Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-07

/
at might be pleasant. but my own Is nearer.
So they turned into the nearer OF the two
| Uushroom-like erections, and Lieutenant Annes.
| relief.
His host busted himself in getting out cigars and
Sn
That's neat little thing, he said show does
he had touched the spring, and the bag being
unlocked It opened rather rapidly, and its con-
miscellaneous collection OF papers, books, and a
fairly large plush photograph frame. That fell
face upward. disclosing the Likeness Of very
he started up with wild exclamation, and stood
| staring down upon II.
| Dr. Snaresbrook had not observed the accident
until he heard the exclamation; when he looked
round he saw his private properties lying in con-
fused mass, and he looked from them to the other
mans face, puzzled at what he read there.
| Annesley stopped and picked up the photo.
"Wno is she?" he asked In hoarse voice. with an
| tndescribabe catch in his breath.
That" said the doctor calmly, shat is the girl
| am engaged TO"
He would nave taken her portrait into his own
| keeping again, but it was held in too tight q
grasp.
"Her name" answered the Doctor ais Patience
| Cotterin. Is that sufficient for your"
He succeeded this time In detaching the photo
graph and kneeling down, restored 1t to its place
| In the vaiise. He performed this action with so
much elaboration that his companion had almost
ges to that end, but he had not; on the contrary,
| he seemed TO have worked himself up into a still
greater heat OF emotion. When Dr.. snaresbrook
stood up again, has face was red with STOPPING, his
| voice had peculiar information.
| "Do you know--her?" he asked.
II VI did," said Annesiey, "before left
There was silence again. The atmosphere Of
| tle little tent was oppressive. DR.. Snaresbrook
l drCf IN hTAa hot L tod RI
| make tocular remark
You ought to apologize" he said, "for prylng
into my rs warning to me not to
| The other laughed harshly. Ill think I'll CO."
he said GOOD afternoon"
| The doctor watched him depart. He walked
unSteadily across the space between the two tents
~ suppose she refused him." he said. "Poor
fellow he seems hard hit, and Patience never men,
Later that evening he was tossing on.his hard
couch, seeking In vain for GOODNESS and repose
| After he fell into uneasy sumber he dreamed
strange dreams kaleidoScope-like visions In which
| the forms OF Patience and Lieut. AnneSley chased
| each other through and through his brain. They
seemed always to elude him, and to dance will-o'-
the-whisp-like before his eyes, and he had q sense
| OF peering into troubled darkness, and hearing
But when morning broke there was much work
| to be homework of a nature before which all
private and personal considerations failed. DR..
SnareSbrook had considered himself lucky in hav-
| ing gained the appointment that had enabled him
to pass his year OF probation away from England,
and had SUFFICIENT love OF adventure to make this
chance OF sharing the compaign in the East an at
traction. But now 1t was growing to be weary
work. The one or two regiments stationed in this
influences; sickness was doing dire work among
the troops Men, especially the young and unsea-
soned, were dying daily. and he found himself
| medical skill proved poweriess.
Once or twice the chill fancy had smOte him.
where all his hopes were centered? What Il this
year OF wandering, which he looked on merely as
a probation, should be the finale Of life? So
many men had lain down to die In that weary
desert; the most OF them died uncomplainingly,
being worn out beforehand by the insdlous dis
ease.
He rose that morning unusually depressed and
unrefreshed by that troubled Sleep and proceeded
to the hospital, distant mile or so away.
AS he passed AnneSley'S tent he thought he
would look in, but he resisted the impulse. "Poor
beggarI" he thought. ave were Just becoming
friends, but suppose that's at end!'
II he had looked in he would have found the tent
empty. When he did arrive at the hospital he
heard that Lieut.. Annesley was among the fresh
batch OF patients ordered In by the chief physi-
clan.
He was very lll--there was no question Of that;
in another day he was pronounced in mortal
danger DR.. SnareSbrook had not seen him: curl
ously enough, when he had prepared to enter the
physician.
II am sorry" he said, with perplexed express
sion. land 1t seems strange hallucination, but
the nurse who is tending Lieut.. Annesley tells me
that he M made d her promise not to allow you to ap
"A curious hallucination, indeed" said DR..
Snaresbrook but his face grew so white that the
"Were you great friends.n he asked inquistively,
Enemies? No. We were almost strangers, had
seen very little OF each other"
"Ah, then you Will not mind; 1t must be fancy
OF delrtum; but the nurse, who Is conscientious
person, declares that she gave her solemn promise
not TO admit you, 80 we must humOr him."
Later In the day the news went forth to the reg1-
ment that one OF the most popular and dearly
sitting alone in his tent, received the news with
stunned diSmay; why, he hardly knew. Still less
could he anayze his own sensations when small
package was handed in to him, left addressed In
his name In Lieut.. Annesley's tent.
1t contained tiny parcel with Patiences name
upon it. and note for DR.. SnaresDrook himself.
"Wll you give her this; and assure her Of my
forgiveness"
1t was spring ag lin In England the spring after
Mr.. Cotterills death. DIR. Snaresbrook had re-
turned from his soJourn In the East. once again
the summons reached Patience's ear that he, her
friend and her fathers appointed guardian OF her,
waited for an interview. She came slowly, as be-
fore, down the broad staircaSe-as before be saw
her coming. but this time he made no eager step
forward, he stood with one clenched hand resting
on the table. waiting to know his fate.
He had written TO apprfse her OF his return,
and in his letter he had enclosed the package
given him by Lieut.. Annesley-urged thereto By
a motive he could not define.
SO that when he came in he looked very anxi.
ouSiy into her face. She had not recovered her
bloom, she was sad, distract looking girl now
but there was an air OF resolution around her that
he was not slow to perceive.
She came straight toward him this time and of.
fered her hand, but he shrank from 1t, and trem-
bled, strong man as he was.
"Am Ito take 1t, Patience?" he asked Then he
saw that she had In the left hand his letter and the
packet he had enclosed.
"If you will" she answered gravely. 'sThere
waS-thiS-between us beforehand 1t was all SO
puzzling Now that he is-dead" with a little
sob 81 have no need to puzzle 1t any longern
Dr. SnareSbrOOk was conscious that q great red
flush rose In his own face-he looked at the girl
through a mist Of pain and dismay.
"WaS-that it," he said slowly
"Yes, said Patience. Il loved him-and then
there was my fathers command-and could not
see my way at all Now" with faint smile "there
IS no problem at all is there?"
The dryeyed misery OF her face was too much
for him to witness. She had not said all her say
yet.
''The worst Of it was" she went On. 'that he
thinks changed-that did not care This letter
is TO forgive me for getting engaged to you. He
wishes he had known"
''Oh, hush," said DIR. Snaresbrook. Young Annes-
leys face rose before him in its desperate haggard
misery. "D1dn't you ever writer"
81 did not know what TO say" said Patience 81
felt as If 1t must clear itself-but wrote and told
him-at last-that my father was dead, and the
letter came back TO me. 1" (she laughed hystert-
cally)-"I had put the wrong address ON it."
The Doctor sat down and laid his head on his
two hands with groan. He was startled by the
girls next words.
"You need not mind-if you still want me to
marry you" she said. "You see this year OF wait
ing has made 1t electrically"
Like Hash his memory went back to the day
when he had spoken to her-when he had ac-
cepted her nat OF separation. He had been so