Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-22
! sHE D1DEr 90 TO THB FRONT.

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Then l shall go as a nurse" said
Alice, in tones whose firmness was de-
tracted from by a suspicious mois-
ture under her left eyelid.
gazed at our wheels lying idly on
the sunny greensward in front Of the
log on which we sat, and sighed. This
was probably our last spin together
before my departure for Southern
duty with my regiment, and | had
postponed until now telling my rather
lmpetuous tiance that active con-
filct and not mere drill duty would be
the probable outcome of our trip.
1t was too bad to spoil the lovely
afternoon and the somewhat SUBJ
dued joys OF our final outing by the
revelation OF the unpleasant truth,
but there was no alternative. | had
expected regrets, expostulations, and
possibly tears, but had omitted from
my considerations the Red Cross Blu.
reau and an unsupported strength Of
will on the subject on the part OF my
usually arniable betrothed.
You would not like it," said |. ten.
tatively, having exhausted more ten.
der argument.
1T would hardly he a question Of
taste, Robert, said Alice, loftily.
felt abashed.
Think how disgustingly warm II
would be-" said i.
1.-THE climate will hardly influence
my decision in a case of this kind"
replied my tiance, besides, | have
oceans Of perfectly lovely shirt waists
to wear If it's too warm for our uni
forms"
There really seemed nothing else to
be said.
Think Of the bugs" ventured;
"the awful, Gravity things that sleep
all day and come out at night to ex.
plore your tent. You'll have to sleep
in tent, you know"
III you are going TO trife about the
matter, Robert" said Alice majestic.
ally, you may do so alone. ! GER
tainly shall not stay to listen to YOU"
And she moved away-not very far.
| fired my last shot.
"You haven't any courage said l,
ungallantly.
The jaunty cocks feather on Al
Ices hat seemed to rear itself aloft de.
family at the mere assertion, and Al.
ice advanced Indignantly toward me.
mo courage" she repeated, in tones
whose subdued calmness should have
awed me.
No." | pursued recklessly, no
courage. Do you suppose that girl
that covers up her ears when the hero
displays an unloaded pistol in the
play, and grabs her salts and turns
white when fellow gets a broken
head in football scrimmage has any
courage? ! guess not
Robert said my tiance, with a
queeny and inspiring tilt OF her small
head, 1T seems useless to discuss this
question with you. If, however, she
proceeded with alarming increasing
frgidity, you could possibly defer
forming your opinion on the subject
until opportunity offers a proof, |
think you will have no reason to say
that lack courage
ooh, very WELL" | assented, diplo.
matically and ablectedIy, very well,
my dear. Shall we file the subject
away for future reference and ride
on? IT'S getting rather late"
So on we rode into the waning gold
EN- glory of the summer afternoon.
Presently there sloped before us a
short. steep descent, at the bottom of
which the road curved sharply to the
left.
"Oh. Rob-" exclaimed my betrothed,
this is just right for coast; come
on" Coasting, it should be explained,
was (but is no longer) Alice's ruling
passion. | had had several previous
melancholy experiences in the Line OF
coasting.
"low do you know what is around |
that curve?" | suggested, obviously.
Once we're started we can't possibly
stop, you know
Are you afraid?" inquired Alice,
scornfully, and in a somewhat remin-
iscent tone
l took my feet off the pedals. So
did she. We coasted.
My recollections of the subsequent
forty-fve seconds are vague, very
vague. | can recall only trenzied |
rush through space, mad dash
around that alluring. mysterious
curve, and precipitate encounter with
a monumental stone wall which SEEM
ed to be advancing around the curve
in an opposite direction with terri
flying momentum.
When | opened my eyes | was lying
on my back with a much damaged
wheel beside me, and l became grad
ually conscious that Alice was sit
ting on the stone wall above me sob
bling broken-heartedly.
"Oh, Rob-" she walled, aren't you
killed."
I shook my head and tried to get
up, but finding such an effort produc.
tive Of unpleasant complications in
my anatomy, subsidized onto the