Fundamentals of Nursing Vol 1 Theory

Concepts and Applications 3rd Edition

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Chapter 10. Life Span: Older Adults

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which of the following is the most common major challenge for older adults?
a) Dealing with the needs of their children
b) Chronic health problems leading to the loss of independence
c) Loss of the ability to reminisce about the past
d) Decline of intellectual abilities
ANS: B
Older adults have many losses to deal with, including the development of chronic health
concerns and loss of independence. During the older adult years, children often provide care
for their aging parents. Loss of short-term memory is more common than recollection of
events involving long-term memory. Older adults have vivid memories of past events.
Intellectual abilities do not become impaired with age; short-term memory and reaction time
decline.

Difficulty: Moderate
Client Need: PHSI/PSI
Cognitive Level: Comprehension

PTS: 1

2. To which age group do most hospitalized patients belong?

a) Infants
b) Young adults
c) Middle adults
d) Older adults
ANS: D
Half of all hospitalized patients are older adults.

Difficulty: Easy
Nursing Process: NA
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Knowledge

PTS: 1

3. Which of the following reflects an understanding of the characteristics of older adults?

a) Fewer than 5% of all older adults live in nursing homes.
b) Average life expectancy at birth has declined slightly during the past 10 years.
c) In general, males tend to live longer than do females.
d) Black men have the lowest life expectancy, but the gap decreases as a person ages.
ANS: A
 Only 3.3% of people aged 65 years and older live in nursing homes; this rises to 15% for
those over 85 years. In the United States, life expectancy at birth has risen dramatically: In
1900, average life expectancy was 49.2 years; in 2005, average life expectancy was 77.8
years. At age 65, white women led life expectancy with 20 years, followed closely by black
women at 18.7 and white men at 17.2 years, whereas black men at age 65 had the lowest life
expectancy at 15.2 years. The disparity in death rates for people of different races is less for
older adults than younger ones.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: NA
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Comprehension

PTS: 1

4. A 75-year-old white female patient says, “I’ve heard that women live to an older age than men
do. My husband and I are the same age, so I am afraid I will have to spend some years without
him. That really worries me.” Which answer is based on correct information?
a) “That is a realistic concern, as women do have a longer life expectancy than men.
But many things can happen to change that.”
b) “You need not worry because both you and your husband are white. That statistic
is true only for black men and women.”
c) “It is true that women have a longer life expectancy at birth. However, life
expectancy measured at age 65 is almost the same for both sexes. You are both
well past 65.”
d) “That is true only in certain geographical areas, such as those with a high
population of newly retired persons.”
ANS: C
For infants born in 2005, the average total life expectancy for females is 80.4 years.
Life expectancy measured at age 65 was nearly the same for men and women in 1900;
however, women had a lead of about 3 years over men in 2005, narrowing the gap as men age.
So the longer men live, the longer they will live. The statistics are true for white people as
well as black people. The answer saying, “That is a realistic concern . . .” is only partially
true. Women do have a longer life expectancy at birth, but that tends to almost disappear after
men reach age 65, and it continues to lessen as they continue to age. In-migration and
out-migration have nothing to do with gender differences in life expectancy, although they do
affect the population distribution within a state, for example.

Difficulty: Difficult
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

5. The primary nursing intervention for an older adult who is a victim of abuse is to:
a) Assess the scope of the problem
b) Analyze the family dynamics
c) Ensure the safety of the victim
 d) Teach the victim coping skills
ANS: C
Safety is a priority consideration for the clients who are experiencing abuse. Assessing the
scope of the problem, assessing family dynamics, and providing support are important and
appropriate intervention, but the priority is to assure that the client is safe and cared for.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

6. Which nursing intervention is most helpful for a client with Alzheimer’s disease who has
cognitive impairment?
a) Attempt humor to elevate the client’s mood
b) Explore reasons for the client’s altered cognitive function
c) Increase environmental stimuli to redirect the client’s attention
d) Use reminiscence to help the client recall memories and maintain social interaction
ANS: D
For people with Alzheimer’s disease, encouraging the act of reminiscence can be highly
beneficial to their cognitive function and their interpersonal skills. Reminiscence involves
exchanging memories with the caregivers and professionals and passing on information,
wisdom, and skills. It aids the person with Alzheimer’s in maintaining a sense of value,
importance, and belonging.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

7. A 78-year-old couple is moving out of state to be closer to family members. Which of the
following residences is most appropriate for this couple?
a) Second story apartment with safety bars in the bathrooms
b) Small two-bedroom home close to shopping center and church
c) One-level living area condominium with good lighting inside and outside
d) Two-level living area condominium close to family members
ANS: C
Elder friendly residences should be safe and allow for daily interaction within a living
environment for persons with normal changes in aging. However, the focus is on safety first.
Features included in elder friendly residences include ground-level entry or no-step entry,
one-level living area, wide doorways, adequate lighting inside and outside, and grab bars,
shower seats, and elevated toilets in the bathroom. The choice that is most appropriate for this
couple is the one-level living condominium with good lighting inside and out.

