The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-10-19
The King Of Hearts.

The bright spring sunshine was pour
ing In at the window, fecking with gold
the hair of a young girl who stood gaz-
ing at q photograph in heart shaped
silver frame, which held the place Of
honor on the mantelpiece. Her thoughts
were evidently far away from her sur
roundings, as she failed to hear footsteps
approaching and was only recalled to
herself by the maid announcing Captain
Stewart" A flush of burning color swept
over Elsie's face, and quick as thought
she snatched the heart shaped frame
from its place, and, holding it in her left
hand, advanced to meet tall, fair man,
whose pale face showed signs of recent
Illness and who carried his right arm In a
sling.
"Why, Jackp' she said. 81 had no idea
you were in London. Did the doctors give
you permission to travel"
Her pretty face was still flushed, and
after answering her questions as to his
health Jack Stewart felt a difficulty In
returning to their old friendly footing;
there was a subtle difference In her man
ner to him that made him vaguely un-
easy.
So It was more by way Of conversation
than a desire for information that Jack
asked laughingly:
"And who is The King Of Hearts now?
Roberts, Kitchener or Buller?" Then as
his glance fell on the vacant place on the
mantalpiece he started and said more
seriously:
"'The King of Hearts not in his &C
| customed place. What is the meaning Of
this, Elsie?"
Once more a blush swept from brow
| to chin, and Elsie, averting her eyes, re-
| manned silent. Then it was Jack caught
| sight of the frame in her left hand.
| "Why, you have 1t there" he said in
| establishment. MAY / not see your new
| hero?" Then, Elsie remaining silent, he
| with his free hand gently took the frame
from her unresisting clasp and without
looking at it laid it face downward on a
table near, and, resuming his seat by her
side, looked at her with troubled eyes.
But three short months had passed
since he had sat In that room and had
learned from her lips that, though she did
not love him, she loved no one else, and
he had started off to South Africa with
his regiment, buoyed up with hopes of
ultimately gaining her love. A month ago
he had been invalided home, and as soon
as his doctors had pronounced 1t safe for
I 10 lie uuu COuiC oIloi6hS ~
Elsie, only to find she had a secret from
him that babe fair to lessen his hopes
From childhood Elsie had been a hero
,worshiper of the most ardent kind and
had a collection of her heroes photo,
graphs that would fill a good sized album
On her fifteenth birthday Jack had Civ
en- her heart shaped photo frame. which
was destined to contain her hero of the
moment, who was laughingly dubbed BY
Jack 1.-The King of Hearts," Many and
various were the faces he had seen il
that frame, but now he feared that the
real king had come. who would not only
retain undisputed possession Of the photo
frame, but would also reign In Elsie.
| heart.
With visible effort Jack Stewart rous
ed himself from his painful thoughts ant
turning to Elsie said:
"As I may not see your new hero, per
haps you will tell me about him?'
Anything you ask me except hi
| name" she replied, meeting his gaze To-
the first time.
"He Is soldier, Of course?'
EYES," she answered quietly.
"Good looking"
every good looking" she said earnest
~, but with averted face.
JACK, leenns h LIS aeT,s e0niieu ~ "e
'oa .IuN %H. oN - 80 At, &C., 40 an,
. .har,., A. 1922
rae: ne 70 pny p ,,,
,.,..I u.u nos Soy gu .. -
1oV o,nIIe -. -. 49, uho
r. 80, L,ov hin
apout hiS a enaf"e o ~" A" MAJ
very wen ,r,.
nave known MN long "niie' sn
ans%e5eq denury. ~ ,-s 80 hin,
nu e. n"toe;shr,ant
do. - - - IotoI,, tbat ho-.bo+ ~
: .G Dut II 70 oIls ,a's .nS' -, ~
I'M. you u;o nase b. sa inte-rnntad rat%s
ni.. auUn So''
oi. ley ,;.o .,.. 1ooL. sha r.jo;nsf
,,r;,o b;p, a ouoer Iittle smile "Ru
ss nm -, 49, re,, H. e. Lno. ohor
5 ~ha a., else "'U'o ''u ~
+ MN -, =.
er Ia io shn ros nm;at1S attentiva n h;
a,ds
cT ,o5 ,o- b;s h-o,ns Az ,o
2 ~,
, Df LIZ ; U ,oo,,+;os o-o mi,
ms in'eneceuai !, iacuius are S st
;n a 80 a. b;r,
r. ,as rnz-lod bv bor manner an
continued, rather lamely:
ut is his bravery. them tnat mas game
him your favorF
he Is the truest' oravest anu oes
man IN the worid. she answered. VIII