Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-03
Evening Story
THE NURSES STORY.
Copyright, 1912, by the Associated
+ Literary Press.

When went to take charge of Mrs.
Darrell's case, was tired and half
sick I had been up for nights with
a pneumonia patient. tried to beg
of, when DR.. Hearn telephoned that
he wanted me, but he was insistent.
mo one else will do" Ne said. II
need some one who has imagination"
I saw his reasons for wanting me,
as soon as came into the big room
and looked at the little woman lying
among the pillows.
The bed was so big and she was
so tiny that she was almost lost in
all the Wilderness. There we're pink
silk curtains coming down from the
mahogany canopy, but even these
gave no color to the thin face with
the big eyes.
HE doesn't love me any more"
was the statement made by the pale
lips, as bent over her.
ooh. I'm very sure he does" I said
soothingly, "but he can't tell YOU"
Cant he?" she asked eagerly.
"How do you know"
"The fairies told me-" said, now
you go to sleep and don't think any
more about 1t. .... ........ ...l .a...
I saw at once that she was like .
child, and so talked more about
fairies, and how they always made
everything come out right, and at last
saw her eyes close, and when DR..
Hearn came she was asleep.
How did you do it, he demanded.
"She needed comforting" said,
els it her husband?'
The doctor nodded. 81 can't make
it out. He seems to be perfectly
devoted, but she says that he's hiding
something from her. And she isn't
very strong. She Is in heurasthenic
condition, and I thought your whole
someness was what she needed.
That's why got you here
saw the husband that night He
was tall and dark and strong, and
when he bent over my little pale lady
and kissed her it seemed as II she
must gain help from his vivid per-
sonality. "
But she turned from him. please
don't" she walled.
He drew back and I saw the des.
peration in his eyes. What shall l
do with her: nurse?" was the ques-
ton those eyes seemed to ask, though
his lips did not move.
MY eyes answered his, and gave
a little nod, which seemed to reassure
him "All right, dearest" he said,
"but tomorrow morning | shall come
again. and then-youll let me kiss
you?" yE
She looked up at him sharply.
what makes you say that" she
asked. = .s-e
I interposed. at will be the happy
ending of the fairy tale"
She put her hands over her face
and began to cry, weakly, There can
never be happy ending" she walled.
motioned to him to go away, and
it took me an hour to get her quiet.
I gave her an alcohol rub and a glass
of warm milk and put hot water bags
around her, and still she shivered and
shook. and at last I thought I'd try
mental suggestion. So | took both
of her hands in mine and said
quietly: Now you are going to
sleep"
GLOW can sleep" she cried,
"when he loves some one else?"
Then I saw what was troubling her
and bent over her and whispered,
Hes under spell and you must
help him to break the charm
She sat up in bed. "How can l
help?" she asked feverishly.
"You must kiss him three times in
the morning, and every time you
must say T love YOU
and then will he be just the
same" she answered, "as he used to be
when he wasn't hiding anything from
me?" rf
"He will be just the same"
In a. little while she was asleep and
there was the faintest shadow of a
smile on her lips. r.,
Then | went to look for her hus-
band and found him sitting in front
of a dying fire in the library.
I sat down opposite him and asked
abruptly. what are you keeping
from her?'
For moment he stared at me, and
then he said, somewhat haughily,
"Why should | tell your
Because am here to help cure
your wife, and l cannot cure her
until know the truth
He gripped the arms of his chair
with tense fingers II haven't told
SOUL" he said, "but every one will
know presently, am ruined man"
"You mean that you have lost your