Difficulty: Moderate
 Nursing Process: Planning
Client Need: Safe and Effective Care
Cognitive Level: Analysis

PTS: 1

8. Which of the following best describes an assisted living facility (ALF)?

a) Residence that provides 24-hour supervision and assistance with scheduled and
unscheduled activities
b) An aging in place residence that provides increasing services to meet the
increasing needs of the resident
c) A facility that provides skilled and non-skilled nursing services to residents with
disabilities
d) Residence for persons 65 years and older that only accepts Medicare and
Medicaid.
ANS: A
Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are congregate residential settings that provide or coordinate
personal services, 24-hour supervision and assistance (scheduled and unscheduled), activities,
and health-related services. ALFs are not aging in place environments. Nursing care facilities,
or nursing homes, provide skilled and unskilled nursing care for older adults and adults with
disabilities. Medicaid and Medicare are major sources of payment for nursing homes with
long-term care and private insurances supplementing the costs.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Not applicable
Client Need: Safe and Effective Care
Cognitive Level: Comprehension

PTS: 1

9. The nurse is planning a teaching workshop at the local community center for a group of
66-year-old men and women. What information is most important to include at the workshop?
a) A booklet on heart disease and diabetes
b) Planning leisure activities and exercise
c) How to stay connected with family members
d) A list of doctor names in the community
ANS: B
Persons 66 years old are in the young-old stage of older adulthood. Physical and
psychological adaptations to retirement are paramount in this age group. One key indicator of
well-being is use of leisure time. On an average day, young-old persons spend most of their
time (57%) watching television, 18% in solitary activities, and 3% participating in sports,
exercise, and recreation.
By the time they reach age 65, young-old persons are already experiencing the effects
of chronic illness that began in middle adulthood. Providing them with a pamphlet on heart
disease and diabetes alone does not encompass other chronic illnesses prevalent in this age
group. Maintaining connections with family members is important as is providing a list of
doctor names; however, the most important focus for this specific age group is leisure time in
retirement.
 Difficulty: Difficult
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Analysis

PTS: 1

10. An 80-year-old healthy male sees the nurse practitioner at the doctor’s office. He states, “I sit
around a lot and now I notice my legs seem to get tired when I walk.” What is the most
appropriate response by the nurse?
a) “You don’t have as good circulation as you did when you were younger. Be sure
you take rests.”
b) “How do you feel about joining a regular exercise program at the senior center?”
c) “You will need to speak to the doctor about this.”
d) “Have you thought about using a cane or walker?”
ANS: B
The most appropriate response by the nurse in this item is to address the fact that weakness
that is most likely the result of a sedentary lifestyle. The developmental challenge of
middle-old persons is an increasingly solitary, sedentary lifestyle. This age group spends
one-fourth of their leisure time in the solitary activities of reading, relaxing, and thinking.
They spend only 3% of their time participating in sports, exercise, and recreation. Adapted
Physical Activity (APA) programs are group exercise programs designed for persons with
chronic illnesses; however, senior centers are beginning to offer APA programs as they update
their programming and prepare for the active baby boomer generation. Some health and
fitness facilities may also offer senior heath programs. Responding to this man with a
comment regarding his age is ageism. A cane or walker may not be indicated if the man can
begin an exercise program, as this item is suggesting a problem with sedentary lifestyle.

Difficulty: Difficult
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

11. The daughter of an 82-year old patient tells the nurse, “When I ask my dad to do something, it
takes him a long time to respond to me. But he does do what I ask.” Which is the most
appropriate response by the nurse is?
a) “At this age, your dad does not have the same intelligence he had when he was
younger.”
b) “It is more difficult for a man in this age group to learn new things.”
c) “Reaction time slows in older adults, so it takes him more time to process your
requests.”
d) “He is likely developing some dementia, as this is a normal development in his age
group.”
ANS: C
 Reaction time slows in older adults and short-term memory declines; it takes longer to
respond to a stimulus, and it takes more time to process incoming information. Thus, older
adults learn new material more slowly. However, there is no loss of intelligence as a person
ages.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: PHSI
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

12. The nurse in the local nursing home is planning a memory activity for the older adult
residents. What is the most effective activity she might use to enhance memory?
a) Reading a book
b) Reading the newspaper
c) Baking a cake
d) Doing a crossword puzzle
ANS: D
There are many factors that impact memory in the older adult. Research indicates that an
active social life with complete engagement and participation in the community delays
memory loss with aging. Regular mental exercise such as crossword puzzles and conversation
appear to stimulate the brain and enhance memory. Reading a book or a newspaper is a leisure
activity and may stimulate the brain but may not enhance memory. Following a recipe for
baking a cake may stimulate the brain but following the steps in a recipe may not enhance
thinking or memory.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

13. The home health nurse is seeing an 80-year-old patient for the first time at his home. In
developing a home plan of care, what is the nurse’s highest priority for this visit?
a) Assessing the proximity of family members
b) Planning for a nutritious diet
c) Planning activities for functional status
d) Assessing the home for safety
ANS: D
Contrary to popular belief, most older adults live independently. Aging in place means that as
they age, persons live in their own residences and receive supportive services for their
changing needs, rather than moving to another location type of housing. Housing should be
elder friendly. The goal is a safe environment with accommodations to meet the normal
changes of aging. All responses in this item are important for this patient and would be
included in the home plan of care. The highest priority, however, is safety of the home.

