The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-02-12
BRUNETTE PREFERRED
sy HOPE AlNsLiE.

ITS not any question OF sentiment
at ALL" the doctor said with dignity.
"A brunette ID more reliable and sta
BILE In disposition. Nelson: that Is all.
want q girl who can take hold Of D
cottage and handle II. Put brunette
preferred In the ad. and I'll pick her
out whom they begin to arrivc."
Nelson drew . sigh and typed the
I'd to catch the mail. Three days later.
even while answers by mail were pill
ing up for him to select from, the
down train from Beauchamp left .
young woman ON the platform. and
after ono quick survey of the barren
landscape sho headed for the low
brick factory buildings down near the
river.
"She's got red hair. 4 doc" Nelson
announced gently. - he hunted mp
the doctor and told him of his visitor.
She had. Undeniably red. and her
hazel eyes, brimful of determination.
overcame the doctors aversion and
got her the position.
She talked little. When she had oc-
casion to come to the ONCE. Nelson
heard her humming to herself all the
way along the corridor.
A..Now. even Nelson was aware that
he was not an ordinary looking young
person. He was nephew to old Rath-
burn. the owner of the Rathburn
Malleable Iron works. Il had been
his idea and suggestion to take the
hospital department out of the build
ings and build q decent cottage out
at the end of the yards. where acci-
dent cases could be handled. NJ
Doctor O'Farrell had backed him up.
While he held his own practice In the
small manufacturing town he was
under contract to the works to patch
up the accident cases. Sometimes q
week went by without any.
Louise Hall was her name. She
came from northern New York. Mel
son found that much out the day the
big belt caught at her dress skirt as
she passed its lower shaft, and he
pulled her away.
Don't use this passageway." he
told her sternly. "One of our boys
was caught here and landed up against
the wall yonder."
"You ought to have the belt pro
tected," she answered coolly. Where
upon. thinking 1t over, Nelson went
| to his uncle and had the belt pro
tected. So In one way and another
she introduced a better and more care
full system into the works Life was
a precious thing she taught even the
doctor, while he smiled and wished
. her hair were q few shades darker.
Red hair was sign of a preponder-
ance Of executive ability he told Mel.
son on the quiet. Still she was doing
better than he had expected. Then
came the day when Big Kalmuck. the
foreman over in the gray iron division
tumbled over with the heat and when
he came to attacked the doctor.
There was no one in the hospital
cottage when It happened but the
nurse and a couple of patients, but
somehow q cone soaked in chloroform
was pressed over Kalmuck's nose
from behind and he dropped in a
quiet, innocent heap at the doctors
feet.
By the time Nelson answered Miss
Halls phone call the doctor had
slipped down beside him, protesting
that he was not hurt, but Kalmuck's
knife still remained neatly plugged
between his ribs and he became q pa.
tient at the cottage under the com.
pany's care.
It was the end of the first week and
Nelson was saying good night. The
door into the little side room was ajar.
but the doctor had been sleeping, and
she stepped out for glass Of fresh
water. There Nelson held her hands
in his, and tho glass was forgotten
while he told her all she had been to
him ever since she had first come.
And the tears came into her eyes as
she listened to the boy.
I'm sorry. Nelson. I know It should
be you. but 1t isn't. You're everything
that man should be to win q girl.
but that cross, self-opinionated, fault
finding. irritable creature yonder"-
she brought out each word between
her teeth. and each one had nod
from the white cap-"he's the man I
like best. and heaven only knows why =
After Nelson had gone she stepped
back into the room, and the doctors
oyes were open watching her.
II heard every word you said" he
told her, bit brusquely. "You should
not have refused Nelson. He's q fine
fellow and will inherit money"
'It's time for your powder" she an
swered with professional indifference.
Il prefer q brunette" the doctor
went ON thoughtfully, but with twin
kle In his eyes.
"You are gaining strength" said
Louise. coolly. You can still rebel" |"
"Confound II, don't you know" ex-
claimed the doctor irritably, punching
his pillow under his head, that I'm
going to ask you TO marry me? I've
been restraining tho impulse for days;
but since you acknowledge that you
er--like mo best--I think that was the
phrno0---1fnc0 Won Gay that. I'm Will