact that Somers was his captain; and
the soldier himself naturally took it
for granted that the cause Of his pres
ence was well understood by all