Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-08
CHAPTER XII.
Almost.

Almost.
'sThis is your patient. Your new
nurse, my dear. What did you say
your name is? Miss Ayers?"
Eyes, Mr.. Grey, Alice Ayers"
"Oh, what a sweet name!n
This expressive greeting, from the
| patient herself, was the first heart
| sting I received,-a sting which
brought flush into my cheek which I
would fain have kept down.
| "Since a change Of nurses was
necessary, am glad they sent me
one like you," the feeble, but musical
voice went on, and saw wasted but
eager hand stretched out.
| In whirl of strong feeling ad.
yanced to take 1t. had not counted
on such reception. l had not ex.
| pected any bond Of congeniality to
spring up between this high-feeling
English girl and myself to make my
purpose hateful to me. Yet, as | stood
there looking down at her bright If
wasted face, I felt that it would be
very easy to love so gentle and cordial
a being, and dreaded raising my eyes
| to the gentleman at my side lest
should see something in him to hamp-
er me, and make this attempt, which
7 had undertaken In such loyalty Of
spirit, misery to myself and ineffec.
/ tual to the man had hoped to save
by it. When did look UP and catch
the first beams Of Mr.. Grey's keen
blue eyes fixed inquiringly on me, l
neither knew what to think nor how
to act. He was tall and firmly knit,
and had an intellectual aspect alto.
gether. was conscious of regarding
him with a decided feeling of awe,
and found myself forgetting why
1 had come there, and what my sus.
/ picions were,-suspicions which had
carried hope with them, hope for my,
self and hope for my lover, who would
never escape the opprobrium, even II
he did the punishment, of this great
crime. were this, the only other per.
son who could possibly be associated
with 1t, found to be the fine, clear
souled man he appeared to be in this
my first interview with him.
Perceiving very soon that his appre.
tensions in my regard were limited to
a fear lest should not feel at ease In
my new home under the restraint of a
presence more accustomed to, intimi
date than attract strangers, I threw
aside all doubts of myself and met
the advances Of both, father and
daughter with that quiet confidence
which my position there demanded.
! The result both gratifed ant
grieved nae. AS nurse entering or
/ her first case was happy: as q wo
man with an Interior object In view
verging on the audacious and un
speakab1e, was wretched and regret
full and just little shaken In the con
viction which had hitherto upheld me
was therefore but poorly prepared
to meet the ordeal which awaited me
when, little later In the day, Mr.
Grey called me into the adjoining
room, and, after saying that 1t woult
afford him great relief to 60 out fol
an hour OF 30, asked If were afrait
to be left alone with nay patient,
20 no, sir" began, but stopped
in secret dismay. / was afraid, bu
not on account of her condition; rath
or on account of my own. What If
should be led into betraying my feel
ings on finding myself under no othel
eye than her own! What IL the temp
, tation to probe her poor sick mint
should prove stronger than my dut,
toward her as nurse!
: My tones were hesitating but Mr.
Grey paid little heed; his mind wa
too fixed on what he wished to sa,
, himself.
Before go" said he, II have ;
request to make--I may as we'll say
caution to give you. Do not, pray
either now or at any future time
carry newspapers into Miss Grey
room. They are just now too alarm
ing. There has been, as you know,
dreadful murder in this city. If sh,
caught one glimpse Of the headlines
or saw so much as the name of Fail
brother-which-which is a name sh
knows, the result might be very hurl
, full to her. She is not only extremel
) sensitive from illness but from ten
permanent. Will you be careful?'
j Il shall be careful"
f 1t was such an effort for me to sa
these words, to say anything in tn
) state of mind into which l had bee
) thrown by his unexpected allusion t
3 this subject, that unfortunately DIRE,
! his attention to myself and 1T wa
. with what I felt to be glance Q
. doubt that he added with decided en-
t phasis:
D "You must consider this whole sui
' ject as forbidden one in this famil,
/ If Miss Grey attempts to introduc
q any other, stop her. Do not let he
0 talk about anything which will not b
/. conducive to her speedy recover.
E These are the only instructions l hav
8 to give you; all others must com
4 from her physician"
|, I made some reply with as littl
J. show of emotion as possible.
t seemed to satisfy him, for his fac
!. cleared as he kindly observed:
t "You have very trustworthy loo
S for one SO young. shall rest cas-
J, while you are with her, and l sha
:. expect you to be always with her whe
y 1 am not. Every moment, mind. Sh
!. Is never to be left alone with GOSSIP
s ing servants. If word is mentione
n in her hearing about this crime whic
,. seems to be in everybody's mouth,
: shall feel forced greatly az sho,Il