Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-07-13
concerning her anS her character.

often suffered herself for the ordl.
nary comforts OF life
AS 20 jerks. could only learn
that he was an honest Trustworthy
fellow. that he was ardently devoted
20 the Widow Bruce but. with IL all.
7 could not find a soul 20 say a word
! against the character OF either: unless
| jerks keenness I'm striking . bar
/ Gain. and the businesslike way In
which he brought home the intoxi.
| Gated frequenters of Hoslins hotel
when they had the money for their
fare, and left them to get home as
best they could when they had not
could be laid up against him as a
! crime,
His own occasional potations seem.
cd to be entirely overlooked by the
townspeople IN general, or else who'll
~ unknown 70 them and. taking
everything into consideration. jerks
seemed TO be regarded by the com
munity as a pretty fair sort Of a citi-
zen.
With these facts in my mind tried
TO reconcile the doings OF the early
morning. as well as the other hap
penings OF which 1 was cocnizant.
with the regulations borne by jerks
and the Bruce woman. and 7 freely
confess that I soon became complete
ly bewildered.
II must be admitted that I had no
positive assurance that the little
graves up on the hill contained the
bodies OF infants except that their
general appearance suggested as
much. and the fragments of bone
that had seen served as a mute wit
ness OF some CHASTITY crime
MacArdel. too. had Identified the
odor OF the rags beyond an question Of
doubt, at least as FAR as he was con-
cerned. but it stiu must be remem.
bered that I had not opened the mar
Gel aud that I had no way OF know
ing that 70 contained anythinr more
than rags. as did the one that we
bad examined so carefully "a the sum.
mer.
The more / thought OF it the less 7
was able TO make out OF it. and. final.
~, as I had determined 10 take a
walk, and was leaving the house for
this purpose. my establishment was in
creased by meeting the widow face
10 face IN the hallway as I descended
the stairs.
she was dressed neatly in freshly
Numbered calico. with an immaculate
apron OF generous propositions. and. in
her hand. she held a tray with a cup
and some plates on IT, We gazed at
each other for an instant and then
I said, in as unconcerned q tone
as i could muster up for the occa-
sion:
Good afternoon. Mrs Bruce Do
you remember me? I am Mr.. Ware.
you know"
ooh. yes. sir" she replied. bowling
pleasantly as she spoke. u remember
you very wolf indeed. SIR"
/ smiled at this in spite OF myself
and stopped her as she would have
passed me and gone up the stairs.
What are you doing hore. Mrs.
Bruce? asked II had no idea OF
meeting YOU 81 this way"
"Why you know. sir, was nurse
ia the old country. sir" she returned.
IN the same sweetly modulated voice
that / had noticed before. and whom
tho young lady took 80 bad, sir, they
sent for me 70 take care OF her until
the 'ospital nurses came from town"
Who sent for you?" I continued
curiously. again impeding her prog
rcss up the stairs
Miss Carney, or course" she re-
Joined. she asked the rector and he
recommended me most Ighly. sir. You
know do most Of the nursing in crit.
zeal cases 'ereabouts. when l can find
the time for il, sir"
She caught her breath at this last
clause as If she would have wished IL
unsaid. and blushed violently az I re-
marked; You are very busy most OF
the time, I presume?"
Yes sir, am. SIR" she retorted.
defantly. and my business Is my
own, sir, and It III becomes outsiders
to NEEDLE with it,"
With these remarkable words she
swept past me and proceeded to Miss
Weston's room with all the impor-
lance Of an idealized Sairy Camp from
whom the Objectionable qualities had
been eliminated.
As ] watched her ascend the stairs
with a little self-reliant poise TO her
head and a manner OF absolute non
chalance, l came 10 the sudden and
positive conclusion that the woman
had not a bad trait in her makeup,
and that the only way to deal with
her was to approach her frankly and
IN all honesty OF purpose. was con-
WINGED. too, that Miss Weston had
played no small part In persuading
Miss Carney TO send for her as a
nurse. and wondered how and
through what sort of argument she
had been induced 10 admit TO her
house woman whom she had every
reason to suspect OF bearing her no
great amount OF good will.
K From the housekeeper, who chanc.
ed to pass through the hall. learned
that the nurses from town were ex
pected on the evening train. and that
Mrs. Bruce would go homo as soon
as they arrived, and determined to
see her and talk with hsr that very
night at her cottage
Shortly after dinner. which. like al
the other meals OF the day. had been
conspicuous by Miss Carney's alb