The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-08-28

head. II was early In the afternoon,
he knew, because the suns rayS shone
in neither the eastern nor the western
windows. Thereafter he always kept.
awake at that time, although he never
opened his eyes And then the sar.
geon shook his head, and decided that
Yin, was not improving-he slept too
smuch--but Bill knew.
when l get WELL" he told himself,
"she' won't come any more. don't
know butPd Just as lief die" But the
next time he heard the familiar rust
ling Of the dress he opened his eyes
and found a sweet-faced woman stand
Ing near his cot. and she blushed and
turned away when she saw him look
ing at her, And then Bill wished he
had kept his eyes closed. He began to
feel very funny about 1t all
There was something about her face
that puzzled him. AS one pauses and
listens to the strains Of some old for
gotten melody, wonders where he heard
1t before, remembers and then recalls
the associations with which 1t is linked
so Bill gazed at that gentle, peaceful
face, the faded blue eyes with the
crowsfeet In the corners and thought
of a girl he used to know In a little
town In the hills. Bill had loved that
girl. That waS why he went into the
army. It was all so long ago that 1t
seemed like dream, and yet the light
which still fingered In the eyes of that
kindly woman illumlned his dream to
a semblance of reality and In mind he
followed the light down the devious
grooves Of change until the face of his
old love shone wildly through the veil
of years. Bill was puzzled to know
why that should be.
She came back the next afternoon
bringing with her long pipe and sew.
eral bags of tobacco. "The doctor says
you may smoke tomorrow. and maybe
Ill come and read to you"
Thanks, lady," said Bill who felt
as one must feel to whom an angel has
stopped.
And she did come, and she came the
day after and although she visited
many soldiers 1t was Bill to whom she
used to read of the doings at Montauk
Point, or listened while Bill In his sim.
pie way told the story Of his cam
paigns, Once she told Bill Of her little
home in the hills. where she hired
girl to milk the cows and man to do
chores and help raise garden truck for
the market ever since her husband had
died, And when she told him this the
light of Bilrs dream became light in
deed. He knew now why she had been
kind to him. Strange thoughts began
to fill HIS mind, and oftentimes he
blushed behind his grlzzled whlskers.
The woman began to be known as
Bills widow, and they made mild sem
tlmental Jests at his expense, but Bill
smiled.
II used to know her when she was a
girl" was his only reply.
But there was one thing OF which
Bill's bunkles were certain, and that
was IL her kindness to him was due to
the fact that he had known her when
she was a girl, the same explanation
could not be applied to her kindness to
the youngest soldier in the ward.
Merely boy he was, and he had blue
eyes, too, much like the widows. A
shell had taken of his foot at the ankle
and he spent most OF his time talking
Of the pension and the two cork legs a
year that Uncle Sam was to give him.
He had been brought into Ward 10
only recently. But he had not been
there a day before every one knew that
Bill had a rival. There were some who
had seen her cry and kiss the boy
when she first saw him, and some had
It that the boy cried, too, although
this was not generally believed. a
One day she sat beside the boy, talk
ing earnestly the whole time, for near
ly an hour, and she stayed with Bill
only ten minutes. For she was in a.
hurry, she said. Then 1t was that Bill
realized, as had his comrades long be-
fore him. And then he FLUSHED again
and felt very foolish. Just little bit
ter, too, he felt. and In a dun way i'll
struck him that this was not the first
time she had made him feel this way.
But the first time was many. many
long years ago. The next time she
called Bill made believe that he was
asleep, and SO he did the next time af-
ter that. II was hard, though. and az
ter she had gone tear trickIed down
Bits furrowed cheek. But the third
time he pretended to be asleep again.
This time, however, the steps fingered
by bis cot, he felt warm breath against
his cheek, but he kept his eyes closed. |
Then came a softly whispered sen.
tence and theE BIN opened his eyes
NnI.u vida liz nn....... Il. 80. -. -