The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-03-08

would send him to whatever part Of the
earth she might be in, so that he could
make known his chivalrous devotion to
her. She had become part Of the most
vital impulse he had ever known.
He had never got any farther south
than one of the awful camps where the
men fairly rotted into their graves from
fever and starvation. With his cofnpan-
ions he waited and hoped for N order
sending them to Cuba. Then he was
stricken and lay for weeks in the shadow
of death In his illness he heard again of
her. She had become famous by her de-
votion and courage in caring for the fever
patients. In his delirium be thought of
her and wondered simply why she did not
come to nurse him as girls did in books.
Sometimes he thought she was there and
called the nurse by her name.
When the war ended, Halstead's people
carried him away to the mountains. and
there was a slow getting back to health
again. The long illness seemed to have
dimmed his memory of the girl, and he
once more thought he had forgotten her.
He heard, almost without interest, that
she had been awarded all sorts of honors
and had been given some high post Of au-
thority with the Red Cross society.
4Oudy as ne dDOul luc utlu
with his blood coursing through his veins
In the old way, memory seemed to wake
violently again, and he thought Of the
girl with an insistence that made him
mutter between his teeth. He knew that
they were winning. that they were fore
ing a victory from a superior team, and
he played on, intoxicated with the fire of
triumph, the yells and cheers and the
t. A rnll
beneath him, muttering profanely. and be
heard himself laugh aloud as he wrested
the ball viciously from his PROSTATE foe,
leaving him white, stunned and bleeding
on the ground, while a shout. half tri-
umph and half pity, went up from the
opposing players.
Then with a yell Halstead started to
run, his body bent over, the ball clutch
ed to him in a grip like death 1t was a
memorable run in college annals-the
run of an Indian, wild horse or a run
away express train, anything but a civ
ilized man playing a game. He shook
off the hands and bodies that came in
his way and plowed through the human
masses that attempted to block him,
landing the ball IS yards safely down
the field, while the people rose at him
with a mighty shrek that rent high
heaven, and. looking up, he saw the face
of the girl and fell in heap on the ball
close to the rail of the west stand.
When he came back, he was conscious
that some one had just kissed him and
that II was a woman. He submitted.
weakly thinking he must have imagined
1t. Then he became aware that he was
lying on his back in a moving ambulance.
with his head on somebody's lap. There
was a mingled odor of orris and carbolic.
1t recalled the hospital. There was the
girls face, just as he had often seen II
before, leaning over his camp cot. Had
the fever come back again?
"Of course" he said slowly, almost
smiling. "it-isn't-you. really? 1t is
the nurse"
at is l." said the girl. with break in
her voice. i've carried you off IN one
of our ambulances. Every one seemed
to 60 mad-there were four men hurt.
The doctors let me call up our wagons.
They thought you were badly injured.
You must be quiet"
He lay still. trying to get this idea
through his confused brain. 1t seemed
SO like the delirium that had played him
tricks before. He looked up again care
fully. 1t was not the nurse. He saw a
little red enamel cross shining In the lace
on her bodice. He tried to reach up and
touch her face to assure himself that she
was real. and he found his right arm
was helpless. Once more his mind bat
tied with the situation. His eyes closed.
Then he raised himself painfully on his
good arm and took her hand In bis as
though he were afraid that 1t would melt.
He saw the drivers back and shoulders
outlined in space. And he saw her eyes
trembling with tears and filed with
sweetness that he had dreamed of for
more than a year. He was thinking OF
something he imagined had happened as
he came back to consciousness. He won
dered II she had.
Suddenly looking In her mystical eyes
he thought of the girlish essay about the
souls that had Travelled toward each other
over space and time.
"Our mind wave took such a long
time" he said. A flush Of color rose over
her face.
ibid you think CT 1t. tool" she cried In
a glad whisper. I've been thinking-you
to me-ever since-and. oh-oh-do you
know-you won the game"
"Oh. hang the game" laughed Hal.
stead. and tainted away again.-New
York Herald.