The evening Republican., 1902-09-27
IN THE PALM
OF HIS HAND.
A Short Story by Mr.. Eugenie
UrlriCh.

Miss Gervaise Plymton had one
hobby -chiromancy. She spent. all
her spare time investigating its mys-
teries. II was even said that her
chief reason for entering the hospi-
tai training school was the oppor-
tunity it offered to feel the pulse and
incidentally glance at the palms Of
the hands of the patients. Out oft
all she had drawn confirmation for
certain palmist theories and amend
ed others by u few rules of her own
which she contemplated publishing
by and by.
\ There is a popular superstition
that young house doctors and nurses
always fall in love with each other.
But Miss Plympton was saved from
this extravaganza of emotion by her
discovery that all her contemporary
doctors had forbidding lines.
In the hand of one she discovered
unmistakable evidence OF mental ab-
GRAFTON, in another sign of q violent
temper, and still another was hope-
lessy stingy. The owner Of the lat
ter, however, persisted in liking her
in spite Of all her snubs. So it came
about that when he established sue.
cessful practice in q, little town near
the city it was she for whom he sent
when he had difficult case.
One sitting summer day she re.
ceiyed q telegram from him:
"Come at once. Only girl in family
has typhoid. Family lost their heads.
Cook gone.'
1t was not clear from the telegram
which was worse, the typhoid or the
desertion Of the cook. But Miss Ply
mpton concluded that she would risk
impression in the latter's place and
went down on the next
The doctor met her and drove
her to the Macdonald house.
There for two days and nights
she saw and heard nothing but her
patient. Then Mrs. Macdonald re-
covered sufficiently from her ex-
haustion to take her turn at the
nursing again. Miss Plympton slipp
ed out on the veranda for breath
of fresh air to soothe her nerves
before going to bed.
"A tall young man came up the
path. Seeing her he stopped.
Miss Plympton, | believe. lam
your patient S Oldest brother. Moth
er tells me that Mary is better
thanks to you. Why. when she is
well again we five boys will be
ready to canoize YOU" He laughed
and sat down beside her.
Miss Plympton tried to smile, but
the domination of sleep was upon
her, and she gazed at him with
vague. heavy eyes.
Pardon me, you are very tired.'
he said hastily. As she said Good
night and crept away to bed she
still remembered the consideration
in his tone.
The next evening when she went
out on the veranda Robert Mac
Donald again happened up the walk
and again he stopped beside her.
But she was now more in the mood
fora chat. Very soon they found
that he knew friends in her home
town and that they were friends by
proxy.
When Mary grew still better Miss
Plympton aud Robert vcntured on
little walks. When the invalid was
sitting up Robert took her nurse
driving. The days We're passing very
pleasantly for Miss Plympton, 50
PLEASANTLY that she seemed to have
forgotten her hobby.
Perhaps she dreaded to introduce
into these peaceful tcte.a-ietes the
seussion which an exposition OF her
theories alway seemed fated to arouse
Indeed she seemed almost fearful of
g'ancing at Roberts palms and oath
to read Inc story they might tell.
When lie came 10 her one evening
holding out his hand with an exag.
serated air of atlliction she saw that
her duty could no longer be eyadcd,
IL have case for you, Miss Ply.
mp'on. Just see how my finger is
swollen. ! cut it yesterday morning
on the edge .! sheet Of paper.
You have infected It. 1t needs to
be laid open and drained. In a mom-
eut she was busy getting together
gauZc, water and scalpei When shs
was through and had put the last
touches on the neat bandage he not
iced that she was silent and pale.
He thought 1t was because she mind.
ed the bit Of blood.
II ought to have golcn do wn to
DR.. Buckley" he said apougct ically,
"and not asked you to bother with
tHis when YOU were tired out. -
She shook her head smilingv.
Just the same, when she reached
her own room she threw herself down
on the bed and cried and cried. She
was learning how much she cared
for Robert, learning it when she
must never think Of him again.
Was 1t not all there in the lines Of
his hand-insanitv and violent
death? 1t was kind of the gods to
forewarn her, but just at first the
kindness seemed hard.
The next evening she did not 20
out on the veranda, and so for
many evenings. When Robert urg.
ed her tC come for a walk she said
she was too tired, instead she fell
into the habit OF taking lonely little
walks IN the morning, just for exer-
else.
She went down to the drug store
one day to fill Il prescription for
Mary. In a cage in one corner was
u monkey. whose only diversion
seemed to be the teasing of a ,iEolis-
some fox terrier. The monkey