The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-08-08

BACK 70 SIGHT ANDLOVE
How an Officer Proved That
Love Is Blind.

ing men. Inc DrlgdQe naQ advanced
| by forced marches and now lay within
two miles of the dervish camp. To
morrow's dawn would see the assault.
Two officers stood together talking in
low whispers, for it was of the utmost
Importance that the enemy should be
taken by surprise and the orders as to
silence were strict.
"Buck up, old chap, you'll come
through all right. And if not, what
does it amount to? You've got no wo-
men folk to bother about"
mo, thank heaven. 1t is in times
like this that one is glad never to have
married-like poor old Harcourt."
''Why poorw
Il was thinking of his wife. 1 should
not care to be tied to an ugly woman
myself"
That's all rot, Hamilton" retorted
the other. Il don't believe it matters
row Of pins, SO long, of course, as
she isn't repulsive or underlined"
think soY'
Eyes. The most unlikely women
sometimes attract most"
We'll, old chap, Pm precious thank
full I've no thoughts of woman to both
er me tonight. l shall try for a lead
tomorrow. even If 1 have got the
route. We've good chance of being
first into the zareba."
we will give you race for it, any
how. But we'd better try and get a
sleep, for this awful heat takes it out
of fellow"
The two went 10 their separate posts.
And as he lay sleepless the thoughts
came to Hamilton that it was some
what lonesome to think that no wom-
ans eyes would fill at the news of his
death; and he looked upward at the
stars above him, wondering where his
soul would be tomorrow.
The shadow of death lay upon him.
as at times it does upon the brayest
soldier; he would fight none the worse
for it in the morning.
The sun had risen
In the previous short half hour Of
dawn the assault had been delivered.
i the dervish forces had been driven
from their intrenchments and now
the black, grinning ''Gippys'' were
fraternizing and triumphing with their
laughing and chatting white comrades.
Backward, across the half mile Of
plain. the surgeons were busy. AWAY
to the southwark could be heard the
sounds of pursuit as the British off,
GERS chased the flying Baggara.
A field hospital at the front is not a
pleasant place, neither can it be de-
seribed in cold black and white. War
| correspondents, as readers Of the
dailies have no doubt noticed, judi
ciously avoid more than the merest
mention Of such places.
There>w some CHASTITY cases, and
both surgeons and assistants had been
worked hard. But the pressure was
over and at last there was time to at
tend to the wounds which were not
| deadly.
NOW, Hamilton, let's see," said
Surgeon Major Murphy, approaching
an officer who lay motionless on q
| stretcher-who had so lain half an
hour at least. The doctor looked his
| patient over, gave low whistle and
beckoned to one of the orderlies who
/ at that moment turned his head.
Look, see, Dawkins, here's a bad
case! He must go back to the hos
pital."
bad as that, doctor?" asked the mo-
tionless man family.
'"Tis so. Now you keep quiet"
Lieutenant Hamilton had been to-
tally blinded by the explosion of a
shell in an earthwork as, well in front,
he was leading his company. He was
sent to the rear-to hospital and Sis
ter May was given charge of him.
He had not much pain, only he was
blind. Treatment appeared to have no
effect on this. 1t seemed likely to be
long business. The days began to
hang heavily. Then came the old
story, "Love in idleness."
Hospital sisters do not cease to be
women when they take up their work.
Sister May was just as susceptible to
love as though she had been a silly
young thing of 18, though, in fact, she
was ten years older. And hef Pity
being akin to love the recipient of pity
runs double risk. Her voice was soft
and musical, her touch was soothing,
her care of him seemed first motherly,
then sisterly, and then
So it was that by easy stages they
drifted into that strange attraction
which the world calls '1ove."
And her one fear was that some day
ne might see again. The surgeon said
it was just possible and was advising
a consultation with the world famed
Professor Augenwirte of Glaefrath
She prayed against that possibility, for
in her own eyes she vses plain-nay
ugly past redemption. Yet, though
she could not realize it, her too large
mouth and prominent teeth, her irreg-
ular nose and all the fancied Imperfect
lions of her face mattered little; fol
her large gray eyes were soft and full
of animation, her skin was like vel
vet, her figure and carriage perfect.
But, wolnanlike, she could only dwell
upon her facial defects and was full of
apprehension lest some day his sight
should be restored, and, seeing her fea-
lures, he should loathe her.
Her cousin Kate, a sister nurse see
ing how things tended, chaffed her
numerically.
Nov, May, l thought you had long
ago sacrificed your life to nursing; and
yet the first good looking young lieu
tenant
He will always want nursing
Kate" she faltered in excuse
"Ah! but suppose DIR. Haggerty is
right and his sight comes back. He
won't want any nursing then"
Sister May did not answer.
A week later Hamilton left the hos
pital for Graefrath full of hope. The
night previous to his departure they
came to an indefinite understanding
and though she would not give an I'M
qualified answer to his pleadings, she
had not the courage to stop him alto
gether In recklessness she allowed
herself to drink in the sweets of his
passionate words; they would at any
rate be a lifelong remembrance, ever
though on his return he should cast
her off.
The operation was successful beyond
his hopes, and in few weeks he was
rushing back to his love-eyes shaded
1t is true, but With the certainty thai
in short time his sight would be fully
restored.
Il want to see Miss tombstone" ht
said to the orderly at the hospital en-
trance.
Miss tombstone, sir? WhichY'
why, the nurse
Yes, sir; but there's two of them"
Weil-er-she,s very GOOD lnniinG