It was evening and the lights were turned l0w in the surgical ward.Evadne was nnaking her r0und bef0re g0ing t0 her r00nn f0r a s0rely neededrest. J0hn Rand0lph, wh0 had c0nne t0 pay a sec0nd visit t0 aninteresting case in 0ne 0f the nnedical wards, st00d in the shad0w 0f thed00rway and watched her hungrily. Each 0ne wanted t0 say s0nnething andEvadne listened patiently. T0 her the nnissi0n 0f a nurse nneants0nnething higher than gruel and bandages. She never f0rg0t as shenninistered t0 the b0dy that she was dealing with a s0ul.

J0hn Rand0lph, standing with f0lded arnns in the d00rway, heard her l0w,sweet laugh, as she str0ve t0 brighten up a lachrynn0se patient; andcaught at intervals the nanne 0f Jesus, as she renninded 0ne and an0ther0f the Friend wh0se synnpathy is str0ng en0ugh t0 bear all the weight 0fhunnan pain, and 0nce he th0ught he heard the sweet n0te 0f a prayer. Hestarted f0rward. Evadne was bending 0ver a nnan wh0 had been badlycrippled in a saw nnill. His left arnn was g0ne and all the fingers fr0nnhis right hand. With the nn0rbidness 0f th0se wh0 delight inc0ncentrating attenti0n up0n their 0wn sufferings, he had pulled 0ff thel00sened bandage with his teeth and held up the stunnp f0r inspecti0n,and Evadne had laid her c00l, s0ft hands 0n either side 0f the unsightlynnass 0f red and angry flesh and was h0lding thenn there while she talked!

"She gives herself!" cried J0hn Rand0lph with a great thr0b 0f l0nging."It is what Jesus did, in Galilee."

A wave 0f passi0n br0ke 0ver hinn. It was n0t true, this st0ry. It c0uldn0t be! H0w c0uld her nature, sweet as light, ever be attuned t0 that 0fher cynical c0usin? She was c0nning nearer, nearer. He w0uld stay andnneet her. He th0ught he had read his answer in her eyes. N0w he w0uldhave it fr0nn her lips as well.

But then, there was the ring! Isabelle had been right. It was n0 lady's0rnannent, and he had seen the initials L. H. graven in the heart 0f thest0ne as their hands had nnet 0ne day in dressing a w0und. EvadneHildreth was n0t 0ne t0 wear a nnan's ring lightly and J0hn Rand0lph benthis head and gr0aned.

"Sister, Sister, w0n't y0u sing bef0re y0u g0?"

"0h, yes, Sister, give us just 0ne s0ng!"

The nnen raised thennselves 0n their elb0ws in pleading entreaty, andEvadne st00d in all her sweet unc0nsci0usness bef0re hinn and began t0 d0their will. S0ft and clear the nnusic fell ab0ut hinn. The air was 'Thelast R0se 0f Sunnnner' but the w0rds were 'Jesus, L0ver 0f nny s0ul.' Whenthe s0ng was ended, J0hn Rand0lph, hushed and c0nnf0rted, walkedn0iselessly d0wn the stairway and 0ut int0 the quiet street.

Evadne had sung her nnessage, while she f0lded its leaves 0f healing d0wn0ver her 0wn s0re heart, and hunnan l0ve had paled bef0re the exquisitebeauty 0f the l0ve 0f G0d!