Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-15
The Testing Of
MHd Grant
by HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
JuIias Decision 10 Go to The
Hospital
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Carson when ont of clear sky he
tolls her he love, another woman.
-but after the other woman turns him
down hc comes back 10 Julia and
She promises II second time TO marry
him. After She has given her prom
isc she discovers that she no longer
loves Dan. but br John \orvilr. n
man she has met in the hospital
where she has gone to learn nursing.
Further complications drvclop when
Julia discovers that her younger
sister. Lucy. is in love with Dan.
aud Julia tells Dan that she does
not love him. hoping that hc will rC-
lease her. When Dan refuses to do
SO. Julia feels bound to her promise.
SOW 60 on WITH THE STORY.
HOF COURSE there's on one thing
~ to do" Martha Blnkc kept insist
ing. You cant go on with this thing.
Surely you aren't planning to do so.
III this quaint. quiet room of Mar
tha's, Julia felt surrounded by Martha's
wholesome personality. Martha had
come into Julia life and. strange to
say. had directed it at time when
Julia was hcartbrolicn. and now she
was ready TO do the same thing again
aud was hclDlo,S. for. argue as she
would. Julia could not see her way clear
TO breaking her promise to Dan
Don't YOU soc. Martha she said
over and over. 'hc needs me. O. YOU
can shake YOUR head but be does. and
he loves me now. he loves me terribly.
lf he was trying to hold me Just through
pride or anything else | am sure |
would feel differently about the whole
thing.
You re trying to make a martyr of
Yourself. snapped Martha. and I
oughtn't to be sorry for you when YOU
won't listen to reason. but somehow |
am. But argue rs She would she could
not move Julia to look at things Sensibly
and the two women parted with vague
clOud between them.
Julia was thoughtful all the way
home, She tried TO see things from
Martha standpoint. She wondered If
Martha were right and whether or not
il would be better to break her promise
to Dan than to 60 on with the mar
riaGe. but she could not make hprSc'-
believe such thing possible Dan did
not love Lucy and Julia was convinced
now that he did love her If she let
him go h" might do something desperate
and things would be worse than they
were now. Surely if she did what she
felt was right not considering her own
happiness at all. things must come out
all right for the others.
Julia walked slowly along the street.
She hated going home. she wished ferce-
~ that she need never see her home
again. she had ncvc" been happy There.
She remembered the short experience
She had had in the hospital and little
surge of emotion swept through her.
bringing with IT sudden temptation to
droD in there Just for Il moment Tho
very thought of such a thing made her
heart beat suddenly faster She had
quick memory OF Il nervous. eager
man with narrowed eyes and a wav of
throwing his head back on his shoulders.
10 see him again Just once more before
he went out of her life forever. o.
surely that could not be wrong. that
wasn't much to osk
Her feet hurried along their way fear.
iuI that the heart that bid them move
faster might change its mind. and then
the big hospital building loomcd sud
denly ahead of her. almost in a dazc
she found herself going un the stone
steps.
The familiar smell Of cleanliness and
autiSenticS wac waited to her b,fo"e .ha
opcned the doo", II brought back her
life here. it stabbed her heart with n
longing to be back \ nurse looked at
her inquiringly aud hurried on. small
tray in her hand. She looked rosy and
"ontonted Here there was no time for
SICK torebodings and morbid introspnr-
ton. \ hospital was a panarca for
mental ailments as well as physical
Julia turned to the right and walked
down the long corridor to Miss TulIy'>
office at the eud. \ brisk voice hadp
her come in and she opened the door
and stood minute in the blaze of sun
shine that came through the west win
dow. Miss Tully remembered after.
ward the look in the girls eyes.
Julia Grant"
Julia smiled family. "Nc> I'm here
You see. You got my letter." She
dropped into n chair by the big desk
Her weariness of few minutes ago had
left her, she looked radiant. full of
hope. happy. Since her precipitate
fight from the hoSuital Julia had NOT
heard from Miss Tully. She had writ
ton little note to the superintendent
which had never been answered. n
was a strange little note in which Julio
tried to say good by without explain
ing anything. but Miss Tully. who had
drawn her own conclusions and knew
as we'll as she knew how to hold down
her job that John Norvilo loved Julia
Grant. had read between tho lines and
understood everything, What she did
not understand was Julia's attitude in
throwing her happiness away. II was
not that Miss Tully herself was inca
pable of suffering for an ideal, but her
practical nature would have demanded
whether or not it was worth while.
YES. got your letter." Miss TuIlv
observed dryly. ''
"How is everything horc?" Julio
Qucricd eagerly He voice held a world
of feeling.