The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-01-16
HIS PREFERENCE.

HIS PREFERENCE.
,% BY TOM GALLON.
Capt. John Walker sat alone in his
quarters, reading trembliugly
scrawled note that sent old memories
surging thickly through his brain, and
1inincd for an instant the CLEAN Of
Ills fearless blue eyes, and caused his
strong teeth to close more ficrccly on
the stem of the briar-wood pipe. Seven
long years had gone by since last he
had looked upon that writing-seven
long years wherein he had stubbornly
fought down-alike in the glare of
barrack square, and in the fierce din
and strife of Afghan skirmishes-the
bright memory of u woman's face, the
vanished touch of q woman's white
hand. Now, the writing was with him
again, to take up the old lost thread,
and teach him how vain a thing had
been his dream that he could ever let
it drop from out the tangle of his life.
He read the letter softly to himself;as
lie sat there:
my DEAR OLD JAcK-The thought has
come upon me-now, az lie here, with the
night swiftly coming On-that must write
to you-that must see you. II you will
come to me-if you will look with those
dear, honest eyes into mine-if you will
hold my hand, and tell me that you have
learned to forget and forgive all the mud
dle-all the dreams; If you will whisper
that you have learned to pity the dreamer.
I think can be happy, even now. But
you must not think that love him the less;
It is never that. I want you both to be
friends; and want to talk to YOU, for the
last time. It cannot matter now, dear
Jack; am dying. VIM you come?-EvA.
Can't. John Walker crushed the note
In his hand, and sprang up, with a sob
smothered in his throat.
"Dying-Eva dying! my little Eva!
And she wants to see me. l. wonder
where that mooney idiot of husband
is; writing more of those eternallyrics,
that will never be published, save by
the medium of obscure subscription.
It's a lucky thing the fellow had money
of his own, or they would have starved,
long since. And she's dying! It's too
awful-it's-Here, Childers-get my
things together; I'm going to town.
And look out the next train-and ask
Lieut.. North to see me ut oncc-and
hurry up"
The man of war had taken up the lost
and broken thread of seven years back,
merely to find that it ravelled out in
his fingers after all, and left his eager
hands empty. For he had came to the
woman as her tired eyes were closing
on the great mystery men call life
the mystery she was but dimly and
gropingly beginning to understand, as
something whose drift she had not
seen before. He had stood, silent, and
i,atfled, and helpless, beside the one
woman who had ever brought any
softer rays of beauty into his stern life
had stood there, in awe and despair
of that. relentless, unseen power which
was slowly creeping in to snatch her
from him. And when the end
had come, and he had loosen
ed her fingers from his own, and
had kissed the calm lips that never
more should breathe his name, and had
staggered from the room, Capt. John
Walker treasured in his heart the re-
membrance of pair of wistful, dying
eyes-the touch of futtering, weak
handsome half-dozen broken SEN
tences-and added them to the men,
ories of seven long years before, and
was grateful.
But now, be stood in another room,
looking out modify through the long
French windows, at an old-world gar
den-thinking, perchance, of how often
that dainty figure, now so still in the
darkened upper room, had fitted
through it during the seven years that
were gone. The afternoon sunlight
streamed in full upon him as he stood
there, whilst, on the further side of the
room, in the shadow, there paced rest
lessly to and fro, with hands clasped
behind back, and head bent, the figure
of the husband-Mait]and Kearsley. A
tall, thin man, with STOPPING Shout
ders, and long hair. falling untidily
upon the collar of ,his velvet coat; q
man who had doubtless at one time
fOCCA A1uOoOAAAOs I'OA AAOVVS LAO AVOVuA S3
were fine, and regular; but their ex-
preston was marred by look of peev-
ish ,ill-humor, that had furrowed the
highforehead, and left deep indenta-
tions about the rather large mouth.
When he spoke-as he did now, with
out stopping in his restless movement
to and fro-his voice was high and
rasping, with q peculiarly irritating
lrawl in it's tones.
Zone can scarcely grasp the true and
inner meaning of it all" he said. slowly,
without looking at the upright figure
by tho window. II am not cruel; am
only just, when I say that there was
aittlc in-in common between us. She
was good-and-and gentle-as the
trite saying goes; II am sorry; II
had not known that she was so ill., He
stopped in his restless wink, and looked
half inquiringly at the other, whose
back was turned towx7ds him. per
chance, the world. in it's blindess, might
dub me selAnh-"
+ IT fear SC" .auttered Walker.
% fovs 70 s%>y