The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-11-18
A MARK OF MANHOOD.
by EDWARD n. CLARK.

fire lightly and bit nervously with her
tiny foot. Then she turned to her mother
and said: well, dearie, I've answered it,"
"Oh, Helen, you ought not to have done
it. There must be something sinister, per-
kaps a crime, behind an advertisement like
that"
Helen laughed. Criminals don't have
frst-elass references, dearie, and then you
know we need the money"
Read 1t to me again"
Tne girl took up morning paper and read
this "Wanted-By man 80 years old,
comfortable room in suburban residence
where there are no visitors; absolute seclu
sion the first consideration. Applicant viii
refer to people of standing; highest price
paid. Seciusion, Box IS, Breeze Office"
There was step on tine veranda. Helen
exclaimed: "Dearie, there's the answer"
A moment afterward man with tall, we'll
knit figure stood IN the little parior. One
side of his face was shrouded IN the folds of
a scarf. This side he kept ever away from
the lamphght. The voice had IN it ring
suggesting that at times its keynote was
command.
lis this Mrs Martin? have called in re-
spouse to an answer to my advertisement.
My name Is George Sidney. | know, Mrs.
Martin" he continued, that my advertise
L
absolute seclusIon and freedom from callers.
My reference is Gen. Nelson, army head
quarters, Pullman building / should like
to see the room, and if you find my creden-
tlals satisfactory 1 think other details may
be arranged readily"
Helen led the way up winding stair to a
well-apponted room Lighting the gas, she
turned to look at her follower. He was in
the act Of drawing sill more closely the
folds of the scarf about the right side of his
face WHAT she could see of his counte-
nance was strikIngly handsome. Mother
and live here Alone" she said. after my
fathers failure and death we came here
from distant city. We have few friends
and no visitors"
Il like the room" said the stranger;
kindly look me up and let me know if
shall make a satisfactory ledger" Then he
said good night and left the house.
Helen called on Gen. Nelson in the Pull
man building Did he know Mr.. George Sid
ney!
yes, well. He is an officer of the army,
retired for disability received in line of duty.
MIR. Sidney is now working some ord
nance plans, and for reasons of his own he
works only at night. He is a soldier and
gentleman"
For two months the members Of the little
Lake View household saw George Sidney in
frequently. He left for his work after night
fall and returned just before daybreak. AT
one o'clock every day a closed cab was
driven to the doorstep. The recluse drove
away in it, presumably to his breakfast.
Whenever Helen caught glimpse of their
mysterious lodger she saw the ever present
scarf concealing the greater part of his fea-
lures. One morning her surprise almost
overcame her when she heard his voice call
ing from the upper floor. Lieut. Sidney was
standing in the doorway of his room with
his head averted. Il am sorry to trouble
you, Miss Martini" he said, 'but l wish you
would ask the cabman wnen he comes to go
for DIR. Girard, the headquarters surgeon,
at cnce."
The surgeon came. He saw the Martins
lodger, and then, going to the little parlor,
said to Helen: Mr. Sidney is suffering in
tensely. l have expected this trouble and
have urged rest. Now he must take it. He
must keep his room and on no account is he
to use mis- eyes"
Thus it was that Lieut.. Sidney became the
patient as well as the ledger of the Martins.
For weeks he sat in a darkened corner of
his room while Helen read to him from
where the light found its way through a
half-opened shutter How she had come to
do this she did not just know; but it came
about naturally. The girls life had been
lonely one. and it needs but to say that
there slowly stole into her heart something
deeper than mere interest IN her charge.
The day for the patients release from the
dark room had come. Helen heard his voice
calling her. The girl went to tne doorway.
Sidney had thrown wide the shutters and
the room was bright with sunlight. He was
E.1l II > I,.wr
where she had sat when reading. The
strong light was full on his face and the scarf
which he had ever worn was gone. The girl
gave one searching look at the face so long
concealed. Sidney's eyes were on her.
cry came from her lips and she reeoiled with
a feeling half fear, half horror. Sidney saw
the action and heard the cry. In an instant
he had closed the door quietly. Helen, with
a white face, fled to her mothers room.
Child, what is it," exclaimed Mrs. Mar
tin
Mother, / saw his face. He showed it
purposely. Mother, it is the face of
hend."
The mother led the girl to a sofa and took
her in her arms They heard him pass on
to the veranda, and both mother and daugh-
ter felt that George would not return. A
month passed. Helen went about her duties
as usual. striving to be cheerful, but the
mother knew.
At the end of the month Gen. Nelson
called Mr. Sidney had not returned to his
work as expected after his recovery. Did
Mrs. Martin know of his whereabouts? No.
Well, for years Sidney had been man of
moods you see" said the general, when
Sidney was in active service he riskeu his
life to save a brother officer. It's an old
army story. It's enough to say that Sidney
jumped between his friend and shell the
fuse of which had become accidentally ig-
nited The shell exploded. Sidney received
a fearful wound and was marked for life, but
he saved his fellow. Marked for life, did l
say? Yes, marked worse than Hugo's Man
Who Laughs That shell fragment gave to
the handsomest man in the service the half
1 face of fiend He was to be married, poor
chap, but the girl saw his face and fed.
She was the sister of the man whose life
ne saved. What world it is! The face of
a devil and his life hell. That is George
Sidney's fate"
1t was the anniversary of the day that
George Sidney left the Martin cottage.
Helen was standing at the gate looking
3 4 II A - al a