Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-10-28
driven him to take the step which might

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ed i'll at ease, restless, unhappy. Con-
planning OF headache, she absented her
self from the dinner-table, and shut
herself up in her own room. During
the next two or three days it was the
same. At last her aunt ventured to
question her kindly as to whether any
thing had happened-for three days
Vaughan had not been to the house.
Mrs. Lydeard was no reader of the
newspapers, and she had not heard of
the young mans resolution, but she
/: felt that something must have happen
! ed to estrange him and Gertrude; and,
with most delicate tact, she sounded
her niece upon the subject.
Then Gertrude broke down, and,
bursting into tears, she exclaimed: ut
is all my fault / have driven him
away! told him that admired Theo-
dore Kalaraski for going out to fight
on behalf of Greece, and now Ernest
has done the same
What do you mean?" asked Mrs.
Lydeard.
Gertrude looked at her in astonish-
ment.
Have you not heard? Ernest has
volunteered. He is going out to Greece
to fight; perhaps he will be killed, and
if SO, l shall feel that l am responsible
for his death"
Horror-stricken at this intelligence,
Mrs. Lydeard did her best to console the
stricken girl, but with little result.
will you not write to him, at least"
she said, land ask to see him before he
starts?"
But Gertrude was still too proud to
do this.
Il cannot take the first step to a re-
cancellation" she declared. 1T would
look too weak. Besides, it is too late
now; everyone knows tAat he is going
out to Greece, and he could not with
draw without dishonor to himself"
Still, that is no reason why you
should not see him before he goes, and
be reconciled," said her aunt.
Gertrude shook her head. She would
not alter her decision
But when the day came that her lover
was to start, she stole quietly out of the
house, concealing her face under VEIL.
and made her way to the railway sta
ton, where she took up position at the
back of the throng to watch the tra
depart. a thrill went through her as
she saw her lover stride down the plat
form and enter railway carriage,
while the cheers which rung out from
those who had come to give the volun-
teers their send-off, awoke strange
feeling of pride in her heart.
1T is on my account" she murmured
to herself, that he is going. 1t is my
lover whom these people are cheering.
What he is doing is really done for my
sake"
Tears suffused her eyes. She might
have lifted her veil but the scene would
still have been blurre4.
AS soon as the train had rolled out of
the station, she returned home, filled
with new idea. her lover had sac
rificed his inclinations for her sake.
The only return she could make would
be to sacrifice hers for him. He had dis
approved Of her entering the hospital
at least, he had regarded it as an OBJ
stacle to the union. She would make
a sacrifice for him now, which she had
refused to make before. She wrote to
the matron, who was expecting her at
the end of that very week, and stated
that she had reconsidered her position,
and that she no longer felt inclined to
take up the work which waited for her.
The letter was despatched and Cert
rude felt more at ease though she had
not yet summoned up courage to COM
lUuUlCdle uSl HoW Slcp W hCl aunt.
IN the meantime, as the days passed,
she became a constant and omnivorous
reader of the newspapers. Every line
that came from Athens was eagerly
scanned by her; every telegram that
spoke of war was read by a sinking
heart, while several messages that
seemed to point to the prospect of the
Powers averting a conflict gave her the
keenest joy.
For the first week nothing happen
3D. Then arrived the telegram which
told her that Ernest had already i'm
perNled his life by forming one of the
crew \pf the little steamer which had run
the blockade of Crete. The incident
created\ no little stir, and again Ger
trude LAdeard felt proud woman at
the thought that the man whom every
one was taking of was doing this on
account of h Er.
Then came, another blow. The news
from Greece Mad pointed steadily to-
wards peace. Vt was not till the irsup-
ton if the Ethhike was known in Lon