The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-03-23
EoeningSto
Romance and Hannah.
BY KETURAH VAN TYLF

his place here ever since / came TO
the city and took this rooming house.
sick, just because he's lost his posi-
ton. Hospitals don't take people
without money, either"
It's not up to you, is it, to stand
for David Powell's bills? He's almost
la stranger. Hannah, you'll never
have a cent in this world until you
begin to think OF yourself first and
the rest of the world afterward. Ro-
nance is all right in story books, but
it never gets one anywhere. What
you need is some one to look after
you. How about giving me that
honor?"
A scarcely perceptiblo shadow
crossed the womans faca but she
smiled sweetiy just the same, hoping
to remove any sting as she answered
Joe Barton-prosy, thrifty Joe, whom
she had been refusing regularly since
her pinafore days.
Romance may not be for me, Joe,
but I wouldn't marry the best man
on earth unless I honestly loved him.
I'll get along all right. Now I'm GO
ing to take David Powell his supper"
Barton. sensing his usual Dismissal,
lighted his cigar and went out. !
The expression on Hannah Sawyer's
face was tenderiy beautiful as she
opened the door of David Powelrs
room and slipped quietly over to his
bedside; but it changed quickly to one
of alarm as she found the sick man
moaning in delirium and burning with
fever. She was successful in getting
a physician there in a very short time,
but his ultimatum set Hannah to
guessing.
He'll pull thru all right. but he
must have the best of care and a diet
of good milk and perfectly fresh eggs.
Has he any people,"
Not soul that know Of
~
Hospital at once. I'll see if 1 can get
him in
When he had gone Hannah set her
teeth together after the manner of
determined womanhood, and vowed he
should not go to any hospital if it
took the last cent she had in all the
world to care for him. Fresh eggs
were surely a problem, but she knew
she could solve it in some way. The
little teacher from the mission school
had told her of a woman who came
| there. twice a week with fresh sup
plies, so Hannah Jared forth to the
mission fortified with the first with
drawal from her savings account.
I'll be only too glad to let you
have t;,em," said Mrs. Compton, the
woman from the country, especially
if they're for a sick man. 1 always
feel maybe it might be my brother
sick and alone in this awful city,
I %Of course. Mr.. Powell will
never
Powell? ou:ck-whats his first
name?"
why, David-to be sure-why?"
Please. Miss Sawyer, / must go
home with you at once-the sick man
must be Davie-hny little brother
| that ran away so long ago because
father insisted on his being
preacher"
The two women and the fresh eggs
arrived safely at Miss Sawyer's board
ing house, and Mrs. Compton insisted
that the SICK man was her brother,
whom she reared might long ago
have died. David was too i'll to rec
ognize any one but Hannah, to whom
he held out his hands appeaEngly.
I Il must ger him home-into the
country at once, Miss Sawyer" in
sisted Mrs Compton, but Hannah was
not to be set aside so easily. She had
lnursed David Powell carefully and
consistently ever since he had been
taken i'll and she relished not at all
this woman's interference. How did
she Know she was David's sister?
How did she know but that she meant
David some harm?
I'm sorry, Mrs. Compton, but you
is moved. 1t is very bad thing to
J change nurses on any case unless
absolutely necessary, and this patient
is very sick one"
III it's. the money you're afraid OF
| losing, why L"
| The look of pain which took pos
session of Hannah's honest face
stopped the other woman's sentence
| in midair, but she went on resolutely
determined to get David away at any
cost.
"of course. Miss Sawyer, since
| you've been so kind to David, I'll be
! pleased to have you go home with us
/ to visit, but I'm pretty fair nurse
myself"
Hannah was quite unmoved by this
t be away from her boarding house for
time. When David was able to be
/ removed in an ambulance to Mrs.
! Compton's comfortable place outside
/ the city Hannah Sawyer went with
/ them.
For many days the sick man hoy
/ erd between. life and death. recog-
!: nizipg no one and the two women
We'd with each other in trying to max
/ him comfortable. Then one day the
with intelligence cleaning from them
i once more and recognized not only his
sister but the room in which he lay.
/ That night Hannah packed her suit
I house without even announcing her
] departure.
She dreaded the questioning which
! she felt was sure to come from her
/ little family of boarders. especially
! Joe Barton. but she braved the storm
and appeared demurely in their midst
as tho she had been away only over
night
/ "Ye-oh, ves-Mr Powell is much
| better-yes-he asked to be remem-
bered to all of you" And thus the
battle ended. To her surprise Joe
Barton asked no questions. then or
afterward, until one day a few weeks
later.
Look here. Hannah, has that
Powell fellow thrown you over? If he
has. by the Lord Harry III"
/ Zoe, How dare you,''
| Hannah. for the hundredth time.
I beg you to let me try to make your
life a little eas.er-let me take you to
| a T-eaI horoaV'