The Democratic advocate., 1894-08-18
VOL. XXIX.-NO. 42.


been like mother TO him. Can | leave
you here, dear Kitty? thought | would
20 with kind Capt. Pelham and find the
boy, to save time. You have lots OF
friends, l know, here. Yes, there are the
Staceys and the Egertons; stay with them
if you like
Miss Malone's eyes were dazzled by the
glare of the sun, and by her constant ef-
forts to discern figure that was familiar
to her among the red tunics. She knew
that when the men were embarked, all
would be over, and her last chance gone.
She strained her eyes till the tears almost
started into them. 1t was so difficult to
people in these helmets that
came so low over their foreheads. Sud-
denly, almost at her elbow, two sergeants
passed by. The taller one, with the smart,
upright figure was he at last. He looked
at her with the same lingering gaze that
had attracted her before. But it left
different impression on her now. Itseem-
ed to imply reproach-was it even some
thing stronger-disdain, contempt? Kitty
Malone's cheeks were like white roses, as
the young man, without making sign Of
strobe on towards the landing
place. All he was gentleman still, and
he had never been introduced to her, she
He would not of course think
it right to speak to her. But neverthe-
less her heart frightened strangely as she
walked restlessly away to join her friends.
Soon Vincent was back again, and at her
side. She hardly heard his rather tedious
concerning the great ship ly-
ing now as if asleep'in the sun.
"Would you like to come on board,
Kitty"
ayes, she would And she followed
her fianee across the gangway. Under the
blazing rays she stood impassive, while
Vincent introduced her to officers and
others of his acquaintance, half vacant
smile on her lips, her eyes still wandering
restless and aching over the herd of scar
let figures. Sergt. Rhodes was now stand
ing some forty feet away, looking at her
again. Kitty's cheeks burnt and her knees
shook. She glanced at Capt. Pelham
at this moment laying down the law to a
Young veterinary surgeon who had vacu-
Gus face. In a second she had approached
the sergeant, and was holding out her lit
tie hand. He hesitated, raised his own to
his helmet, hesitated again, and took it in
bis.
81 have come to say good-by, said Kit
ty in the shaking voice of child who has
been punished
"Ahp
at was really to see you l came 1
wanted to-ohl it's so conventional to say
wish you luck, but you know what [
mean
His eyes were only reckless today. They
had lost the softer look that had come into
them few evenings ago for just an hour
"Thank you, Miss Malone. And wish
you all joy in the future too. For my
self, if you ever think of me enough to
form a desire for me, let it only be this,
that l may never come home or see you
more"
"Oh What have | done %
The soldiers around her burst suddenly
into a song. She started at the volume Of
sound.
Should and acquaintance be forgot
The familiar and pathetic words sung by
these full, boyish voices cut her to the
heart
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne-
And when she turned her head Sergt.
Rhodes was gone.
Again, as the dusk was closing in, and
Kitty and Lady Celbridge hurried down to
the wharf once more, she saw him. But
he was not looking at her this time. He
was talking to comrade, and laughing so
loud that she could see his white teeth
through the dim light.
When the moon came out and the clouds
moved slowly, like great black birds, over
the tunnels and masts, she saw him once
again. The silver light made his helmet
seem almost dazzling, and his face looked
strange and blanched too As the great
ship got slowly under way the soldiers
took their caps and helmets off, and
cheered as they waved them. And the
pitiless moon smiled down upon the bare
heads and boyish features, with the same
,allous stare with which she would per-
haps watch them lying still more paled in
The deserts far away across the sea; and
instead of the black clouds drifting to-
night every moment further off, evil winged
creatures would then draw closer to faces
lpturned and rigid under the gaze of her
cold eyes. A young man with gold stripes
upon his sleeve suddenly pressed forward
md leaned over the side of the ship, and
lmid the noise of deafening cheers and
'tifed sobs upon the shore, his eyes flashed
/ last message to woman who watched
lim 90, a message that could never have
oeen uttered in words even had the rushing
seas not rolled between them.
CHAPTER III.
Miss Kitty's enemies to do her JUS
ice, there were not many of these-ac-
that she had wonderfully i'm
proved since the departure of Capt Pelham
or Egypt. Lord and Lady Ryde, her
uture parents-in-law, wrote almost enthu-
,iastically about her to other members of
heir family. Lord Ryde, whose hobbies
we're MS own health anu the results upon |
t of various patent medicines, thought her
Iindly and sympathetic, and Lady Ryde, |
whose mind was almost entirely absorbed |
n details concerning High Church ritual,
'ound Kitty always ready to read aloud |
lrticles from her favorite controversial
newspapers and to attend her to church at
Ill hours.
Kitty's father, who had lived in London
or years and lost almost every characteris-
ic of the race from which he had sprung,
rather provoking tendency to
,he display of outward emotion, had always
considered his daughter faultless. But
,yen he was sensible of her increased gen.
.leness of manner, her more fully developed
powers of sympathy, her patient consider
ltion towards the shortcomings of others
She was very sad and silent sometimes, but
hat was Of course only to be expected du-
ring Vincent's absence. Mr. Malone was
sincerely glad to see how romantically in |