When he gained his laurels he would himself lay them at her feet.

Until then he could only hope and strive, cherishing all the while the love for her that daily grew stronger in his heart.
---- A patient in her ward, recovering from a fever, attracted Rachel's attention soon after her entrance upon duty at Nashville.
Womanly intuition showed her that no ordinary spirit slumbered underneath the usual mountaineer characteristics.

The long, lank, black hair, the angular outlines, and the uncouth gestures were common enough among those around her, but she saw a latent fire in the usually dull and languid eyes, which transformed the man into one in whose brain and hand slept many possibilities that were liable to awaken at any moment.
Still womanly, she could not help betraying this fact by singling him out as the recipient of many little attentions somewhat more special than those she bestowed on others.
On the other hand, often as she moved about the ward she would in turning discover his eyes fixed upon her movements with an expression of earnest study.

After awhile the study seemed to show that it had been satisfactory, and one day, when the Surgeon had informed him that he was now in a condition to return to duty whenever he saw fit to do so, he asked Rachel: "Kin I speak ter ye a moment in private, Miss ?" "Certainly," she replied.

"Come right in here." Entering the room he closed the door behind them, and made a minute survey of the windows, and other points of vantage for eavesdroppers.
This done, he returned to where Rachel was watching his operations with much curiosity, and said: "Let's set down.