Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-11-07


rather long, as if something perplexed
him. She felt searching eyes bent
upon her face and suddenly threw
,lown her arms. The doctor drew
,ack, his face paling, and the two
looked at each other for minute in
,5ilence. She spoke first, putting out
her hand timidly.
Richard, don't you remember me?"
Remember you2 As if I were likely
ever to forget you"
She softly touched his empty sleeve,
pinned over his breast, two tears stand
ing in her eyes.
"At Black Gulch. he said. "I have
got over minding it. Don't grieve."
''You left the army?"
"Yes, four years ago. Ny health
gave way. I studied medicine in
indianapolis, was invited hero by an
old friend to become his assistant, and
shortly afterward he died. That is
all"
"fou never-never-
eyes; married"
The words were an unexpected stab.
Margaret gasped, amazed that she
should care. Her face suddenly be.
came suffused with color. and she
turned it away.
"5he only lived . year---Margaret. "
said the doctor, bending down to study
the fair, flushed face, suddenly pain.
| smitten.
"My arm!" said Margaret family,
| drawing his attention to the lesser
hurt.
He was the doctor again at once,
sional gravity, and as impersonal as
the sphinx yet the woman felt through
every nerve, like the musical vibra.
ton, the thrill of his firm, warm
fingers, the scrutiny Of his eyes. He
was changed, worn through suffering
rather than years, his face lined, his
hair grown gray; with nothing young
about him but his eyes, which sparkled
with cheer and brightness no grief
could dim, for they mirrowed mind
above all personal consideration, con.
cerned with those large, loving inter
ests belonging to humanity.
| The doctor came and went quietly,
her eyes following him. When he in.
tercepted the look she blushed like 8
schoolgirl. Too busy all that day to
give her more than necessary atten-
ton, he yet lost nothing that passed,
and she had a sense which was oddly
pleasant that he understood somethin
of what was passing in her mind. Ii
was terrible, too. There were moment
when she wished herself miles away.
| o1l v,1 IL i'll
ne endured that long day, Margaret's
roul was the battle-ground OF strug-
| rle far more exhausting. Ambition,
,.ride, and love of the world Tough:
!Iard against a tender, newly-born i'm,
,,ulse, which it seemed that a single
breath of reason ought to chill to
death.
| The Goals burned red in the open
stove little tea table was set in the
middle of the room, and in the easiest
chair in the house, piled with all the
available cushions, the doctor placed
Margaret, taking his position opposite
her. The solemn Swedish girl brought
in supper, which was we'll cooked ald
served with q scrupulous cleanliness
that almost atoned for the absence ot
n more dainty service.
The doctors face shown with salts
faction, but his manner, although gen
ial, was ceremonious. Margaret felt
that, in the few feet intervening be-
tween them. there lay years of care
and grief and disappointment. She
FELT a yearning to bridge the chasm, to
lraw nearer to him, even though she
herself had to take the hard steps to-
ward understanding.
Thought the woman: "Does he love
me still?" And thought the man: "Is
she tired of the world, and could she
learn to love me now?"
But they spoke of music of camp
life on the western frontier; of what
they had seen, what they had read.
Not word of what they felt. A few
hours later the doctor stood in his bara
little soldiers bed room, and looked in
his glass. For five minutes he studied
himself, and then he turned away, re-
solved to let no new hope spring up in
his heart. But Margaret slept to
dream of him, woke through TIE night
thinking of him, as she could not havo
ii cugnt in the old days, when he
wooed her in the confidence Of his
fresh, hopeful youth.
There was no hotel in the village,
and the few scattered houses were
crowded with the wounded passengers,
lying over till we'll enough to proceed
with their journey. Margaret was not
sorry that there was no other place for
aer than the refuge she had been
;asen to. 81 am thinking that I an
singularly fortunate in being in the
DOCTORS house, where get special at
tention," she said to him, with q little
auttering smile.
In time these shy looks wrought
upon the doctor, and his stern resolu
ton wavered. He found himsel
sounding her preferences and attach
ments, with the unconfessed design O.
extracting some unguarded word tha
might indicate change in her Ole
convictions. Carrying on together
these two processes es-determination to
refrain and resolution to pursue, which
often accompanies some course of &C
ton embraced in accordance with 6
natural, unworldly judgment, he man
eyed to betray to the eager girl all HI
|
know. She had telegraphed to Balti
more that she would be there in tel
days. Four of them had passed, ant
fho was free from pain and able to pu
her foot to the ground. The doctor
persisted in helping her from he
couch to the chair and back again.
"But can walk alone now," she OBJ
jected.
"We must be careful. Not until to
morrow" She protested with grea
| earnestness. "True--I have but on
erm," he sad, with the first accent O
bitterness she had heard from him
Her lips parted to give utterance to
| sudden rush of words, but she only
looked at him, with eyes SO eloquen
that he answered the look.
''Margare:, do you care? Dear,