The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-03-04

behind the rlckety door with evident
satisfaction. Now he would be able
to really work.
Go to bed" she had sald as though
expecting implicit obedience-he
staid professor, already in his gray
haired stage, meekly to obey a mere
chit of a schoolgirl-filia pulchra-
Daughter of Eve. Pishl
He laid down his pen, his head
throbbed YEARLY. The cold sheets
looked inviting. He stroked them
with his hand. In 10 minutes nature
had conquered, and he was resting his
burning head upon pillows her dainty
fingers had Strengthened and smoothed
and his lips sought gladly the cool
ing drink her thought and care had
| placed near by.
| Meantime the Girl was interviewing
the professor OF medicine. He heard
her story with surprise, then went out
and fetched the Head.
The Head, a grave, clear headed
man, pursed his lips and leaned the
| tips of his fingers against each other
medltatively, as he listened to the
Girls recital.
"Strange-dear me! Alone, you
say"
| The Head gasped with establishment.
Morphyn had always been an extreme
recluse, but such lack of comfort and
dubious surroundings for a man of
means was, even to them-grave,
studlous men OF modest, even asce-
tic. hablt-inexplicable and unreason-
| able.
They listened to her story with sus.
| pended amaZement. Thanked her
| gravely, and bowed her out
AS she reached the step, the Head
coughed. "Miss-Hopliinshaw
future-er-with a nurse-er-in at
tendance-er-there will be no need
| to call-that is, repetition of your
opportune visit will be inadvisable"
She flushed scarlet. MAY l not see
my patient?"
I'VE shall be happy, Miss Hopkin-
shaw, to give you particulars of his
progress, but for you to call there
will be scarcely-er-"
Then the reason dawned on her.
Il see."
Her features set fxedly and the words
fell coldly-"It would not be proper"
-"Er. He will have every atten.
tion," the embarrassed Head ex-
planned. The Girl turned on her heel.
"Of course, We are more than CRATE
full for your kindness" but she was
| gone, and the excuses and reasons
which were addressed to empty air,
though more fluent of delivery, sound
ed horribly unconvincing to the two
men, the sole auditors, as they reit-
I Grated them soothingly to each other.
Propriety! Yes, she had acted with
American freedom. she supposed. in
venturing to knock at the neglected
door. Propriety would have left him
to die. Propriety, as typiHed by that
fussy old dame who shuts her eyes
to everything disagreeable that does
not prowl under her very nose"
She sat by her window while the
sun flecked with crimson clouds the
scanty yellow sky over the way.
She watched cab draw up-a
sparse figure and a corded box de-
posted. That was the nurse, she sup
posed. She picked UP book and
tried to read.
Night came darkly down. The
shops lit their lamps. Unminjful Of
the darkness she sat In the window
seat and brooded with hot cheeks over
the Heads edict. About 8 o'clock she
saw the nurse go out. Then she did
daring thing. Putting on her cloak
she stole warily up the rickety stair
case.
He lay apparently asleep. The win
dow was open. The nurses tea things
lay about, but little seemed to have
been done for him Since the morning.
The fire was nearly out. Bending
down quietly, she breathed fresh life
into the dying embers, freshly piled
the fuel, and, with last look at the
fever puckered brow. fed down the
stair, her heart aching strangely for
the desolate man, and In mortal dread
OF discovery.
The next day, toward afternoon, she
met the owner Of the raucous voice
in the street. Her inquiry as to the
professor was met with a shaking of
the head, accompanied by incoherent
murmurs that might have been the
result of despairing pessimism or al
coholic stimulant. Mention of the
nurse evoked only sniff in reply, to-
gether with shake OF the head, and
the contemptuous production of gin
hot .sAl Al..
raucous voiced one evidently strongly
disapproved of-,in others.
And he was lying there-worse than
alone-in such care. That women SO
degraded crept into the ranks of an
honorable profession, she knew. But
that he should be at the mercy OF
one Of these! That night she watched
the woman out, but dared not to go
up.