The sun., 1901-01-04
.HALSTEAD, 1900
A MIND WAVE.


| As the men ran on the field for the
| great battle of the year roar Of well
| coming cheers and yells rose up from the
stand that suddenly bossomed into a
mass of waving blue silk when the FIRST
man appeared, his uncovered head glis-
tening like gold in the sunlight. 1t was
| Halstead, the captain, hero Of the foot
ball feld-more than that now, for he
| had been one Of the first men of his uni
| versity to enlist under his country's flag
| in the war that in one short year had be-
come little more than memory.
All the horrors of the camp, the siege
| of illness through which he had passed,
had become part of the past. He was
only conscious that he was back on his
native heath again, and the cheers in his
honor that rose from the stand were
echoed upon the lips of his companions
and brought the color to his face.
He was conscious somehow of voice
invisible. voice that he had thought
forgotten, which seemed to call to him
across the field, making him think again
of her, and 1t annoyed him. When a
man has been doing his best to forget a
| girl for more than year and thinks he
has succeeded, 1t is ridiculous to have
her memory crop up like a ghost at the
| biggest game of the year, when great
things are expected of you.
He plunged into the queer tumbling
antics preceding the game, hoping that
the heeting memory of her would drift
away, and he spoke to the men next him
about new signal that had been agreed
upon only the day before. Then another
H. - Al.s-
in welcome to the players of the opposing
team, who came stamping ON the field
like so many giants in black and orange.
Then the game began. Through II all
Halstead played so brilliantly that the
wonderful victory of the day was credit
ed to his prowess and placed his name
among the bright ones in football history.
But he was only vaguely conscious that
he was on the scene, just as soldier in
battle often fights like hero with only
a dim appreciation of what is going on
around him. When Halstead read of his
teams victory next day. it seemed to him
like something in which he had taken nc
part. He played like man in trance
receiving the severest punishment with.
out realizing that he was hurt. Now and
then he felt his companions throw theil
arms around him and hug him in the wild
onthusiasnR with whish- college boys re
ward each other for a good play, but
Halstead went through the great game
thinking of the girl he had met over O
year ago.
1t was at dance given long before the
| war had become a possibility. Halstead
| had thought the girl one of the incest he
had ever met She had brilliant soli.
taire dimple that fascinated him when
she smiled. He had danced with hel
three times and had carried her off in tr
umph from the other fellows to Mrs
Venable's little palm room, which haC
been the background for many hirta
tion. And there he had discovered thai
the prettiest girl he had met during the
term was a higher educated young per
son, with "views," despite the dimplt
and a crown of fluffy. childish brown hail
caught up with frivolous blue ribbon.
She was taking a course in metaphys
les, and when he said something abou
calling next day she horrified him by tell
ing him that she was going to read a pa
per before one of the classes the follow
ing morning. The subject was "Subcon
scious Mind Forces" She asked him /
he didn't think brain currents very inter
esting.
Conversation was impossible with ,
girl like that, SO they danced again, ant
then Halstead evacuated in favor of on,
Of the others who had been clamorinl
for her as a partner. He thought will
grim satisfaction that girl who talked
metaphysics in conservatory was no
likely to make great hit with any O.
them. but he kept his eye on her durin,
the evening and noticed that she ate lee
and sandwiches just like the other girls
Later he saw little Thorpe helping be
with her wrap. and he hated him.
Next morning he found himself goin,
across the campus to the hall, and b,
met Thorpe wearing a faded rose on hi
coat and an air Of importance that sa
somewhat humorously upon his four foo
two.
The girl with the dimple read q length,
paper that was a mingling of mystica
ideas set forth in fascinatingly poeti
, style, which carried her hearers witt
her, although much she had written wa
preposterous. There were evidences tha
she had skinned such end Of the centur,
sciences as theosophy and other cult
! treating of the mysterious forces of tn
mind. The idea of souls communicating
with each other through time and spac
was the theme of her paper, and thi
she had dressed up in Corelliesque flight
OF words that seemed TO enchant he
hearers. She related instances of person
being drawn across seas and continent
: in obedience to the summons of som
mastering mind
Il Hastead felt 1t pity that such a mic
, girl should be houndering among I'm
, known mysteries of this sort. He i'm
aglned her in few years with glasse
and uncurled hair lecturing classes. Mex
day lie called on the Venables with tn
, idea of putting forth one more effort t.
3 reform her, but Mrs. Venabe said tn
girl had been called suddenly to Balti
I more through the death OF an uncle. Sh
! was now one of the richest young VIC
: men in the country. And then 10 Hal
stead she became memory.
One day he picked up New York pa
per, and the eyes of the girl looked ou
, from one of the pages. Her picture wa
: wreathed in flags in connection with {
story about the war just declared against
: Spain. The girl had Joined the Rec
cross forces as nurse and was to star
for the south Immediately. She hat
given literally from her fortune to equiI
an expedition and was leaving her home
and friends to stand beneath the flag.
8 Halstead had been stirred to the wild
g est form of enthusiasm from the very out
: break of the Cuban trouble Now ht
seemed to decide. He organized com
pany of his mates at the university, ant
4 they marched on board transport few
e weeks later, bound south. His mind was
. suddenly flled with thoughts of her
E Their common patriotism seemed to have
l united them. He prayed that chance
wOu1 SpnH him IN tx,bo tax,a,, ,...,A - AZ,