Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1912-08-08
\ Temporary
Goddess
By CAROL H. PIERCE


the wall even calendar. But there
was somebody sitting ut a table in the
corner writing something down on
piece of paper My first vision of it
was little bits of blue and white lines
running up and down. bat these soon
resolved themselves into a nurses unit
form dress. She turned, saw me look
Ing az her and, rising, advanced toward
me
Where am l and who are you?'
asked
Don't disturb yourself. You have
met with an accident and have been
brought 10 a hospital"
| attempted to draw up one of my
legs, but concluded to let it alone.
There were other things l could do
liked better
1t turned out that had been running
an auto az express train speed. tire
had burst; and l had done sky rocket
act. lighting on the ground some dis
lance from the road.
was n week in that hospital, attend
ed by that same nurse, seeing no one
else except the doctor, before / began
TO get Strengthened out Now, | defy
man to be shut up with one woman for
any great length of time, be she home
~ as a hedge fence, without the pangs
of love growing up in his heart. AS the
physical pangs grew less the love pangs
grew greater till at last | could stand 1t
no longer l must speak. She came to
me one morning with thermometer in
her hand to take my temperature, but
first felt my wrist, Those soft fingers
were too much for me.
- wish to say to you," 1 broke out,
that you're the loyeliest creature on
the face of the globe, Your eyes are
heavens windows, through which an
angel peers; your skin is alabaster,
your lips are budding roses, your
Let me see your tongue"
/ didn't like the shut off, but during
my confinement l had got used to be-
ing bossed, and l obeyed instantly.
She pushed the thermometer into my
mouth, and speech was out of the
question.
She couldn't leave the thermometer
there forever, and when she took it
out and wrote something down on her
ruled blank / opened fire again, or,
rather, I went on from where I'd left
off "Your hair is of gold; your cheeks
are pair of roses; your teeth are
pearls; your figure is that of a Venus;
you are inconceivably beautiful"
This time she let me so on till l had
exhausted the catalogue of her charms,
when she said quietly:
Would you like chops or steak for
your dinner or q slice of roast beef2
The doctors say you may have what
you wish
THAT means that I'm near a time
when l shall be forced to leave you.
won't go. You needn't bring me any
thing but Cruel. positively decline to
be put on the convalescent list"
All right I'll make it roast beef"
you are cruel"
"Oh, I'm used to this l can't be
shut up with Il sick man, he having
nothing but bare walls and me to look
at, but he gets an idea into his head
that I'm a houri I've had three prop
ositions Of marriage this year and
have accepted them all l positively
decline to accept any more"
Three propositions, You have ae-
copied threef"
Eyes. Why not? never heard from
any of the proposers after they were
discharged and had chance to come
to their senses"
do you mean to tell me that l shall
ever consider you anything but a god
dess; that when l leave this place.
IF you ever come back to it-w which
you won't-you will see that l am
plain, even homely, old maid, and you
win wonder what induced you to think
me beautiful. Did you ever write some
thing you thought was stroke of gen
ius and take it up after you had cooled,
to discover that you had done a job
you were ashamed Of? Well, if you
come back here to see me that is the
way you will feel"
mot at all I'll consider you what
you are, beautiful"
you'll do no such thing You'll see
me as l am, anything but beautiful,
even homeiy,'
Il won't I'll clinch it now. Be my
wife"
I'm bet YOU the price of a sealslSin
coat you do
do WHAT"
Find out your mistake
Il take the bet
VERY well; tbs a 60. You pay the bet
or marry me-"
"Donew
l left the hospital a week after that
and as soon as I got outside and rode
along the streets where many women,
some of them pretty, We're shopping, l
began to feel a reaction When month
had gone by ana my leg and my head
and my heart had got righted knew l
didn't wish to marry my nurse or any
other woman ] would not 20 to see
her, for if I did I would have either to
admit that she was unattractiva or
make her my wife. Instead / sent her,
the handsomest sealskin cloak could
buy and wrote her q note saving that