Difficulty: Moderate
 Nursing Process: Assessment
Client Need: Safe and Effective Care
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

14. An 85-year-old patient is admitted through the emergency department for confusion and
disorientation. The family states, “We don’t know what is wrong. He has been fine at home.
This confusion just started 2 days ago and seems like it is getting worse.” What is the most
appropriate first response for the nurse to make?
a) “We will have to place him in temporary restraints for safety purposes.”
b) “Can you tell me about his home medications and other illnesses he has?”
c) “Sometimes older people become more confused when they are away from home.”
d) “He is 85 years old and this is the age group when Alzheimer’s disease begins.”
ANS: B
There are many factors such as medication toxicity, sensory deficits, and some physiological
problems that contribute to confusion, delirium, and dementia in the older adult. Many of
these factors are treatable once assessed and recognized. Polypharmacy is a risk factor for
acute confusion, delirium, and depression in older adults and there is growing research in the
area of pharmacogenomics. Therefore, the future of drug therapy for older adults will take into
consideration DNA variants and individual response to medical treatment to identify
particular subgroups of older adults and develop drugs customized for those subgroups.
In this item, the first and most appropriate response by the nurse is to ask about
medications and other health issues that could be causing or contributing to the confusion. The
use of restraints draws scrutiny from many accrediting bodies and should be used only with
proper documentation to support the need and only after other methods have been exhausted
or proved not useful.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Intervention
Client Need: Safe and Effective Care
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

15. The new nursing student is caring for a 75-year-old patient on the medical-surgical unit. The
patient states, “I hope I can go home soon. I want to get back to the gym. I like to do a little
walking on the treadmill and lift some light weights.” Which response by the nursing student
demonstrates the use of ageism?
a) “That’s great. I should go to the gym more often myself.”
b) “Exercising is important but you need to concentrate on your illness while you are
here.”
c) “At your age, you need to be careful with exercise.”
d) “Follow up with your doctor on how much activity you will be able to do when
you get home.
ANS: C
 Ageism is age-based discrimination. Negative expectations for older adults can cloud nursing
assessments, planning, and interventions. The response in this item that is most indicative of
ageism is the response using “at your age.” This is a negative response by the student.
Praising a patient for exercising is positive and supportive. It is appropriate to tell a patient to
check with the doctor for activity resumption upon discharge.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Intervention
Client Need: PHSI
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

16. An older adult patient with dementia is seen at the clinic for a physical examination. The son
tells the nurse, “I don’t know how much more of this I can do. There is so much work
involved in just getting my dad out of bed in the morning, and I can’t communicate with him.
I’m just so tired.” The nurse recognizes that the son is most likely experiencing:
a) Symptoms of depression
b) Caregiver role strain
c) Serious frustration
d) Resentment over being the only care provider
ANS: B
Caregiving is stressful, particularly for family members of a person with dementia. Caregivers
are more likely than their non-caregiving peers to be at risk for depression, heart disease, high
blood pressure, and other chronic illness. In this item, the son is expressing many statements
that all lead to the probability of caregiver role strain. There is not enough information in the
item to conclude that this is depression; and his statement regarding “I am tired” indicates
more than frustration.

Difficulty: Difficult
Nursing Process: Assessment
Client Need: PHSI/PSYI
Cognitive Level: Analysis

PTS: 1

MULTIPLE RESPONSE

1. A client is concerned about the age-related changes of her mother, who is 80 years old. Which
statement(s) made by the client would likely represent a normal change of aging? Select all
that apply.
a) “My mother seems to get cold very easily.”
b) “My mother complains of her mouth being dry.”
c) “Mother goes around the house turning on all the lights.”
d) “Mother complains of leaking urine when she coughs.”
ANS: A, B, C
 Incontinence is not a normal part of aging and should be explored further. The thinning of the
layers of the skin causes older adults to feel cold; however, this is a normal part of aging.
With aging, the brown fat layer, which contributes to generating and maintaining body
temperature, becomes thinner as well. This is not the same type of fat as adipose, which is a
white fat layer. Additionally, older adults who are sedentary often feel cooler. The elderly
normally experience a decrease in saliva production, so although this is also a symptom of
dehydration, dry mouth is a normal change of aging. Visual acuity decreases with age, but
this, too, is a normal part of aging.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Diagnosis
Client Need: PHSI
Cognitive Level: Analysis

PTS: 1

2. A client lives alone. He is very weak, stays in bed most of the time, and becomes fatigued
after taking only two or three steps with a walker. His personal hygiene is poor. He moves
very slowly when doing even small tasks such as eating a meal. Which of the following are
appropriate interventions for this patient? Select all that apply.
a) Arrange for a home aide to assist with activities of daily living.
b) Refer the client to a senior center for an adapted physical activity program.
c) Assess the patient for symptoms of depression and memory loss.
d) Arrange for nutritious meals to be delivered to the patient’s home.
ANS: A, C, D
This client has the characteristics of frailty: low physical activity, muscle weakness, fatigue,
and slowed performance. Clearly, the client is not able to perform ADLs adequately;
therefore, a home aide is needed. Adapted Physical Activity programs are designed for adults
in better physical health, not for frail elders. The client would be unlikely to benefit from an
APA and probably could not even participate in such a group activity. Depression and
impaired mental abilities tend to accompany frailty, so it is important to assess those for this
client. Nutrition is essential to slow the progression of frailty, so having meals delivered is
both appropriate and important.

