Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-21
gEAnhGTT6 HoWABW7OETH.
COPYRIGHT, 1897 BY THE AUTHOR,

idences."
II have nothing to tell you"
Nothing to tellf"
Nothing"
Nothing to tell in these stormy
times, when just to be a man is an ex-
ira privilege?'
Nothing"
What have you been doing since
you carried off the first honors at col
lege?"
Nothing"
What are you going to do?"
Nothing"
WELL"
A volume in four letters. He did not
look at her. He knew just how full Of
scorn her bright, clear eyes were just
then. He would have found it a pleas
ant relief at that moment to have
marched up to the mouth Of a loaded
cannon. A second later he was grind
ing his teeth in impotent rage, His
short hour of bliss was eliminating i'll
gloom and bitterness.
With a slight forward motion she
had set the heavy rocker in motion, and
looking at him with concentrated in
terest said demurely:
"You might take out a contract to
supply the army with turnips. There is
no risk in that.
He grew white to the very edge of
his lips. She turned her bright, dry
eyes from his tortured face to say in low
tone confidence to the backlog:
And We need men SO much right
now"
"Mamiei'
1t was the cry of a wounded animal.
He looked at her across the broken
brick hearth, with all the agony Of his
soul stamped on his face. The hot light
in her eyes was quenched in sudden
tears. She flung out her hands with a
passionate gesture.
How could you disappoint me so:
You promised me you would do great
things for my sake, because | believed
in you straight through. Your opportu-
nifty, such a golden one has come.
What are you doing with it? Rusting
out, just rusting out, in ignoble ease,
in ~disgraceful idleness. l never thought
to have found you here. OF course !
supposed you were fighting, but you
loved your ease better than you did my
good opinion
ease! Good Godl"
Eyes, ease, Strong Martin. Father,
my darling, delicate man Of books, is
sleeping this moment, if he ever does
sleep these awful days, on a pile of
straw, l suppose, with snakes and things
crawling all over his blessed body. Per-
haps he tramped all day long In an
empty stomach too. They say our sol
diers are all half starved to death. But
what do you care? And his shoes-fa-
theirs, | mean. He made a picture of
them in his last letter, for my diver.
sion, he wrote. 1t threw me into hys-
terics. The letter was written on wall
paper too. But I'd rather. yes, ten
thousand thousand times rather, have
him tramp all over the state Of Vir.
ginia without any shoes at all on his
feet than to stay at home and have the
finger Of scorn pointed at him. Bless
his dear old hearth | made him two
shirts out Of the parlor curtains last
week and ent them to him with some
socks l knitted for him. I do hope they
will fit him-the shirts, I mean, but
they did look dreadfully corkscrewy,
and perhaps. oh, perhaps, he'll get shot
in one OF those very shirts But I don't
care, l don't care, he's doing a mans
part, while you
A hot rush of tears rendered her next
words unintelligible. Strong sprans
from his chair and began the circuit u
the 0 like q hunted thing seeking q
point Of egress.
II am not worth one single tear from
q good woman's eyes, " he said, stopping
in front Of her and speaking in q stifed
voice.
From behind Miss Colyer's damp
handkerchief assent came with cruel
promptness.
II know you are not OF course You
are not. But | told you . woman had to
make a fool of herself about somebody. "
II will enlist tomorrow"
What for?"
She emerged into view suddenly,
with recovered composure.
because you want me to-"
"That is an excellent motive Strange
II did not move you to enlist earlier in
the action"
mamie. will you hold your scorn in
hand q few momentsp II cuts like q
whiplash. lwant to say q few words in
self defense,
well.
He did not sit down. With his hands
folded behind him he stood in front Of
her, resolved for this one time only to
vindicate his attitude in wordA
II don't think | am Q coward. Per.
haps ! deceive myself, but I am not in
sympathy with this thing. l think it
10 an accursed mistake from beginnip
TO end"
lyon are Z Union mani" She looked
ct him in horror. reooiling a. from some
visible reptile.
~ am. / repeat ths whole thing Il
IN internal mistake according to my
WY Of thinking. Aftsf awhile there
will b more man 70 hold my Views
1.ss nnw nannle are iuAcxinAAaA :