The Lamar register., 1899-05-17

LnII lay HtuSdAA AAS AaaAhNNF =
that sent a pang like the piercing OF
a hot iron through IT, and sweet
voice said:
Can do anything for you, my poor
man? The surgeon will be here I'M
mediately, and I thought Il best TO
~aken you 1t added as I opened my
syes upon that neat, quiet little figure
which l had long before seen
The recognition was mutual
Captain Hale,"
"Mrs. Dumarcie,"
''I did not expect TO see you here
4 mutual exclamation. aad there was
time for no more. for the surgeon. fol-
lowed by his assistant with a hideous
paraphernalia. had come.
Then followed an awful hour. think
received a full idea OF the mean
ing OF the word torture during its
passage. At last they left me. the bail
extracted and the arm bandaged, hut
utterly exhausted by pain, long fasting
and want of sleep.
l did not wake until the following
morning and then to an intolerable
pain and smarting in my arm. The
bandage seemed like a ligature, and
there was n burning. as Of hot iron.
from finger ends to shoulder. 1 was
wrIthing with the torture. and feeling
strangely weak and poweriess when
she came to me. Her voice reused me
from my trance OF agony.
Can do anything for you, Captain
Hale7" she said. in those quiet. even
tones that were sedatiye in them
selves.
Yes. thank you. Send some one to
loose my bandase-my arm is intoier-
able"
II will do 1t myself. know how
perfectly" and before could utter an
expostulation she had my arm tenderly
in her little hands. and was deity re-
moving the handage and loosing the
folds. She hurt me very badly. but
there was something soothing in her
touch that made me bear II without
much shrinking
Your arm is badly swollen, but
thirk that will be better" she said. at
length. as she gently disposed the
wounded limb above the blanket Z
will go TO the ofiice and procure To-
ton for you
And with the word she was gone
had been greatly relieved. and could
think OF something besides my suffer
ings And my thoughts went back as
followed the quaint little figure with
my eyes TO the time had seen il last.
and in such different surroundings.
II was i've years before at a grand
ball. at the house Of one Of the diplo-
matte corps. in Washington. that saw
Helen Dumarcie. a bride. As a child
had known her well. and had met her
once or twice as she grew to woman
hood, when she paid rare but welcome
visits to my sisters. We renewed our
acquaintance then. and she introduced
me to her husband. splendid looking
young officer-a South carolinian Of
-Huguenot descent / was
pleased with his grand. courtly man
ner. and Helen seemed equally proud
OF him. Her fathers reyerses had made
her a guverness in the South. and there
s1e met Paul Dumarcie. / heard that
the Dumarcies felt the marriage a mis-
alliance, but l think Paul Dumarcie
I'D not feel that he had condescended
in marrying the pretty little creature
who hung upon his arm.
She was splendid that night-ln
some rich dress from her trousseau-
am not man milliner to describe it
with the soft gleam of pearls in her
golden hair and necklace, with
great emerald blazing amid the lucent
pearls that surrounded It, upon her
bosom She was too little to bear
much bravery OF dress, and with all
her splendor l thought had seen her
look better in the pretty muslins that
suited our village gatherings afar in
the old New England home
had scarcely heard from her since,
for my life had been one of roaming
and excitement. afar from old associ-
ations. But what change! l could
even now scarcely realize it. Where
was Dumarcie? Surely he had gone
with the South In this wari And yet
how came she here, a nurse in this
Union hospital?
Still in the maze OF thought, I saw
her coming back with the surgeon by
her side The poor fellows on their
cots raised themselves to look at her
as she passed back. and fell back smil-
Ing II she but glanced at them kindly.
or spoke few words in that wonder
fully calming voice.
The surgeon looked grave as he saw
avn nroua HE o-daru