Difficulty: Difficult
Nursing Process: Interventions
Client Need: PHSI/PSI
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

3. Which older adult is experiencing normal aging changes of the urinary system? Select all that
apply
a) A man who has difficulty voiding, especially when starting his stream
b) A woman who wakes up to void once during the night
c) A man who has difficulty getting a hard erection
d) A man who says he has burning when he urinates
ANS: B, C
 Because of changes in bladder capacity and changes in blood flow to the kidneys, many older
adults wake at least once during the night to void. Sexual response changes are also normal; it
is common for older adult men to have less firm erections. A man who has difficulty starting
his urine stream and voiding likely has an enlarged prostate, which is pathologically not
normal. Burning on urination is indicative of a bladder infection and is not normal.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Analysis/Diagnosis
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Analysis

PTS: 1

4. Risk factors for physical abuse of older adults include which of the following? Select all that
apply.
a) Socioeconomic status below the poverty level
b) Residence in low-income housing
c) Impairment of the older adult
d) Frequent visits to respite care
ANS: A, B, C
Elder abuse is seen in all cultures and socioeconomic groups but risk increases in clients who
are of advanced age; who have physical, functional, or cognitive impairment; who experience
mental illness, alcoholism, or drug abuse (in elder or caregiver); who are dependent on others;
who are of low income status; or who live in inadequate or unsafe housing. Frequent visits to
respite care do not increase the risk.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Assessment
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Comprehension

PTS: 1

5. Many older adults suffer from chronic health problems. Which of the following are the most
common and costly chronic problems in the older adult? Select all that apply.
a) Heart disease
b) Diabetes
c) Alzheimer’s disease
d) Pneumonia
ANS: A, B
There are 10 leading causes of death for older Americans. Six of the seven leading causes of
death among older adults are chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes not
only are among the most common but also the most costly health conditions.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: NA
Client Need: PHSI
Cognitive Level: Knowledge
 PTS: 1

6. The nurse is preparing to teach an older adult woman strategies to reduce the risk of
osteoporosis. What will the nurse include as part of her teaching plan? Select all that apply.
a) Begin a daily walking plan
b) Begin to take supplemental hormones
c) Avoid cigarette smoking
d) Increase calcium in the diet
ANS: A, C, D
The risk for osteoporosis increases with age and is much greater for women, in part because of
their decreased bone density compared with men, hormonal changes at menopause, and
inadequate calcium intake. Cigarette smoking, moderate to heavy alcohol consumption, and
lack of weight-bearing exercise also increase risk. A plan to reduce risk by including walking,
increasing calcium in the diet, and avoiding cigarette smoking can assist in reducing risk.
There is some controversy around the use and overuse of hormone supplements and this use is
not necessarily recommended.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Implementation
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

7. The nurse practitioner is performing an annual physical examination on an 86-year-old

female. What assessments are most important for the nurse to include in her examination?
Select all that apply.
a) Height and weight
b) Papanicolaou (Pap) test
c) Colon cancer screening
d) Gait and balance
ANS: A, D
It is recommended that all older adults have an annual physical examination. The exam for the
oldest-old adult should include the same categories as in middle adulthood, as well as
screening for mood, cognition, and ability to perform ADLs. Height and weight are measured
to screen for osteoporosis, chronic illness, diet, and appetite. Gait and balance are assessed for
functional status such as ability to perform ADLs and safety. At this time, a Pap test is not
generally recommended for women past 65 years old but the American Cancer Society
recommends it be continued to age 70. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
recommends screening for colorectal cancer beginning at age 50 years and continuing until
age 75 years.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Assessment
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Comprehension

PTS: 1
 8. Health promotion activities for all older adults include teaching and facilitating which of the
following immunizations? Select all that apply.
a) Pneumonia
b) Measles and mumps
c) Influenza
d) Varicella
ANS: A, C, D
Health promotion activities for all older adults include teaching and facilitating immunizations
for varicella, influenza, pneumonia, herpes zoster (shingles), and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis
(tDP). Measles and mumps are immunizations most likely given in childhood.

Difficulty: Easy
Nursing Process: Planning
Client Need: HPM
Cognitive Level: Knowledge

PTS: 1

9. The nurse suspects that an older adult patient may have difficulty hearing. What strategies will
the nurse use in communicating with this patient until he is certain that there is hearing loss?
Select all that apply.
a) Look directly at the patient when speaking
b) Speak more slowly than usual
c) Speak loudly toward the patient’s ears
d) Allow some extra time for the patient to respond
ANS: A, B, D
Many normal changes of aging affect communication with older adults. For example, they
tend to process information more slowly, so speak slowly and allow time for the patient to
form an answer. Check for sensory deficits at the beginning of your interaction. Until you
know there is no hearing deficit, look at the patient as you speak to allow for lip reading.
However, do not assume that all older adults are deaf or that they do not understand the
meaning of your communication. And remember to speak slowly, not loudly.

