The daily morning oasis., 1918-02-17

the secret which hindered the
recovery that her naturally fine ply
sique and the apparently Joy us circum-
stances of her life gave us every right
not only to anticipate but to expect.
Why did she halt just on the confines
of health? Why did all medicines fail
to exert their usual power in her case,
when the case itself did not present, at
least from a nurses or even physicians
standpoint, any unusual difficulties?
had been installed here to find out,
and l was not finding out. l knew no
more now what allied this sweet young
creature, idolized by an adoring father
and watched over by an anxious and
indefatigable lover, than l did the first
day l looked upon her wistful, suffering
face. She had not talked. She was
not too ill to enter into conversation,
but she had no wish to speak, except in
short "Thank yous!" and weary
plants for water or some other soothing
draught. But her fingers clung to
mine when l grasped them, and at
times l would catch the glimpse of a
great appeal in her soft eyes as l bent
to arrange her pillows or give her her
medicine. At which sign of heart
craving for sympathy, my spirit would
leap with anticipation of what she might
say, and l would give her all the en-
couragement of look and touch which
my position as her nurse warranted; but
nothing ever came of it. She remained
silent and wistful, and l had no favor
able report to give the doctor when he
came, or any encouraging reply to
bestow upon her father when he crept
to the door at night and agonizedly
asked if she had opened her heart or
given me any clue to the misery which
was secretly devouring her.
For he, as we'll as all who came near
her, knew that some dreadful fear or
inner grief lay at the root of her malady.
She could disguise much, but not that;
yet her life, or what was known of her
life, even by him who had nourished
her from childhood, supplied no clue
to any corroding distress or secret
difficulty which could explain her
present suffering.
On the contrary, her lot had always
been happy one, and in promise was
still happier. If the secret lay, as had
at first thought, in some sudden
aversion to her contemplated match
with the fine and prosperous gentleman
she was engaged to, certainly the per-
sistence with which she laid his portrait
ulucT ucT CIlcch dI HlSuL OIcTeu~ SII1ftll
evidence of any such change in her
feelings, or of any change in her opinion
of the young man himself, whose
reputation so far as knew was of the
highest. 1t was all mystery, but
one l was determined to solve, if only
because l loved her and had set my
heart upon saving her.
She was sleeping then and l was
watching her, when something, hardly
know what, startled me from my
reverie, and caused me to start up and
look carefully around the room, and
behind me at the long French window
which opened out upon the veranda,
which in this house was very near the
level of the lawn. Of course l saw
nothing-it was too late for anyone but
myself to be up in the house-yet l
remained uneasy, and presently rose to
examine the window l have just men,
toned to see if it was the shade l had
card futter. Sudbury is quiet
place, and few precautions, if any, are
ever taken against thieves or tramps,
yet closed window is highly desirable