Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-21
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
By Mary Douglass.
THE NEW ENTHUSIASM.
Chnnfcr XXXXI

/ looked dazedly around at these other
people in the great hall. The soldier
orator had brought before me, so clearly,
the picture of those nights out on the
field of battle the screaming OF the shells
like torn linen the darkness lit in flashes
of lovely light by star shells, and the men
in the gr,Isome blackness of the trenches,
waiting -wnitlng-
What could | do? | asked myself
desperately He had pleaded for nurses,
for aids, for money. | felt poweriess,
worthless. Then his words came back to
me- | could make myself one OF those
women worth lighting for" My share
would he tiny. inGnitesimal, yet IT, too,
would count, If | could rise above the dis
couragements of every day.
Charlotte Newton caught my arm inhers,
Wasn't it wonderful she cried
with all the tense emotionallsm IN her
voice, I've decided ! am going to nurse
the soldcrsr | felt suddenly very much
older, and wiser than she; for | knew.
She had never had TO work for her living
she had met people on another basi from
that of the woman who has to face the
world on her own merits In her life she
had never done davs work. How could
she suddenly change and go INTO thus work
that held all the essentials of unselhsh
labor. when she had never thought OF
anyone but herself?
Nothing has really appealed to me
before" she went on enthusiastically
surgical dressings are so stupid. | tried
the cantcen, but 1t was dreadtuly hard
and | was simply exhausted at the end
Of a day. But ] know ! can do this' Tins
is really helping. shall 90 To France and
pay all my expenses. I'll take a course
first Of course
I 10, ~ = oil
I dcmurrcd. Il think YOU have TO do all
sorts Of things that YOU always believed
mcnial, like scrubblng floors and cleaning
and sometimes YOU don't get 10 sec the
soldiers at all.
ooh, but it viii be different with me-
she hurried on, MIR. Trcmaine told me,
the other day, when we had tea together
at tho National League Club that he hal
something to do with q private hospital
IN London that IS only for officers. | am
sure hc could get me IN there.
We walked on in silence, looking
down az the river that flashed ITS lghtS TO
us from the dark water II was ail 50 cold
and mysterious that II made me shIver
and draw my coat closer around me-
Mrs Newton hrokcthc silence. You
know that MIR Trcnainc is gong back
to London IN a very hort time!
She heard the surprise and hurt in my
voice ! had not seen him slncc the night
he had come 81 near telling inc that he
loved mc-or 50 thought There WAS
some connection between them between
Mrs Newton 5 sudden dcslrc 70 be a
nurse aid and the departure Of Mr.. ire
maine for Engiand That she loved him
| could no longer doubt. That should sec
him again and all the puzzle and the
| unavailing cntanglements al the last
| few days would be Strengthened out,
also did not doubt Yet what should
SAY 70 him was still uncertain.
| II vc planned it all out Mrs. Newton
j interrupted my troubled thoughts. i
/ shall take a course in aurslng for three
/ months; shall talk 70 Mr.. Trcmaine and
make sure Of my appointment to his
I hospital. and YOU can see that all my
( affairs arc wound UP here before ! 60
/ Yes. | acqlnesced
/ realized suddenly that should be
4 without position and with no home-morc
at sea than had been before, but said
/ nothing. For Charlotte Newton might not
/ be able to stick out the three months that
/ she must study and work before she
! could be accepted as nurses AID
4 We had reached the apartment now
I and Della opened the door to US
/ DO come IN and help me to undress
I n simply exhausted Nrs. Newton
begged me.
I went into her room where she flung
+ herself back in the lo~ chair before her
/ dressing Table Ring for Della she said.
f! | rang
I Dclia. take Of ny shoes, Oh yes, and
put away tus things my hat and furs.
! IN frightfully hungry. Can't YOU gat me
/ something 10 cat No | don ( want cold
1 cii-ken. YOU might make me- rareblt
Il vas eleven O'clock, and ] noticed
! the dark rings that clroicd Della 5
eyes She left the room YEARLY.
/ Hazel, your touch Is 50 light, do
/ brush nv hair. and get me that rose
/ neglge, won't YOU? VIII YOU spray my
/ hair vii hthat violet, just a little? ] can I
/ sleep unless | can smell that delicate
/ pe fuInc 1t IS lovely, isn't It, only four
/ dollars a fottle, Will you lring
me nv mules? No. the rose ones with
! the gold embroidery Really. ! don
/ think | coul d live If / didn have people
TO do things for mel
Della came IN, bearing tray with
the rarebit on it, and put it down on
/ a hit le table
Goodnight, Hazel, Mrs Newton
said ooh, by the way, ] wish you'd see
that the motor car Is washed tomorrow
! No men? Perhaps YOU can do it
closed the door softly after me; but
/ ! could not help wondering how Charlotte
! New ton would get along as a nurses aid
IN London.
/ thought hopefully, as ] fell asleep
! 4 t1oa