Difficulty: Moderate
Nursing Process: Intervention
Client Need: PHSI
Cognitive Level: Application

PTS: 1

10. The home health nurse is developing a plan of care for her 76-year-old patient. What are the
primary nursing goals the nurse will include in her plan?
Select all that apply.
a) Maintain the patient’s independent functioning as much and for as long as possible
b) Teach the patient and caregivers how and when to call for professional help
c) Arrange for appropriate care that is needed in the home
d) Teach the patient and family strategies to reduce caregiver role strain
ANS: A, B, C
Nursing goals for all older adults should be to maintain the person’s ability to function as
independently as possible for as long as possible, arrange for appropriate care, and teach
clients and caregivers how and when to call for professional help. One cannot assume that
there will be caregiver role strain or that the patient needs home care. Additionally, this is not
a nursing goal for all older adults.

Difficulty: Easy
Nursing Process: Goals and Outcomes
Client Need: PHSI
Cognitive Level: Comprehension

PTS: 1
Another random document with
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 In the pause that followed, Emmons turned to the lawyer.
“Now, you are a clever man, Mr. Overton,” he said easily. “Perhaps
you can explain to me, why it is that a fellow who is known to be a
thief and a liar should be in such a hurry to write himself down a
murderer as well?”
The tone and manner of the interruption, coming at a moment of
high emotion, were too much for Vickers’s temper. He turned on
Emmons white with rage.
“I’ve stood about as much as I mean to stand from you,” he said.
“Overton and Nellie are welcome to believe me or not as they like,
but you will either believe me or leave this house.”
His tone was so menacing that Overton stood up, expecting
trouble, but it was Nellie who spoke.
“James will do nothing of the kind,” she said. “If you are not Bob
Lee you have no right to say who shall stay in this house and who
shall not. The house is mine, and I won’t have any one in it who can’t
be civil to James.”
“Then you certainly can’t have me,” said Vickers.
“It seems not,” answered Nellie.
They exchanged such a steel-like glance as only those who love
each other can inflict, and then Vickers flung out of the house.
When, a few minutes later, Overton caught up with him, his anger
had not cooled.
“Hush, hush, my dear fellow,” said the lawyer. “Hilltop is not
accustomed to such language. Let a spirited lady have her heroics if
she wants.”
 Chapter XI
Left alone with her fiancé, perhaps Nellie expected a word of
praise for her gallant public demonstration in his favor. If so, she was
disappointed.
“Upon my word!” he exclaimed, as the door shut after Vickers. “I
never in all my life heard such an audacious impostor. Imagine his
daring to pass himself off as Mr. Lee’s son throughout an entire
month!”
“He told me within twenty-four hours of his arrival that he was not
Bob Lee, and I think he told you, too, James; only you would not
believe him.”
Emmons took no notice of this reply, but continued his own train of
thought. “When I think that for four weeks you have been practically
alone in the house with an escaped murderer—for I don’t believe a
word of all this story about false testimony—my blood runs cold. And
it is only by the merest chance that we have succeeded in rescuing
all your uncle’s property from his hands.”
“I think you are wrong, James. Mr. Vickers never intended to
accept my uncle’s property.”
“My dear Nellie! Women are so extraordinarily innocent in financial
matters. That was the object of his whole plot.”
“I don’t think it was a plot. It seems to me, indeed, that we both
owe an apology to Mr. Vickers.”
“An apology!” said Emmons, and his color deepened. “I think you
must be mad, Nellie. I think I owe an apology to the community for
having left him at large so long. I ought to have telegraphed to the
sheriff of Vickers’s Crossing at once, and I mean to do so without
delay.”
 Nellie rose to her feet. “If you do that, James—” she began, and
then, perhaps remembering that she had been accused of being
over-fond of threats in the past, she changed her tone. “You will not
do that, I am sure, James, when you stop to consider that you heard
Mr. Vickers’s story only because I insisted on having you present. It
would be a breach of confidence to me as well as to him.”
Emmons laughed. “The law, my dear girl,” he said, “does not take
cognizance of these fine points. It is my duty when I have my hand
on an escaped murderer to close it, and I intend to do so. He
probably means to leave Hilltop to-night, and I shall not be able to
get a warrant from Vickers’s Crossing until to-morrow, but I can
arrange with the local authorities to arrest him on some trumped-up
charge that will hold him, until we get the papers.”
He moved toward the door; to his surprise Nellie was there before
him.
“One moment,” she said. “I don’t think you understand how I feel
about this matter. I know Mr. Vickers better than you do. Whatever
he may have done in the past, I feel myself under obligations to him.
He has done more than you can even imagine, James, to make my
uncle’s last days happy. He has been more considerate of me,” she
hesitated, and then went on,—“more considerate of me, in some
ways, than any one I have ever met, though I have been uniformly
insolent and high-handed with him. I admire Mr. Vickers in many
respects.”
“It is not ten minutes, however, since you turned him out of your
house.”
Nellie was silent, and then she made a decisive gesture. “I will not
