The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-03-08
:HALSTEAD, 1000
A MIND WAVE.

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As the men ran on the field for the
great battle of the year a roar of well
coming cheers and yells rose up from the
stand that suddenly blossomed 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
In the war that in one short year had be-
come little more than n 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 a voice
invisible, a 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 q
uluu LAS OCCu oOih8 Lis OCSk ~ hOi SSb @
girl for more than a 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
h., yutr thof hod haa, onrao,l
upon only the day before. Then another
roar went up from the stand, this time
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 1t 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 a soldier In
a 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 a man in trance,
receiving the severest punishment with
OUT EedIlZluH ludl uc was ANO" anu
then he felt his companions throw their
arms around him and hug him in the wild
enthusiasm with which 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
year ago.
1t was at a dance given long before the
war had become possibility. Halstead
Al. AZ 81, ~ fha ninocf he
had ever met. She had brilliant soil
taire dimple that fascinated him when
she smiled. He had danced with her
three times and had carried her off in tri
umph from the other fellows to Mrs
Venable's little palm room. which had
been the background for many firta
ton. And there he had discovered that
the prettiest girl he had met during the
term was a higher educated young per
son. with Views" despite the dimple
and a crown of fluffy. childish brown hail
caught up with frivolous blue ribbon.
She was taking course In metaphys
les, and when he said something about
calling next day she Mortified him by tell
ing him that she was going to read pa
per before one of the classes the follow
ing morning. The subject was "Subcon
scious Mind Forces" She asked him II
he didn't think brain currents very inter
esting.
Conversation was impossible with a
girl like that, so they danced again. and
then Halstead evacuated in favor of one
of the others who had been clamorine
for her as a partner. He thought with
grim satisfaction that girl who talked
metaphysics In a conservatory was moi
likely to make great hit with any OF
them, but he kept his eye on her during
the evening and noticed that she ate ices
and sandwiches just like the other girls
Later he saw little Thorpe helping hei
with her wrap. and he hated him.
Next morning he found himself going
across the campus to the hall. and he
met Thorpe wearing faded rose on his
coat and an air of Importance that sat
somewhat humorously upon his four fool
| two.
The girl with the dimple read lengthy
paper that was a mingling Of mystical
ideas set forth In fascinatingly poetic
| style, which carried her hearers with
her, although much she had written was
preposterous. There were evidences that
she had SKINNED such end of the century
sciences as theosophy and other cults
| LTedIlUK Oh Tue ly6lcIlOuS LOlSCo Va ehS
mind. The idea of souls communicating
with each other through time and space
was the theme of her paper, and thi.
she had dressed up In Corelliesque flights
! of words that seemed to enchant bel
hearers. She related instances of persons
being drawn across seas and continents
In obedience to the summons of some
mastering mind.
Halstead felt 1t pity that such nice
girl should be foundering among IN
known mysteries of this sort. He i'm
agined her in a few years with glasses
and uncured hair lecturing classes. Mex
day he called on the Venables with the
idea of putting forth one more effort t
reform her, but Mrs. Venable said the
girl had been called suddenly to Balti
more through the death of an uncle. She
was now one of the richest young wo
men in the country. And then to Hal
stead she became a memory.
One day be picked up New York pa
per, and the eyes of the girl looked gu
from one of the pages, Her picture wal
wreathed In flags in connection with
story about the war just declared agalns
Spain. The girl had Joined the Re-
Cross forces as a nurse and was to star
Tor the south lInmeQlaIely. Sue hu
given literally from her fortune to equi
an expedition and was leaving her hom
and friends to stand beneath the flag.
Halstead had been stirred to the wild
est form of enthusiasm from the very out
break of the Cuban trouble. Now b
seemed to decide. He organized a CON
pany of his mates at the university, an
they marched on board transport fey
weeks later, bound south. His mind wa
suddenly filled with thoughts of hel
Their common patriotism seemed to hav