The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-14
EVENING STORY
Prepinquity's Part.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.


! said, a smile as gay and brilliant as If
it played about happy lips.
"But-of course you WILL girl!
You're that kind OF stuff, And I'll
come back to you with a chest fult OF
medals and arms full of love" Her
for a moment while she almost gave
way. &c ood-by." she whispered and
pushed him from her.
He held her for one more moment.
"Good-by. my GIRL" he said, swallow
| ing the lump that almost choked him.
Then he took his cap and strobe down
| the garden path, closed the gate be-
hind him and was lost to her among
the shadows of the trees.
June twisted her handkerchief to a
hard knot, bit her lips and kept her
eyed glued to the opening in the trees
where she had last seen him. Then,
| slowly, she let the tears flow down
her checks, threw herself into the
hammock and sobbed.
Capt. Teddy Blake was soon back
| in his quarters with the knowledge in
his own heart that this was the last
time he should see June for many a
| day. That he would sail on the fol-
( lowing day or the next at the very lat
est he was sure. 1t seemed very hard
| to leave June; they had Teen so hap
Ply; she was wonderfully lovely But
he would come back and claim her
some day. That she would not wait
| IOF MIN, tQaL ne COulQ IOfReI-InOSe
were impossible suggestions.
| June answered the call OF the Red
| Cross for nurses. She felt in her first
detection and loneliness as IL she must
| do something to help hasten the end
| of the war that had separated Teddy
| from her. She was accepted and went
/ into "a hospital for training almost at
once. She became absorbed in the
work, met many new and interesting
persons and soon found herself quite
cheerful again. At night when she
wrote her letter to Captain Teddy she
told him of her work, of the new faces
| of her ambition to get "over there"
| and help, and perhaps take care of
| him. But she did not weep; rather she
| grew more and more proud of hav-
ing sent her captain Off so bravely,
and congratulated herself for her own
| cheerfulness.
You're going to make a wonderful
nurse. Miss Prince" one of the doctors
told her after she had helped him in
| some surgical dressing.
/ "Oh, am II" she exclaimed. IT love
the work"
DR.. Buchanan watched tho wonder
full color flood her face at the compli-
ment he had paid her. He was 35
| and had been so absorbed in his pro-
fession that he had never taken time
| to get married.
June worked more earnestly than
ever after that word of praise from
Also she now had the temerity to
smile at him when she passed him in
the corridors or he CHANGED upon her
in the wards. Heretofore she had
never noticed any of the doctors. some
| one having told her it was better to
| attend strictly to the professional side
| OF the work and not permit herself to
know the doctors socially.
Captain Teddy's letters were filled
| with interesting stories of jaunts here
L., T.
self, He spoke more than once of
| the alacrity with which he was pick
ing up the French language. A pretty
| French girl. Jeanne de Mayer, whom
he had met at a canteen, was giving
him lessons on every available occa-
| sion. Oh, he would come back to
June quite an accomplished French
! student, and he hoped she was not be-
ing too lonely.
The war dragged on and June fin
| lovely, with more serious expression
IN her eyes. forced there by the knowl-
| edge she was gaining of the suffer-
ing in this world.
I Instead of being sent to France,
Nurse June was sent to a base hospital
Somewhere on Long Island" to take
care OF the poor wounded soldiers who
were being brought home by every
boat. She had little time for letter
writing now. Her leisure hours, many
chanan, studying, always learning
more thoroly the requirements of a
good nurse. Without having become
aware of it, she had become very fond
much for her turnout her training.
And she had not noticed that he
sought her out on every occasion.
4 Ihelrs was serious sort of compan-
ionship and they had been drawn to-
gether almost daily in their work
Letters from Captain Teddy, now in
action, still referred to Jeanne, the lit
tie French girl He spoke rather cas-
ually of her-rather too casually, June
thought once or twice, but she seemed
not to mind.
Did you ever realize what dan
gerous thing propinquity is?" she
asked Doctor Buchanan one night,
when they were leaving the grounds
of hours of nest from duty.
"Dangerous?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes-dangereus. Now.
don't think I'm going to weep and
sog to tell nr y De know at what
time
"Oh-don't I. thoa You're just the
June stopped him. This is my
story. not yours, "-she reminded him.
TITS a story about Teddy-my Cap
tain Teddy, you know. He has fallen
treaty and truly in love with a French
girl, and he's afraid to tell me so in
SO many words. and he's waiting for
me to find it out thru my woman's in
tuitio4-which I've done. true to type
irand write him that I know all about
1t and hope he'll be happy, and that
his affair and mine, while very sweet,
was only young love. not very Deep
June looked up at the doctor for the
effect of her story on him.
And that is the danger of propin-
/ quity?" asked the doctor quietly. His
own heart was Eeating very fast, and
he longed to tell her what a wonderful
thing he thought propiuquity was. and
of hew he would like to write the let
, tiers high everywhere. That French
4 girl. How glad he was that she had