Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-12

| they should come here. The young Briton
stepped easily past between them and the
| rail-behind there was no room-and, swing
| ing the long, awkwardly modelled fabric to
| his broad shoulder, started back just as a
| huge wave heaved suddenly under the coun-
| ter, heeled the steamer far over TO port,
| threw him off his balance, and, his foot
catching at the bottom of her chair, hurled
| him, load and all. straight at Amy's reclin-
| ing form. One instant, and even her up
! lifted hands could not have saved her face.
| but in that instant Armstrong had darted
| in, caught the stumbling Briton on one arm,
and the full force of the shooting chair
crashed upon the other, already pierced by
Filipino lead.
When, moment later, she emerged safe
| and unscratched from the confused heap OF
men and furniture, II was to cut OFF in
stantly the stutter and stammer OF poor
Shafto's apologies, to bid him go instantly
for the ships doctor, and, with face the
color of death, to turn quickly to Armstrong.
The blow had burst open the half-healed
wound and the blood was streaming to the
deck.
Both liner and transport turned back with
out Stanley Armstrong, Doric and Sedgwlck
sailed unheeded, for the highest surgical
had remanded him to quarters at the Palace
and forbidden his return to duty with an
unheaed wound. He was sitting up again,
somewhat palld and not too strong, but with
every promise, said the "medico," of com
plete recovery within two months. But not
a month would Armstrong wait. The Pu-
ebla was to start within the week and he had
made up his mind. &C., said he, Il must
They had been sitting about him. the night
this opinion was announced, in the parlor OF
the suite of rooms the Primes had taken.
Billy Gray had gone with his father to the
club, Shafto had been hanging about in the
agonies Of an Englishman's first love, Gov.
disappeared moment and came back with
tickets for the Columbia, bidding Mildred get
her hat and gloves at once, and whispering
Shafto that he had a seat for him. AS the
little mantel clock struck Amy Lawrence,
lifting up her eyes from the book she was
trying hard to believe she meant to read,
saw that Armstrong was rising from his
easy chair, and, springing to his side laying
her white hand on his arm, she faltered:
"Oh, please! You know the stipulation was
that you were not to STIR
But then her heart began to flutter un-
controllably. The blood went surging to
her brows, for all of a sudden, as through
impulse irresistible, her hand was seized in
his-in both of his. in fact-and the deep
voice that had pleaded at her behest for the
cause of Billy Gray was now, in impetuous
flow of words that fell upon her ears like
come strain of thrilling music, pleading at
last his own. Ever since that day in the
radiant sunshine of the park she had learned
to look up to him as tower of strength,
man of mark among his fellows man to
be honored and obeyed. Ever since that
night at the Palace, when she saw his glow
han
that he was following her every move she
had begun to realize the depth of his interest
in her. Ever since that day when the China
slipped from her moorings, with Witchie
Garrison singing him out for lavish
farewell favors, she had wondered why
1t so annoyed and stung her Ever since the
day she read the list of killed and wounded
in the first fierce battling with the "Insur-
rectos' she knew it was the sight of his
name, not Billy Gray's, that made her for
The moment faint and dizzy, and taught
her the need of greater self-control. Ever
since that moonlit night upon the Marsdens'
ANAL when her heart leaped at the sudden
sound of his voice, she had realized what
breezy day upon the broad Pacific, with the
sailors song of Land, no! ringing from the
BOWS, and he, her wounded soldier had
sprung to shield her from the crash of Shat
.o's hapless stumble, and the deck was
stained with the precious blood from that
soldiers reopened wound, shed for her-for
Ter who so revered him-she had longed to
lear him say the words that alone could
lnlock the gates Of maidenly reserve and
ct her tell him-tell him with glad and
grateful heart that the love he bore her was
answered by her own. lowering over him
'nly one minute, her lips half parted, her
yes still veiled, her heart throbbing loud
md fast, with sudden movement she threw
herself upon her knees at the side OF the
ow chair, and her burning face, ever so
lightly, was buried in the dark-blue sleeve
bove that blessed wound.
THE END.