have you telegraph for that warrant, James. I let you stay under the
impression that you were an honorable man, and I will not have Mr.
Vickers betrayed through my mistake.”
“Honor! betrayed!” cried Emmons. “Aren’t we using pretty big
words about the arrest of a common criminal? I am very sorry if you
disapprove, Nellie, but I have never yet allowed man or woman to
interfere with what I consider my duty, and I don’t mean to now. Let
me pass, please.”
She did not at once move. “Oh, I’ll let you pass, James,” she
answered deliberately, “only I want you to understand what it means.
I won’t marry you, if you do this. I don’t know that I could bring myself
to marry you anyhow, now.”
She had the art of irritating her opponent, and Emmons exclaimed,
“I dare say you prefer this jailbird to me.”
She did not reply in words, but she moved away from the door,
and Emmons went out of it. The instant he had gone she rang the
bell, and when Plimpton appeared she said: “Tell the coachman that
I want a trap and the fastest horse of the pair just as quickly as he
can get it. Tell him to hurry, Plimpton.”
Plimpton bowed, though he did not approve of servants being
hurried. He liked orders to be given in time. Nevertheless, he gave
her message, and within half an hour she was in Mr. Overton’s
drawing-room. The great man greeted her warmly.
“Do you know, my dear Nellie,” he said, almost as he entered, “I
was just thinking that I ought to have made an appointment to see
you again. Of course you are in a hurry to get a complete schedule
of your new possessions, and to know what you may count on in the
future. Shall we say to-morrow—that is Saturday, isn’t it?—about
three?”
“Oh, there is not the least hurry about that,” returned Nellie, and
her manner was unusually agitated, “any time you like. I did not
come about that. I came to ask you if you knew where Bob is—Mr.
Vickers, I mean?”
“Yes,” said Overton, “I do!”
“Something dreadful has happened,” Nellie went on with less and
less composure. “I have only just found it out. As soon as our
interview was over, James Emmons told me he meant to telegraph
to Vickers’s Crossing, or whatever the name of the place is, for a
warrant. He expects to be able to arrest Mr. Vickers at once.”
 “He does, does he—the hound!” cried Overton, for the first time
losing his temper. He rang a bell, and when a servant answered it he
ordered a trap to be ready at once. Returning to Nellie, he found that
she had buried her face in her handkerchief, and he repented his
violence.
“There, there, forgive me, Miss Nellie,” he said. “I did not mean to
call him a hound. I forgot that you were going to marry him.”
“Oh, don’t apologize to me,” replied Nellie, with some animation; “I
wish I had said it myself. I am not going to marry him.”
The news startled Overton. “Why, is that wise, my dear child?” he
said. “Perhaps neither of us does him justice. He is a good, steady,
reliable man, and if I were you, I would not go back on him in a
hurry.”
“He is not any one of those things,” said Nellie, drying her eyes,
and looking as dignified as the process allowed. “He is base. He took
advantage of what he heard in confidence—of what he only heard at
all because I made a point of his being there. Is that reliable, or
steady? I call it dishonorable and I would rather die than marry such
a creature, and so I told him.”
“You know your own business best,” answered Overton, “but the
world is a sad place for lonely women.”
“It would be a very sad place for both James and me, if I married
him feeling as I do,” said Nellie, and judging by her expression
Overton was inclined to agree with her. “It was all very well while I
could respect James, but now——”
“Still, ordinary prudence—” the lawyer began, but she interrupted.
“Don’t talk to me about ordinary prudence. That is what led me into
the awful mistake of being engaged to him at all. I thought it would
be wise. I used to get thinking about the future, and whether I should
have anything to live on——”
“And you don’t think of these things now?”
“I don’t care sixpence about the future,” returned Nellie, “and I’m
sure I don’t know why I’ve been crying, except that I am tired, and I
think I’ll go home. You’ll warn Mr. Vickers, won’t you?”
“I will,” said Overton.
Nellie still hesitated. “He is here, I suppose.”
“Yes. He was thinking of staying to dine with me, and taking a late
train to town. He has a steamer to catch to-morrow; but after what
you say”—Overton looked at his watch—“I rather think that he had
better go at once. There’s a train within half an hour.”
“Oh, he had much better go at once, before James has time to
make trouble,” she answered; and then added gravely, “Mr. Overton,
do you believe that the murder happened just as Mr. Vickers said?”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“So do I,” Overton answered, “but then I have some reason, for I
remember something of the case, which was a very celebrated one
up the State. And now, Nellie, I’ll tell you a secret which I wouldn’t
trust to any one else. I have an impression—a vague one, but still I
trust it—that that case was set straight, somehow or other. If it
should be——”
“Telegraph and find out.”
“I wrote some days ago—the night before your uncle was taken ill;
but I have had no answer. But mind, don’t tell him. It would be too
cruel, if I should turn out to be wrong.”
“I?” said Nellie. “I don’t ever expect to see the man again.”
“I suppose not,” he returned, “and yet I wish it were not too much
to ask you to take him to the station in your trap. He won’t have more
than time, and mine has not come to the door yet.”
Nellie looked as if she were going to refuse, but when she spoke
