The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-28

been temptation to step on it. But
Patmore, coming that way again several
hours later, saw It upon the gravel, and
took It up.
1t was just a month after this that
somebody in power, who did not know
what to be at, saw fit to send him away,
somewhere into the wilderness around
Shasta, TO do sketches and make plans
that nobody had any special use for, any
way He was gone for the entire sum-
nner. and he only managed to live through
It by reading over and over, until he could
have repeated them backward or any
other way, the Two letters Miss Tyndall
wrote to him during that time.
When. one foggy evening just after re-
treat, he returned to the post, he was
met with the news that his troop was
ordered on foreign service, and was going
to leave within six days IT seemed to
him that he was the football OF the gods,
their jest and sport. But Capt Barrett
did not concern himself about that. He
had things to do and to talk about, and
| he did not even remember that there
was such a being on earth as Miss Tyn-
dali, so he kept Patmore occupied until
| tattoo.
/ What Patmore should have done after
that was TO go to his quarters and
straight to bed. because he would be
| very busy the next day. What he did do,
!
/ just as fast as his feer and the car would
take him to a dance that was happening
| IN the city. Miss Tyndan was to be
| there. She had told him so in llcr last
! letter, sent three weeks before.
The first person he saw when he went
| into the ballroom was Miss Barrett.
/ When he stopped to speak to her she
gave him look he did not understand
/ There was something in 1t besides the
usual devotion. He was not sure what.
| But hs did not wait to find out He was
4 far too intent upon finding Miss Tyndall
for that.
/ When he did find her, he refused to lose
/ time on prelbntnarles and exchange OF
! civilities. FIe pushed his way through
| the group around her and said that he
i believed this was his, and forthwith took
4 her away. She put her hand his arm
/ and looked up at him. He could not un-
derstand that look either. 1t seemed to
be almost fear. They were walking in
full sight of the whole ballroom. Rut
1 P&tmore did not mind that He would
not have minded even If the music h31
not begun just then. As has been said.
he took himself seriously. He felt that
he had waited too long already There
was no longer tine.
DO you know that I am ordered 90
the Philippines?' he said.
She nodded her head.
81 have got TO 90 inside OF six days.
viii you marry me before tnat?
There were two chairs in a corner, RaE
hidden In a nook OF date palms. Sha
turned aside and sat herself in one
! PatmOre took the other.
.'Well?" he said
Nobody has told you then"
He was white enough already. But ha
turned whittier still. Those who danced
| by looked at him, then at her. She wi-5
pale, too Told me-what?' he said
That I was married two weeks ago.
He sat very quiet fer a while. Miss
Barrett nhirled by and he caught the lo"+,
in her eyes again-and uRdcrstoaa.
When he spoke at last 1T was quito
steady. Whom have you marned2' he
said.
She told him
s''He is rich" said Patmore aud am
poor I suppose that was it?'
She nodded again. Il mast have lux
ury. and pretty things. and good times.
I am selfish ard vain"
and yet You loved me. ] believe you
did You certainly didn't lose any time
l have not been away AL Of three
months"
III I had waited until you came back
[, might not have had the courage, she
said.
Patnlore pulled off little thread Of palm
fiber and twisted It around his finger.
Then you did love me-" he said.
She stood up slowly and looked down az
him. THAT doesn't matter-now," sha
told him, hfelessly. MY husband Is com
ing for me. Please don't let him see.'
one of her turQuoise-loaded hands was
picking at a fold Of her gown. 1t was
beautiful gown. Patmore saw that even
then, and knew that it would have cost
him two months pay. 1t was still OF SKY
blue, but there were tiny pink rosebnds
scattered here and there lie peSah' SUI
pldIy, to count them.
As she took her husbands arfa anu
started away, one OF the whirlng rut-
des caught on a branch Of the palm. II
gave the screech of tearing silk, and a 1T
tie latter chung to The thorn. Patmors
stopped to loose it.
She looked down at him over her shoul-
der. 1T doesn't matter" she told him;
nothing matters much" Then she smil-
ed at him and went on.
Patmore mover forgot that smile. Il
/ was so hard, and forced and brilliant that
It changed her whole face. He walked
home from the ggtes with Miss Barrett
that night 'T have come back, II you
will have me, Leila" he said.
And not long thereafter the papers de-
voted a full score Of Zines to the details
of his gallant death One Of which was
that the Tagal bullet which had passed
through his heart had struck first, and
Clipped, a loeket which hung about his
neck.
His wife had never known Of the locket
until then. But It came to her in little
package of other things that his colonel
sent her later on. It was Of siy-blue en-
amel, set round with tiny pearls and she
knew, even before she opened 1t, that It
was neither tho wisp Of hair nor tho lite
photograph she had given hiEs the day no
| lef$ that would be within II. So she was
quito prepared and quiet when she
brought herself to open it at last. and
to look down at what lay in the palm OF
her shaking hand-a dried spray Of for
get-me-nots and little scrap Of ssy-blUe
silk, with one pink rosebud on the torn
edge.