The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-24
Eoening Story
Send for Owens.
BY JANE OSBORN.

that the candidate for whom Richard
/ Leavenworth had spent so much of
his youthful and Jealous enthusiasm.
had lost the election, Richard Leaven-
worth took the defeat really harder
than the man himself The fact that
Richard had never fully convalesced
from the hardships he had expert
enced two winters in France made
him less hardy against the sharpness
sof the disappointment.
When it became apparent to Mrs.
| Leavenworth and Richards sister that
he mad taken the thing so to heart.
when the thermometer thrust into his
parched lips had shown that he was
actually i'll in consequence-no one
was especially wrought up about 1t.
Poor Dick has always been that way.
He's a very bad loser, and always did
play too hard"
The old family doctor had assured
Mrs. Leavenworth that, while Richard
was not in actual danger, he ought to
have a change of air Immediately. He
would recover from the fever as soon
as he had his sleep out but after that
he should be packed off to the noun
tains to get the mental rest his nerves
demanded.
But it was perfectly obvious that
none of the Leavenworths wanted TO
bury themselves off in their mountain
cabin in November. Loretta was go
ing to be married in January and Mrs.
Leavenworth certainly could not go
off with him, much less could Le-
retta. 1t was still the day after the
defeat with Richard-big. broad
shouldered. sinewy Richard-helpless
in his room above stairs and Loretta
and her mother were settling the
situation.
wen just have to send for Owens"
tainly we can't go off up there, and.
anyway, if anything were going 10
be the matter with him it would be
necessary to have nurse-way off
there Without a doctor or anything.
Besides 1 don't believe we would
either of us be any comfort to him."
Mrs. Leavenworth upbraided her
self for not having thought of Owens
before and within five minutes tele-
gram was off to that nurse of his
childhood instructing her to be at the
mountain resort to meet Richard with
in two days. She had been there
often enough-she knew the way. She
was further instructed to wire IL she
would be unable to be there.
| So Richard was bolstered up with
the doctors prescriptions, bundled into
a closed car with the Leavcrworth
chauffeur who could be dispensed with
for a few days, and Loretta and her
work of planning bridesmaids dresses
with a free conscience.
For after all Richard would be con-
tent with Owens, the old Welsh woman
who had nursed him thru all the
small ills of childhood and then had
always been willing to come back
whenever her vigiiant care was needed
to help Richard thru any illness or
accident.
Owens, to be sure, was a baby spe-
4 cialist 1t was her rule to take no
lone over twelve, but she had never re-
fused to come back to Richard. So
when he broke rib or so at hockey
in high school days she hurried home
from a belated vacation to be at his
side.
Later she il was who went up to
college to take her place in the infirm
airy while he recovered from the bat
lterings received at his first cane spree.
In fact it was a family byword when
anything went wrong with Richard.
| who had not always been the most
docile of patients, to send for
Owens"
Meantime, how were the Leaven-
worths to know that Owens had gone
back to the land of her nativity for a
few months sojourn? And how was
Madge, her pretty niece, who had fol-
lowed her aunts example in taking
the training course in the baby hos
l.,
exception to her rule to take only
children? when the aunt had left she
had told Madge to go out on any case
to which she was summoned.
She had perfect confidence IN the
younger nurses ability to take her
place. So Madge had come in from
one case only to find the telegram to
a young woman of resources. she had
started out at once. gone by rail as
far as 1t would take her. and had then
landed in the forlorn little mountain
hamlet few hours before the arrival
of Philip and the chauffeur.
"A sick child from the LeaVen-
worths is coming up" she had told
the postmaster. by chance. have
you the keys to their cabin?" She
got them without difficulty. and had
one of the natives get the fire started
so that the place possessed a SEM
blance of cheerfulness by the time that
Richard arrived.
| But you couldn't leave now" per-
sisted the chauffeur when Madge-
who had the same prejudice against
adult nursing that her aunt had had
before her-had told him that he had
j better take her back to the city as
soon as possible and get another nurse
in her place. Il don't want to be
alone here with a man in his condi-
ton"
30 Mage SIayeQ the 1irst Two or
three days because she felt it was her
/ duty-and the last, days OF the week
she stayed because something had
grown up and was still growing up
between Richard Leavenworth and
{, herself that made the thought of sep
aration seem like one of those impos-
sible things that we do not even like
to mention.
/ Meantime Madge continued to wear
the immaculate white uniform and
cap that she had worn when Richard
first saw her and she continued, too.
in the presence of the chauffeur. who
acted as camp cook and general fac
totum, to give Richard professional
directions TO what he should and
should not eat. when he should retire
and what wraps he should don.
HRut Won nesdnit think >, rehelled