The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1902-10-23
"FAIN
HEART"
BY William Macleod Raine
Copyright. 1901, BY W. M. Raine

bit. He walked as erect as ever, but
his uniform coat hung loose about him
like a sack and his step lacked the
his approach. He took her pink little
palm in his tanned yellow hand with
great sigh Of relief.
Its good to get back to Gods coun-
try again." he told her after the first
greetings were past.
81 suppose yea did miss good many
things down there. 1t must have been
awful, if the newspaper accounts are
true"
He shrugged his thin shoulders.
''It wasn't exactly picnic: but, then,
men don't go to war for fun-at least
they are not liable to find it If they
do"
"And what did you miss mostY'
A flash Of his old audacity leaped to
his eye. "a little girl in New York.
| There were other things l wanted
| iced drinks, something to eat that was
green, a place to sleep in where the
water wasn't more than six inches
deep-but it was the girl wanted to
see most"
She gave him her most suave smile.
II didn't know you had any sisters"
II haven't This was another mans
sister,"
| "Ohy
| There did not seem to be anything
further to say along that line, so far
as she was concerned. Presently she
asked:
HAS the regiment been ordered
homer
Yes; we're all here-what's left Of
usv' Then he added Il came home
to tell this girl love her."
"YesY' she asked with polite inter-
est. did you have the regiment Or
dered home just for that? Isn't it
taking n good deal of trouble?'
mot too much. That's what Pm here
| for-to take trouble, if can only gain
my end"
She murmured something about hop
him soon.
His big eyes covered her steadily.
"Do you really hope SOP
"Of course. But do tell me about the
war. I'm just dying to know all about
how it feels to be In battle"
There's nothing much to TELL" he
answered. somehow feeling baffled
without quite knowing why. Its
| awfully hot and dusty, and once in Il
while some poor fellow gets knocked
over. There isn't anything much to
see. One gets throat like u limekiln;
no trouble at all to raise thirst.
That's about all. But there's something
| else I'd rather talk about"
"Oh, yes-the charges against the
government about the feeding and care
of the soldiers" she acquiesced hastily.
Hang the charges! I'm not worry
ing about them at all. It's this girl
want to talk about"
ooh, that girl againw
Eyes; Pm interested in her."
els she nice?"
81 think So"
"And good looking?'
| "Well, her looks make a hit with
me-"
Doubtless she would be gratified to
know it."
I'm not so sure about that" he an
swered, looking at her swiftly. "In
l ~
| she pretends not to. can't seem to
| find out where stand with her. When
l get ready to tell her, she laughs at
| me with the gravest face imaginable.
| One can't grow sentimental when q
| girl is making game of one, you know"
mo, suppose not" she assented de-
| murely.
He took grip ON himself and decid-
ed that the time had come to storm
this fortress, to which the run up San
Juan hill appeared mere bagatelle.
There was once young fellow at
the Point" he began nervously. MAT
urally he thought himself in love, but
the curious thing is that he was in
love. Fact is he didn't know any more
about girls than you do about the
native jargon of the Hindoo. He
never had been with them. But once
well, the sister of a classmate came
visiting at the Point, and after that
she was the only woman in the world
that counted"
She settled herself more comfortab bly,
in the chair and smiled dazzlingly at
him. Never a maiden more uncon-
scious of his Interior meaning.
How charmingly romantic! Do 60
on. hope there will be immense diff
culties in the way-another lover. OBJ
durate parent. heartrending separation,
mutual vows of undying fealty."
mo; there wasn't any obdurate par
ent So far as could find out her ia
ther hadn't any objections to my-to
this young fellow-marrying his daugh.
ter. There We're separations enough
He had to play hide and seek with
the Apaches In Arizona for a year OF
two, but l never discovered that her
heart was rent"
Perhaps it was loaned or even given
away" she dubbed.
He paid 10 attention to this sally
though he appreciated it.
'There was another lover" he con-
tinued, eyes full on hers. "He was a
man of good deal Of force, had made
his own way in the world and was on
the road to wealth. He could give hel
all the things that this lieutenant
couldn't give her, the luxuries she had
been used to all her life."
"Oh, l see. He could feed her or
bonbons." This most innocently.
| "He could provide for her as she
| ought to be provided for"
"Still it Is Just conceivable that even
a girl might weary Of eating sweets
the nvelong year in and year out. isn't
| it?' she asked, with touch Of asper-
| ity.
| I'm not talking about CONNECTIONS
| exactly, but there are decencies to be
| observed. A fellow can't ask young
woman of wealthy family to come
| and share nothing with him."
"Oh, no. Much better leave her to
| her digestion of the corrections and
other toys you mentioned"
| "Arizona Is not exactly a place whers
L .<oao4xz ssizl xs.e.a1ld On 70 70 liza -