The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-07-17

man under my care, and was pleased to
amuse him with whatever discourse he
might fancy. One day lie gave me his
ideas about the nursing vocation, which
included the opinion that ladies with
home, money and position ought not to
forsake their more immediate duties for
the hospital, but that the career of the
care of the sick should he left open to
those women who needed an Occur alton
and the means of obtaining livelihood.
| thought il for moment a prosaic and
disappointing theory, but on reflection
admitted that it was Il kindly one with
regard to the less favored by fortune of
our sex. felt from that moment, how.
ever, that if he knew my little history |
should be under his disapproval, and |
allowed him to rank me among the
merccnaries to whom he had given his
sympathy"
$50 you already felt"
That he was going to love me if did
did not take pains to disenchant him;and
partly because he was a sick and lonely
man, partly for some other reason that
l could not quite understand. felt no in
clination to do any such thing. knew
he was poor soldier and that he thought
l was poor nurse, and l thought if
| this man is going to love me, why, shall
| not allow the dross of the world, which
is, unfortunately mine, to hinder him.
| kept my dreadful secret, and long before
he was fit to leave the hospital he had
asked me to be his wife and had ac-
cepted him.
"You-you didn't mind at all about
him being lame?"
mind i? Yes, did. loved him the
more for it. Loved him the better. be-
cause, though brave and distinguished,
he was no longer fit for service. He had
the vagucst ideas of how we were to live
We had very little money between us
when we went on board ship to return
to England, for my bank book was
buried deep i'll the bottom of my trunk,
and | did not dare to display more
money than just as much as hadearned
by my labors i'll the hospital. | urged
him not to think about money, as was
a capital manager and knew how to
make Il little go long way. was en-
cecdinsly happy, knowing all that was,
able to do for him, yet found myself in |
4 serious dilemma. The question was. |
How could break the news that had |
deceived him."
~ had been humored to the top of my |
bent in marrying Il man who loved me |
for myself, i'll ignorance that possessed !
fortune. He must be a strange man, indeed |
| thought if later on when the truthcam
to his knowledge he were to prove dis
pleased or disappointed. But the fact |
remained that had married him under |
false pretences and | felt ashamed of it.
Il felt also unwilling to hasten the
inevitable moment which should see me
even in seeming lose the cnviable position
of a woman who has been sought by the
man she loves for love and love alone;
and so the long voyage that seemed all
too short passed without my having said
one word to enlighten him as to the
future of ease and luxury which had
provided for him.
"While he took his convalescent nap on
deck in the afternoons l paced up and
down thinking out my difficulty. The
time was coming when must have my
mind made up as to what steps | was to
take, for had resolved not to allow my
whim or mistake to cost him one day of
less comfort than was able to bestow
on him. At last hit on a plan. You
know Beatrix. She is my dearest friend
so much so that she might have kept me
from the hospital experience if only she
had not always been so bent on marry
ing me to some one of her acquaintance.
| wrote to her and posted the letter at
going vessel than our own. The letter
ran something like this:
"'My Tear Beatrix: am travelling to
England with my husband, distinguish
ed and at present invalid soldier, who is
under the impression that he has mar
ried pcnnless nurse. You can help me
to break the truth to him gracefully.
know your husband is spending the sum-
MGR in his yacht Will you take posses
sion of my house and invite me and my
husband to spend some weeks with you?
I c1,ol1 Z 1,ns
and when see you | will tell you the
sequel
1.-The result of this stroke ofgenius was
an invitation from Beatrx, which
hotel
He was little unwilling at first. but
| overruled all his objections, and as
soon as possible we were established as
the guests of Bcatrix here in our own
comfortable home.
"Of course | found my way to my
wardrobe, and it was sweet to sec my
husbands surprise when he saw nix
dressed for dinner. had put ON the first
pretty gown found, it happened to be
4 white satin, and naturally it made Il
change in my appearance.
"'This is charming, Mary he said,
but, my dear
~ knew what he meant. 'Beatrix had
some of my old f,rocks in charge said.
You know am a LADY,
THAT always knew he said grave
ly, but saw by the slight cloud on his
face that he feared had taste for en-
pensive things which he could not give
me.
lyon were good not to ask any one to
meet u.s.; | said to Bcatrix at the table.
Max is hardly ready for society as yet.
al guessed you would not care for a
house party at present, she said, 'or else
| should have grati6ed some friends who
are anxious to see YOU"
"Quiet, happy days went past. TWAS
delightful to see Max enjoy his comforts,
to hear him admiring our surroundings
of park and woodland, or commencing
the good taste of Beatrix in the arrange.
ments of her house.
"Once ventured to say to him,
Wouldn't it be nice il you and had a
home like this, all to ourselves, every bit
Our own