The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-12-28

BY NORA NAHL

what did he ever see in herr"
The question fell from the lips Of
girl of twenty. fully conscious Of the I
budding beauty Of young womanhood /
and All 1t meant Of power She I
hasn't apparently one redeeming fea.
ture; why, she is positively gawky."
The woman addressed, an attractive
matron Of about So. turned a criti
cal gaze after the figure Of the little /
woman disappearing down the street
and a knowing smile curled her lips /
II win tel you" she said
About FIVE years ago Arthur Smith |
was engaged to the most beautiful girl
IN our set; you are too young to re-
member just how beautiful she was-
at any rate she completely conquered
Arthur-he had eyes for no one else
when she was near At every func-
tion he was her devoted slave-every
wish was anticipated and gratided--
nothing was too good for her-no task
too difficult to perform that would add
to her comfort and happiness
When the Spanish-American war
broke out Ann Reynolds, now Mrs.
Smith, had been studying for two
years to be q trained nurse. She had
one supreme gift--the gift OF tender
ness, and Nellie, in a woman this IS
not to be despised. All women do
not possess IT, AIMS brother and Ar
thur happened to be injured about the
same time and were placed on beds
side by side in the same southern hos
ptal On account OF her training
and her brothers illness. Ann Rey-
nolds volunteered to go as a nurse to
this hospital and endeavor to save
not only her brothers life. but to do
what she could to save the lives Of
others who had become Ill In the gov
ernment service.
About this time Arthur had writ
ten an appealing letter home, or, rath-
er, had asked that it be written, as
he was too III to do more than ex-
press a wish. asking that his sweet
heart come to him Cthey had been
engaged just before he left for the
SOUTH. as he feared he had contract
ed dangerous and contagious dis
ease, but usually the ones we love
do not consider such things as this
when life Is concerned; at least,
II II am generous enough to think that
most women would not Well, to
mab, long story short, Arthur's
} sw 'etheart refused fatty to 60 to his
bedside It afterward came out
somehow these things always do
that she feared contracting the fever
and thereby marring her beauty.
when Ann arrived at the hospital
and found that the patient in the bed
next to her Brother was from the
same city as she, they said she work
ed untiringly with him night after
/. night with an intensity that probably
saved his lifetat least the doctors
gave her the credit-and won out
with glowing words of praise from
! them all When it was all ever, how
ever, and he was on the high road to
health, she succumbed under the
: strain, and lay for weeks lowering be-
tween life and death
During her illness Arthur wrote a
y short note to his fancee, releasing her
from her engagement and when he re
turned home, which did not happen
for many weeks afterward he an
G nounced his engagement to the little
g woman who had risked a very pre-
It cious and useful life to save that OF
a perfect stranger. One Of his old
friends said afterward that in an
nouncing the news to him he had
made the remark that those few
:" weeks In the hospital had taught him
: the most valuable lesson in his life
: that beauty Of face and form, while
+ pleasing to the eye, were but heeting
possessions. and that as he watched
the devoted and selfsacrifcing little
woman moving from one to the other
d Of the sufferers. giving her service
e willingly and with grace and sweet
ness that frightened the whole place
y bringing hope and sunshine to many
" a homesick and despairing man. he
cad realized that there was something
deeper. nobler ard more transcendent
d ly beautiful in the world than mers
II physical beauty. and one which would
last until death and he finished b.
H. saying And so I lost my heart or
rather, gave it into keeping Of the no
j bless woman I had ever met, or eve
expect to meet In this world r"
The speaker finished the story II
a low, soft voice. and as she glanced
le over at the beautiful young girl oppo
20 site, she noticed tear trickling dow
her cheek, and the serious look tha
e met hers from the brown eyes toll
her that the recountal had touched
:, responsive chord in her nature.