The silver star., 1900-04-27

svw ~ vasss a.1a,a ress. s.A rsua1
- vpise - . breaA snaA = oens8
riboua, IL sigAt q vhlch ssaf nsse
pnng 70 hsr Iover1s hsArt
"A efsat spRrow nooly beene y
euat aig1ity-- A. Doa looksd Il hes
he rsalissd. anos1 With . tssains q
avp. that sueh dignity haA fal1sn upon
Lille nov. The dire calamity she
had % dreaded had come 70 paas. yst
she had no< sunk beneath the blow
The passion Of her grief vas spsse
and resignation bad come Anguish
bad lefs IL palIor on her cheek. but the
hopsiessress OF despair uas mot past
Don looked at her. marveling II her
forsitude and calm: then the next In
slant his arms we're closing round her
Hike . wise and straining her 70 his
beating heart, for her calm had given
ray. and she had fovn to the shell
ter Of his embrace, with tender. sob
hing cry
oh. Don. Don, my all on earth
nov.- she cried
He held her tight, and kissed her
agAin and again II was a. II he
dreaded the moment might come when
he should never hold her thus any
more. and he was drinking to the
fun this embitcered cup OF bliss. Pres
entity she withdrew herself. for there
WAS something almost fierce in the
fervor OF his caresses- She sank on
4 divan, and put out her hand to him
to sit by her.
Tell me-" she said family, AL
about IT."
And Don told her. with low voice
and averted eyes that story which the
press paragraphs. so comprehensive.
yet 50 cruel in their brevity. had al
ready burnt like soaring iron into
heart and brain
1t was shortly before the mess-hour.
Several successive shots had been
heard In the valley. and two had
penetrated one OF the mess tents and
wounded an orderly whilst in the act
of laying table. Captain Derwent
and himself were returning from .
stroll along the banks OF the nullah,
when a bullet whizzed between them
which struck Captain Derwent, and
he dropped instantly at the narrator's
feet. shot through the heart
Every effort was being made to
track the perpetrator Of the crime and
avenge the captains death; but 50
far the rebels had escaped.
And you yourself were the only one
near when he died?" she said. through
the tears which were now streaming
silently down her pallid. lovely face.
Yes And owing to the dense un-
dergrowth. 1t was impossible for me
to follow the direction the shot came
from Directly he fell I did my utmost
to stop the bleeding: but saw at once
1t was useless Death had been in
stantaneous. got help from the
camp then, and we carried him down
to his tent. Next night we buried him
close to where he fell" Don's voice
was husky and strained. and suddenly.
at sight Of his ill-concealed emotion,
she checked her tears and laid her
golden head upon his shoulder with
a trustful tenderness that went to his
heart
MY poor Don! how you, too, must
have suffered"
he caught ner TO him with passion
ate caress. all the more passionate be-
cause the thought assailed him how
once not love. but mere ambition, had
urged him to lay siege to this confd-
ing heart.
Il have suffered" he said. very low.
more than can say. Lille"
She looked up in his face and saw
that he spoke truly.
His brow was lined and his cheek
pale; his brown eyes had a haggard
look she had never seen in them: and,
remembering with great rush Of Joy.
he. too. might have never come back
from that wild pass which had made
her fatherless she returned his en-
brace with all the sweet naivete of
child who clung now to her sole pro-
tector.
ITO be continued.)