The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1912-12-19
I RESPONSIVE CHORD
sy NORA NAIL,

~ NORA NAIL. /.
What did he ever Geo In herf's
The question fell from the lips Of .
girl Of twenty. fully conscious Of the
budding beauty Of young womanhood
and oil It meant Of power. "she
hasn't apparently one redeeming fea.
ture; why. she II positively gawky."
The woman addressed, an. attractive
matron Of about IS, turned q criti-
cal case after the figure Of the little
woman disappearing down the street,
and knowing smile curled her lips.
Il will tell 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 funo.
tio1 he was her devoted slave-every
wish was anticipated and gratified-
nothing was too good for her-no task
too difacult 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 trained nurse. She had
one supreme gift-the gift Of tender.
ness. and Nellie. in . woman this IL
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.
pital. On account Of her training
and her brothers illness. Ann Rey.
nolds volunteered to go az q 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.
eminent service.
About this time Arthur had writ
ten IN appealing letter home, or. rath.
or, had asked that 1t be written, al
he was too i'll to do more than ex.
press q wish, asking that his sweet
heart come to him (they had been
engaged Just before he left for the
south), as he feared he had contract.
ed a dangerous and contagious dis
ease. but usually the ones we love
do not consider such things as tbs
when life Is concerned; at least,
am generous enough to think that
most women would not. Well, to
make long story short, Arthur's
sweetheart refused fatty to go to his
bedside. 1t 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
nigh, with an intensity that probably
saved his life-at least, the doctors
gave her the credit-aud won out
with glowing words of praise from
them all. When it was all over, 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 q
short note to his flancee, releasing her
from her engagement, and when he re.
turned home, which did not happen
for many weeks afterward, he an.
nounced his engagement to the little
woman who had risked . very pre-.
cious and useful life to save that Of
q 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 heetins
possessions, and that - he watched
the devoted and self.sacfidcing little
woman moving from one to the other
Of the sufferers. giving her service
willingly and with q grace and sweet
ness that frightened the whole place,
bringing hope and sunshine to many
. homesick and Departing man. he
had realized that there was something
deeper, nobler and moro transcendent-
~ beautiful In the world than mere
physical beauty, and one which would
last until death and he finished by.
saying: And % I lost my heart. or.
rather. gave It into keeping Of the no.
blest woman I had ever met, or ever
expect to meet In this world"
Tho speaker finished the story In
low. soft voice. and - she glanced
over ct the beautiful y,ung girl oppo-
site. she noticed tear trickling down
her cheek, and the serious look that
met hers from the brown eyes told
her that the recountal had touched Q
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