Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-25

"Lanny," he said to her on the sew
enth day, do you know Islove you a
lot? I wish dad would marry you, so
you could be with me all the time"
Lanny's heart swelled with the poign-
ant grief of her baffled maternity at
that honest boyish avowal.
On the eighth day he developed
double pneumonia, as a sequel to the
measles. He almost died-and SO did
Lanny. The doctor swore-and so did
Stephens father-tnat nothing but
Lanny's devoted nursing brought him
through. She wept the day she realized
if she drew another days salary as his
nurse, she would be accepting money
under false pretenses; and she wept on
two counts. First, because she was
leaving Stephen, and second, because
Stephens father insisted on being too
grateful for her services.
There is reward due you, Miss Lam
ming" he told her, lover and beyond
exchange for your devoted services
That's a debt Steve and / can never
repay, but the boy thinks we ought to
make pretense at payment and so do
l." And he opened her handbag and
slipped an envelope in it.
When she got back to the Nurses
Home, where she lived between calls.
she discovered he had given her $4,000
Young Stephen had already given her
his photograph, indorsed: ITO my dear
Lanny, with love from Steve"
Nursing is the most personal and i'm
personal profession in the world. Lam
ny never expected to see Stephen Burt
again, but she sent him at Christmas a
4-ounce Fairy fishing rod from Hardy's
in London. It cost her a months wages
She knew his father was a fishing en-
thusiast and would probably inculcate
the same enthusiasm in his boy. Steve
had ssnt her roses on her birthday: and
his love, by telegraph Christmas eve,
together with an exquisite little watch
to replace the dollar timepiece she
used to count pulse-beats. On New
Year day, a year later, he made a for
NAL call and she was out on case; so
the day she was relieved she called upon
HIM
Hello. Lanny," he said-and kissed
her. Il wanted to see you to get some
advice. Do you think, Lanny, that I'd
make half decent doctor?"
God made you for a doctor" Lanny
assured him. you'll not have to be
more than a mediocre doctor to be
financially successful. You were born
with the ideal personality"
Thanks, Lanny. want to be a
doctor, but want to be a good one,
too, so you tell me what I am to do
about 1t. I've just graduated from high
school. Made the honor roll" he con-
fded shyly.
How far up the honor roll?" Lanny's
query had almost fierce quality in it.
Number one"
And you were out of school two
months OF your last term. I'm proud
Of you, Stevie"
Where shall I go to college, Lanny?"
Where do you intend to practice
when you're doctor, Stevie?"
Right here, in San Francisco"
In that event you should attend a
local university. You'll 60 to Stanford
University" Lanny decided. IF YOU
graduate with honor there you're bound
| TO get an interneship in Stanford Univer-
SHY Hospital. About two years of that
! ano you'll know what you want to spe-
cllize in, SO off you'll go for post-grad-
! Cate course in Berlin. Vienna and Lon
oon Tor tour years. Then you'll return
/ ana III be your Office nurse and man
aRer. How's that for a program?"
! Just dandy, Lanny"
1t means 10 years of grind, Stevie,
put don't let time frighten YOU" she
warned anXiouSly Once Won know what
you know and know that YOU know IL
| others Will not be long discovering it
also, and you'll be years ahead of the
half-baked medical ounces this medical
| world Is cursed with"
| He fiattered her immensely by TAX
ing her to luncheon and the matinee
| For the next four years Ianny did
not see her boy, but he wrote her and
remembered her at Christmas and on
her birthdays. He was an honor
graduate from the Leland Stanford
Junior Medical School and was imme-
dlately given an interneship at the
! University Hospital in San Francisco.
Inasmuch as Lanny frequently had
patients at that hospital, they met sew
eral times a year. Lanny kept her
ear to the ground, hardening to re-
ports Of his progress from worthwhile
sources, and learned that he was re-
garded as young doctor Of distinct
promise.
One day, after he had been two
years an inferno, they met in the cor
ridor. I've been wanting to see you
liminary fencing. ITS time for your
postgraduate course in Europe"
Impossible, Lanny. My father has
had a frightful reversal of fortune.
He's done a fathers full duty by me
and I'm not going to graft of him
and perhaps sacrifice him in his old
age. I'm self-supporting now and even
saving a little from my salary. In a
few years / shall be able to afford a
modest ONCE and go in for general
practice"
you've followed my program thus
far and you'll continue until it's
finished" Lanny announced. I'm loan
you the money. The $1,000 your
father gave me has grown TO $500
and I've ssyed $4,000 more, 50 I'm