The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-01-02
Propinquity's
Part
~
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS
1914 BY Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate

zone was llkut. 1tl ucdIt uriu tcai'-
4 shall wait for you-always." she
said. . smile es gay and brilliant as
II II played about happy lips.
"Bue-of course you will. grill
You're that kind Of stuff. And I'll
come back to you with a chest full Of
medals and arms full Of love" Her
head dropped on his khaki shoulder for
4 moment while she almost gave way.
Good-by." she whispered and pushed
him from her.
He held h,r for one more moment
-Good-by. MY girl" he said. swallow
ing the lump that almost choked him.
Then he OK 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
ayes glued to the opening in the trees
where she had last seen him. Then.
slowly. she let the tears flow down her
cheeks. threw herself into the ham,
mock and sobbed.
Capt. Teddy Blake was soon back
In his quarters with the knowledge in
his W 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 latest
he vas sure. II seemed very hard to
leave June; they had been $ % happy;
she was wonderfully lovely. But-he
would come back and claim her some
day. Tha. she would not wait for
him. that he could forget-thoSe were
Impossible suggestions.
June answered the call Of the Red
Cross for nurses. She felt In her first
detection and loneliness as II she must
do something to help hasten the end Of
the war that had separated Teddy from
ner. 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 ARE of him. But
she did not weep; rather she grew
more and more proud of having sent
her captain OF 8 % bravely. and con-
graduated herself for her own cheer
fulnesa.
you're going to make a wonderful
nurse, Miss Prince" one Of the doc
tors told her after she had helped him
In some surgical dressing.
"Ob, am IT, she exclaimed. II love
the work."
Doctor Buchanan watched the won
derful color flood her face at the com
pliment he had paid her. He was thir-
ty-ivc and had been so absorbed In his
profession that he had never taken
lime to get married.
June worked more earnestly than
ever after that word of praise from
so clever a surgeon as Doctor Blu.
ehunan. Also she now had the temer.
ity to smile at him when she passed
him in the corridors or he Glanced
upon her In the wards. Heretofore
she had never noticed any of the doc
tors, some one having told her Ii was
better to attend strictly to the profes
sional side Of the work and not permit
herself to know the doctors socially.
Captain Teddy's letters we're filled
with interesting stories Of jaunts here
and there, when he had time 10 him
self. He spoke more than once of the
alacrityi with which he was picking VI
the French language. A pretty French
girl. Jeanne de Mayer, whom he hat
met Mt a c~anteen, was giving him les
s0ns on every available occasion. Oh
he would come back to June quite III
accomplished French student, and h,
hoped she was not being too lonely.
The war dragged on and June fin
ished her training. grew even NOR
lovely, with a more serious expression
In her eyes, forced there by the knowl
edge she was gaining of the suffering
In this world.
Instead OF being sent to France
Nurse June was sent to a base hos
pitai Somewhere ON Long Island" L
take care of the poor wounded soldier
who were being brought home b.
every boat. She had little time for lei
ter writing now. Her leisure hours
many OF them. were spent with Docto
Buchanan. studying, always learnln
more thoroughly the requirements of
good nurse. without having becom
aware OF Ii. she had become very fonl
OF the able surgeon who had done s
much for her throughout her training
And she had not noticed that h
sought her out on every occasion
Theirs was a serious sort Of compaI
ionship and they had been drawn Il
gether almost daily In their work.
Letters from Captain Teddy. now I
action. still referred to Jeanne. the II
tie French girl. He spoke rather ca'
uaily Of her-rather too casually, Jun
thought once or twice. but she SCENE
not to mind.
!, "nid you ever realize what a dai
gerous thing %propinquity isf" 81
asked Doctor Buchanan one nigh