Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-04
lcopyrtsht.d. 1900. by ,. B. LiDDlneott Col

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 fcopyrtGhted. 1900. by J. B. Lippincott Col
 And so Stuyvesant grew impatient of nursing, declared he was well, and still was far from happy, for at that time Foster was still lowering about the premises, and Stuyvesant could see only one possible explanation for that. They moved him back to his breezy quarters at Malate. But pres ently trap was sprung, mainly through Mrs. Brent's complicity, for once or twice . week it was Maidie's custom to go to her old friends roof for rest and tea. And one evening seenis to me it was Valentines day, just before sunset, they were in the veranda-the colonel and his kindly wife, while Maid Marion the Second was in her own room donning dainty gown for change from the Red Cross uniform, when Q carriage whirled up to the entrance underneath, and Mrs. Brent, leaning over the rail, smiled on Its sole occupant and nodded reassur- ingly.
 Stuyvesant came up slowly, looking not too robust, and said it was awfully good of Mrs. Brent to take pity on his loneliness and have him round to tea. Other nice women, younger, more at- tractive personally than Mrs. Brent, had likewise bidden him to tea just as soon asshe felt able, but Stuyvesant swore to himself he couldn't be able and wouldn't be if he could. Yet when Mrs. Brent said Come" he went, though never hoping to see Marion, whom he believed to be engrossed in duties at the First Reserve, and on the gagement to that young man Eos ter"
 Presently Brent said if Stuyvesant had no objection he'd take his trap and drive over Intra muros and get the news from MacArthur's front-for Mac was hammering at the insurgent lines about Caloocan-and Stuyyesant had no objection whatever. Where upon Mrs. Brent took occasion to say in the most casual way in the world: "Oh, you might send line to Col. Martindale, dear. You know Mir. Eos ter goes home by the Sonoma-oh, hadn't you heard of it, MT. Stuyve- sant? Oh, dear, yes. He's been ready to go ever since the fighting began, but there was no boat"
 And then she, too, left Stuyvesant left him with the New York Moon bottom topmost in his hand and a sensation as of wheels in his head She proceeded, furthermore, to order tea on the back gallery and Maidie to the front. But tea was ready long before Maidie.
 Far out at the lines of San Pedro Macati Dyer's guns had sighted swarms of rebels up the Pasig, and with placid and methodical precision were sending shrapnel in that direc- ton and dull, booming concussions in the other. An engagement of some kind was on at San Pedro, and Stuyve- sant twitched with nervous longing to get there, despite the doctors, and sat wondering was another engage ment off at Manila. Just what to do he had not decided. The Moon and his senses were still upside down when Sing came in with the transferred tea things and Mrs. Brent with the last thing Stuyvesant was thinking to see-Maid Marion, all smiles, congrat- ulation and cool organdie.
 Ten minutes time in which to com pose herself gives a girl far too great an advantage under such circum- stances.
 ''I-I'm glad to see you" said Stuyvesant, helplessly. "T thought you were wearing yourself out at nursing"
 "oh, it agrees with me-" responded Maidie, blithely.
 Il suppose it must. You certainly look so."
 "Merci du compliment, monsieur" smiled Miss Ray, with sparkling eyes and the prettiest of courtesies. She certainly did look remarkably we'll.
 It was time for Stuyvesant to be seated again, but he lowered there about that tea table, for Mrs. Brent made the totally unnecessary an- nouncement that she would go in search of the spoons.
 "You had no time-I suppose--to look in on anybody but your assigned vict-patients, I mean," hazarded Stuyvesant, weakening his tentative by palpable display of sense of injury.
 ''Well, you were usually asleep when I cal--inquired, mean. One or two Jumps, Mir. Stuyvesant?" And the dainty little white hand hovered over the sugar bowl.
 You usually chose such times, fancy. One lump, thanks" There was another, not of sugar, in his throat, and he knew it, and his fine blue eyes and thin, sad face were pa thetic enough to move any woman's heart had not Miss Ray been so con- cerned about the tea.
 You would have been able to re- turn to duty days ago. said she, ten dering the steaming cup and obviously ignoring his remark, had you come right to hospital as Dr. Shiels direct ed, instead of scampering out to the front again. You thought more of the brevet, of course, than the gash. What a mercy it glanced on the rib! Only-such wounds are ever so much harder to stanch and dress.' "You--knew about it, then?" he asked, with reviving hope.
 .'Of course. We Ill knew" respond ed Miss Ray, we'll aware of the fact IL.