Show Nearly two years passed and the second autumn was more than half gone October whistled a plaintive minor strain as he passed the I trees sighed as they cast from the faded tatters of their former finery showers of dead leaves fell at each gust of wind some crouching in fence corners others fluttering feebly down on the ditch bank seeking a last resting place upon the sole green that had survived the early arly frosts The skeleton branches of the shrubbery near Netties Nettie's window shivered shivered shivered shiv shiv- ered and huddled together to look upon the cheerfulness within Nettie Nettie Nettie Net Net- tie and Helen were seated before an open fire their young faces unusually unusually unusually un un- usually serious as was wa the line of their conversation You have really made up your mind Nettie was saying her thoughtful eyes upon the fire and her fingers interlaced in her lap Positively I think Ive I've found m my true vocation at last Ive I've liked the work more mare and more more as Ive I've learned it and now that I have such a good start Im I'm going to finish the course here then when I make enough money I shall go east to study medicine Dr Helen Marlowe will look well wen on my card wont won't it Nettie looked at her friends friend's resolute face and noted the firmness of the small mouth and the determined flash of the Hazel eyes Her gaze wandered to the big white bow under the oval chin then over the rounded figure in its glove-fitting glove navy uniform resting at last upon the dimpled hands whose natural smallness was exaggerated by the wide gauntlet cuffs of snowy linen Dont you intend ever to marry Stranger things than that have happened to people as ambitious as you Lennie And sometimes such things dont don't happen you know Really i and seriously Nett I dont don't think I could ever love a man well e enough ough and far less would he be likely to care for me No NIo Ive I've seen so many unpleasant characters at the hospital that I confess Im I'm sadly disenchanted disenchanted disenchanted disen disen- chanted with mankind Nettie left her chair and twining her arms around her friends friend's neck laid her cheek against the velvet bonnet I dont don't believe your heart spoke those words dearest she said you may not have met the right man yet but but- when but when you do your sweet womans woman's soul will expand like a beautiful flower in the sunlight of his love You will then recall these thoughts and determinations t tt I if r 4 and will wonder tonder how you could have looked forward to to a life without a home and its sweet attributes Helen looked up with a smile How serious you are but are but its it's evident you dont don't know me as well as you think you do No my dear Im I'm cut out for a professional life and you will yet see it Yes Lennie a professional maker home-maker as I can see even now I dont don't question your intellectual capacity mind mind but but it just seems to tome tome me me- me Different to what it seems to me that's all Oh well I haven't time to convert you tonight as I must go on Dear me is it going to storm she suddenly exclaimed as a agust gust of wind dashed some leaves against the window The two girls hastily looked out Just look at the dark clouds rolling up from the west I must hurry or Ill I'll be caught in a blizzard Come up to see me Nett and meanwhile reconsider the professional maker home and I think you'll change your mind Good-by Good Lennie Good by Nettie looked after her friend admiring the quick springing step and graceful carriage When Helen was out of sight she returned to her chair and with hand clasped behind her head built castles in the I glowing embers The splendid structures thus began were continued when her tired head sank upon her pillow in dreamful slumber The next morning a note came to her from the hospital and recognizing recognizing recognizing the superscription she eagerly broke the seal and read as follows follows fol fol- lows DEAREST NETTIE On On reaching here after leaving you I 1 found Dr Nally wait waiting waiting wait wait- ing to see me He had a telegram asking him to send a competent nurse at once to wait on a man dangerously ill with typhoid fever This man is one of the main owners of a big horse ranch over a hundred miles north and is lying at the home of the fore fore- man Dr N. N says I 1 must go he go-he he wont won't trust anyone else else but but while all this is very flattering to me it doesn't keep me from feeling nervous at assuming such r I II leave early tomorrow and will write when I 1 arrive Lovingly 1 P S. S 1 I I wonder if this is the adventure we have been looking for forso so so long CI f H H. H I i J Nettie smiled broadly she read the postscript She he cant can't be serious long at a time the dear girl she thought as she folded the note Her impatience to receive the promised letter was irrepressible Needless to say she wrote little until her mind was relieved by the arrival of a fat missive from Helen The first few pages gave a detailed detailed de de- tailed account of her preparations journey and arrival J But I know what you want to hear she continued My patient is a young man manof manof of about 27 soft 27 soft brown hair and moustache moustache and and the loveliest bl blue e ey eyes s I ever ever sa saw saw r his delirium he talks of his mother He was very low but is somewhat better now In and home until Im I'm ready to cry but when hes he's rational hes he's so patient patient not not a word of complaint Nett Id I'd like to see him get well Nettie read this again before proceeding farther Write soon the letter concluded for Im I'm lonesome already A man takes me out sleighing every day nay for air by Drs order but hes he's too bashful to talk talk perhaps perhaps the polar atmosphere has frozen him up My patient is now awake and looking at me oh me-oh oh such eyes as he has Lov Lovingly 1 HE HELEN SN P. P S. S His S.-His His name by the way is Dick Hines 4 Nettie sat thinking after rereading the letter I wonder which r way the vane of her ambition points now she mused iI b |