she spoke quite definitely: “I’ll take him,” she said.
“Thank you,” said Overton, and left the room.
In his library he found Vickers standing on the hearthrug, though
there was no fire in the chimney-place. His head was bent and he
was vaguely chinking some coins in his pocket.
“Well, Vickers,” said his host coolly, “I have a disagreeable piece of
news for you. Emmons, it seems, has telegraphed for a warrant, and
does not intend to let you go until he gets it, but possibly he won’t be
prepared for your slipping away at once. There’s a train at five-ten.
Do you care to try it?”
Vickers looked up, as if the whole matter were of very small
interest to him. “There does not seem to be anything else to do, does
there?” he said.
“Of course, my offer of a position is still open to you.”
“I can’t stay in this country with Emmons on my heels. They’d lock
me up in a minute.”
“You have never heard anything further about your case, have
you?”
“Not a word. There wasn’t much to hear, I expect. I suppose I had
better be going.”
“Your bags are at the Lees’ still, aren’t they?”
“And can stay there, for all I care. I’ll not put foot in that house
again.”
“I hope you don’t feel too resentfully towards Miss Lee,” Overton
began, “for in the first place it was she who brought me word of this
move of Emmons, and in the second——”
“I don’t feel resentful at all,” interrupted Vickers. “But I don’t feel as
if I wanted to go out of my way to see her again.”
“And in the second,” Overton went on, “the only way you can
possibly catch your train now is to let her drive you down. She has a
trap outside, and she seemed to be——”
He paused, for the door had slammed behind Vickers, and when
he followed, the two were already in the trap. Overton smiled.
“That’s right,” he said, “make haste; but you might at least say
good-by to a man you may never see again. Good-by, my dear
fellow; good luck.”
Vickers, a little ashamed, shook hands with the older man in
silence, and Overton went on: “Whatever happens, Vickers, do not
resist arrest. I have ordered a trap and I’ll follow you as soon as it
comes. Not that I anticipate any trouble.”
They drove away, and Overton as he entered the house murmured
to himself, “Not that they listened to a word I said.”
Yet if they had not listened, it did not seem to be from any desire
to talk themselves. They drove out of the gates in silence, and had
gone some distance before Nellie asked,
“Where shall you go to-night, Mr. Vickers?”
“Thank you for your interest,” returned Vickers bitterly, “but it
seems that my plans have been quite sufficiently spread about
Hilltop. Perhaps it would be as well for me not to answer your
question. I am going away.”
Not unnaturally this speech angered Nellie. “You do not seem to
understand,” she said, “that I came to warn you that you must go.”
“I was going anyhow,” he retorted, “but of course I am very much
obliged to you for any trouble you may have taken.”
“I thought it my duty,” she began, but he interrupted her with a
laugh.
“Your duty, of course. You never do anything from any other
motive. That is exactly why I do not tell you my plans. You might feel
it your duty to repeat them to Emmons. I think I remember your
saying that you always tell him everything.”
“You are making it,” said Nellie, in a voice as cool as his own,
“rather difficult for me to say what I think is due to you—and that is
that I owe you an apology for having insisted yesterday——”
“You owe me so many apologies,” returned Vickers, “that you will
hardly have time to make them between here and the station, so
perhaps it is hardly worth while to begin.”
 “You have a right to take this tone with me,” said Nellie, acutely
aware how often she had taken it with him. “But you shall not keep
me from saying, Mr. Vickers, that I am very conscious of how ill I
have treated you, and that your patience has given me a respect for
you—” She stopped, for Vickers laughed contemptuously; but as he
said nothing in answer, she presently went on again: “I do not know
what it is that strikes you as ludicrous in what I am saying. I was
going to add that I should like to hear, now and then, how you are
getting on, if it is not too much to ask.”
He turned on her. “You mean you want me to write to you?”
She nodded.
“I am afraid your future husband would not approve of the
correspondence, and as you tell him everything—no, I had far better
risk it now, and tell you my plans at once. I am going to South
America, where I am going to be a real live general over a small but
excellent little army. I know, for I made some of it myself.”
“And will you be safe there?”
“Yes, if you mean from Emmons and the process of the law. On
the other hand, some people do not consider soldiering the very
safest of professions—especially in those countries, where they
sometimes really fight, and, contrary to the popular notion, when
they do fight, it is very much the real thing. Fancy your feelings,
Nellie, when some day you read in the papers: ‘The one irreparable
loss to the Liberal party was the death of General Don Luis Vickers,
who died at the head of his column....’ Ah, I should die happy, if only
I could die with sufficient glory to induce Emmons to refer to me in
public as ‘an odd sort of fellow, a cousin of my wife’s.’ I can hear him.
My spirit would return to gloat.”
“He will never say that,” said Nellie, with a meaning which Vickers,
unhappily, lost.
“Ah, you can’t tell, Nellie. ‘General Luis Vickers’ sounds so much
better than ‘Vickers, the man the police want.’ And Emmons’s
standards, I notice, depend almost entirely on what people say.
Nellie,” he went on suddenly, “I have something to say to you. You
