The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-11-26
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..


draw my CONCLUSIONS OF the past from INC
future Sit down here and Talk over those
candy and ribbon days One of my men
disappointed me at the last moment You
ran more than take his place II you VIII
consent If had known you were here,
should have sent for you When did you
somcy"
AT noon l brought some prisoners for
Alcatraz L meant to call on you tomor-
row
Then Esther questioned him in her deep,
sweet voice, How long shall you stop
here"
For fortnight possibly"
Where are you stationed now" She
knew we'll enough.
AT Apache. so you can imagine what
n treat civilization is to me. How does 1t /
happen that find you here"
I've are stationed at the Preside. You .
must come TO see us I
II will he answered He would have |
done anything those rcd lips might ask !
him to do The rccGdinS tide of his love
for her had swept back with mighty |
force.
How beautiful you are, Estherl" he
said after moment.
II always was
"You have no more false modesty than
of yore.
why should I have? didn't mako
myself so I'm not praisi4g my own handi-
work, and frankly admit that if were
to have made myself 1 think should
have chosen my present model"
but there is more than mere beauty OF
feature now"
Character, l suppose-which4l lacked
as child 1t is odd that character, even
H. nxa n
face -
Then she turned her head and bestowed
the light of her countenance on the civilian
beside her, whose infatuation was obvious.
Every man in the post and the city
will hate you with a deadly hatred if Miss
Gorschkov happens to take fancy to you
for old sake's SAKE Mrs. Graves warned
him
Even her fancy would be cheaply pur-
chased at that cost. ~
perhaps A woman Of her beauty is
not born into the world once in acycle
certainly"
And Miss GorschEov was pleased to
fancy him. She advertised the fact She
was not one to fear any means that would
gain her ends. She threw away her pride
and came at his call She forgave him the
past and met him more than half way.
But Dudley was too much in love to de-
spise or mistrust her for this He applied
for a two months leave and spent every
available moment of it with her. Mrs
Graves in her quality of a school chum OF
his mothers and an old friend of himself
warned him. Esther has done this same
thing before, James. Take c;Te. She is
as beautiful us Cleopatra, and there are
many who say she is as bad--at heart.
Make love to her if you choose, Caesar, but
let your vito be u woman who is above
suspicion.
Dudley never spoke to her again, and
he continued his fanatical cult of his god
dess
His leave came to an end, and he went
back to Apache. He who hud been u light
mocker and philosopher of life saw the
bottom drop out of his universe when he
had to go from her. She wrote to him
twice n day for time, then once day,
then once n week, and finally the mail or
derby handed him n letter from Esther that
was almost verbatim copy of the one he
had sent to her six years before, even TO the
closing phrase, In time you W.. IL drink of
the waters of Lcthe and will forget me as
utterly as l deserve to be forgotten.
A light of memory broke harsh and
/ crude through the rosy clouds that had
enwrapped him. But he said to himself
that justice had been meted out to him
| stern and untempered, and he made no APP
peal.
Something more than u twelvemonth
| later Esther Gorschkov sat at dinner be-
| side the man whom she was then playing
| fast and loose, who would not be warned
by the fate of the many whose bodies were
Strewn upon the shores where this Cythera
| had trod.
"You promised, you know" he said to
her, that you would answer any question
| tonight"
What question:"
Don't banter, please. lam in earnest
"You appear to be, and everybody can
see it too. Go on and eat and look as
| though you were discussing the dynamite
gun or something"
II will do whatever you choose If You
I will tell me if you will marry me"
ooh! Is that what you mean? Icouldn't
l remember whether it was you or Mr.. Clay
l ton who had asked me. Maybe it was both
1 of you. But l can't see why you should
| bother about that sort of thing at dinner
Why don't you wait until the dance? 1t
would be so much better form. Fancy
1 saying NO to man and then putting
piece of a harmless littlo lamb in ones
| mouth"
Are you going to say Mop"
Gracious, but we are insistent! How
| should 1 know what l am gong to say:
| Go on and cat and stop hanging on my
l words or l won't answer you ut all. 1t is
l SO fearfully conspicuous.
Even in his suspense the man could not
I but return. whence this new7found dis.
like to being conspicuous"
Miss Gorschkov smiled slowly and start
4 ed to answer, but a voice from across the
1 table stopped her.
What is it, Captain Lawrcnce2" She
| asked
Have you heard of Lieutenant Dudlcy's
| death?'
mo. Is he dead?'
"He died at Apache n week ago"
"Im so sorry. But, frankly, don't
I think dinner table the place for funeral
I notices." she rebukcd him. He disliked
| her, and she saw the purpose of his an
l nouncexnent. Her dead white skin could
l turn no whittier, and her smiling red lips
were painted.
"Cold hearted devil!'' the captain NUT
/ tered as she turned back to the man at her
side.
$50 you want me to marry you? will
| But want you to understand why. 1t is
| because have just been told that the only
l man have ever loved or ever will love is
| dead. Do you want me-knowing that?"
Even knowing that-yes."
Every we'll"
She spoke across the table again. "Cap-
tain Lawrence, do you happen to know
how Mr.. Dudley died? We might as well
have the coroner's verdict since you have
given US the other notices.
He died of drink" he told her merci-
lessly
II never knew that he drank"
"He never did until he went back from
here year ago. He took to it furfously
after that and would have been dismissed
if be had not died probably. Can you ac-
count for it?'
Miss Gorschkov smiled. perhaps he
| fancied he was quaffing the waters of
Lethe, ~ she said.-Gwendolen Overton in
| Argonaut.
No Sunday In the Klondike.
A young man named Heater, who left
| his fathers farm in Braxton county, W.
Va, about q year ago for tho purpose Of
| working in sawmill in Alaska, has writ
| ten home that he has struck 1t rich in the
| KlOndike and rs proof of his statements