and I are never going to see each other again, and Heaven knows I
don’t want to write to you or hear from you again. This is all there will
ever be, and I am going to offer you a piece of advice as if I were
going to die to-morrow. Don’t marry Emmons! He is not the right sort.
Perhaps you think I have no right to criticise a man who has always
kept a good deal straighter than I, but it is just because I have
knocked about that I know. He won’t do. You are independent now.
Your farm will bring you in something. Keep the fellow I put in there,
and sell a few of the upland lots. You won’t be rich, but you’ll be
comfortable. Don’t marry Emmons.”
“Why do you say this to me?”
“Because I know it’s the right thing to say. I can say anything to
you. As far as a woman like you is concerned, I realize a man like
myself—without a cent, without even a decent name—doesn’t exist
at all; not even Emmons himself could suppose that in advising you
not to marry him, I have any hope for myself.”
“And yet that is just what he does think.” She forced herself to look
at him, and her look had the anxious temerity of a child who has just
defied its elders.
“Nellie, what do you mean?”
“I am not going to marry Mr. Emmons.”
“You are not! You are not!! Oh, my darling! What a place the world
is! Have I really lost you?”
Nellie smiled at him, without turning her head. “I thought you had
no hope.”
He had no sense of decency, for he kissed her twice on the public
highway. “I haven’t,” he answered. “I can’t stay, and you can’t go with
me. Imagine you in the tropics.”
“I certainly can’t go if I’m not asked.”
“Think what you are saying to me, woman,” he answered. “In
another moment I shall ask you if you love me, and then——”
 She turned to him, and put her hand in his. “Suppose you do ask
me,” she said.
Vickers held it, and bent his head over it, and laid it against his
mouth, but he shook his head. “No,” he said, “I won’t. I have just one
or two remnants of decency left, and I won’t do that.”
He stopped: for Nellie had turned the horse down an unexpected
road. “Where are you going?” he said.
“Back to the house. You can’t sail without your things.”
“My dear girl, I’ve spent half my life traveling without my things.”
“Well, you aren’t going to do it any more,” she answered, and her
tone had so domestic a flavor that he kissed her again.
Plimpton met them in the hall, and Nellie lost no time.
“Pack Mr. Vickers’s things at once, please,” she said, and would
have passed on, but she was arrested by Plimpton’s voice.
“Whose, Madam?” he asked; like many men of parts, he believed
that to be puzzled and to be insulted are much the same thing.
“Mine, Plimpton, mine,” said Vickers. “And just for once leave out
as much of the tissue paper and cotton wool as possible. I’ve a train
to catch.”
“And tell my maid to pack something for me—as much as she can
get into a valise; and tea at once, Plimpton.”
Plimpton did not say that he totally disapproved of the whole plan,
but his tone was very cold, as he said that tea was already served in
the drawing-room.
“Goodness only knows when we shall see food again,” Nellie
remarked as she sat down behind the tea-kettle.
“I can hardly catch my train, Nellie.”
“No matter. We can drive over to the other line—nine or ten miles.”
“It will be rather a long lonely journey back, won’t it?”
 “For the horse, you mean?” said Nellie. “Well, to tell the truth I
don’t exactly know how the horse is going to get back and I don’t
much care.”
“Nellie,” said Vickers, and he laid his hand on her shoulder with a
gesture that was almost paternal. “I can’t let you do this. You have no
idea what a life it would be,—what it would mean to be the wife of a
man who——”
“I shall know very soon,” returned she irrepressibly. “But I have
some idea what a life it would be to be left behind, and so I am afraid
you must put this newly-found prudence of yours in your pocket, and
make up your mind——”
But she did not finish a sentence whose end was fairly obvious, for
the door was thrown open in Plimpton’s best manner, and Emmons
entered. He stopped on seeing Vickers, and stared at him with round
eyes.
“You!” he cried. “This is the last place I should have thought of
looking for you.”
“But does not a meeting like this make amends—” Vickers began
lightly, but Nellie struck a better note with her cool: “I should think
this would have been the most natural place to look. Tea, James?”
“No, thank you,” replied Emmons sternly. “I’ve no time for tea just
now. I parted from the sheriff not ten minutes ago, and I must go and
find him at once.”
“Sorry you won’t stay and have a chat,” said Vickers. “But
doubtless you know best.”
“You’ll find out what I know within half an hour,” said Emmons, and
left the room, slamming the door behind him.
“James is developing quite a taste for repartee,” observed Vickers.
Nellie rose, put out the light under the kettle, and began to draw on
her gloves. “We must start now,” she said.
“Now, or never,” said Vickers.
 They were half-way down the drive before Nellie asked in the most
matter-of-fact tone, “Are the bags in?”
He nodded.
“Mine, too?”
“Yours, too, Nellie. Weak-kneed that I am, when I felt it in my hand,
I said a brave man would leave this one behind, but—I put it in.”
Catching his eye, she smiled. “That was very kind of you,” she
said, “for I, you know, have not spent half my life traveling without my
things.”
 A NEW NOVEL OF UNUSUAL MERIT
H. H. BASHFORD’S
THE PILGRIMS’ MARCH
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 AS THE HAGUE ORDAINS
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 ANTHONY HOPE’S RUPERT OF HENTZAU
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