Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1902-05-16

HE MARCHED AWAY WITH HIS REGIMENT
dignantly, "If you were not going
away, I should be downright angry
with you for saying such things tC
me-" She crushed the charms In her
nervous fingers. "Do you think me
10 small that | would keep these az
trophies of my coDquests2 You do not
know them or me. Many are souvenirs
Of happy foreign experiences, many
the fruits of dlllgent hunting in curio
shops. 1t is hobby with me, as you
ought to know. This new one," and
she held up an oddly chased silver
heart, II picked up at Remsden's the
other day"
His face had softened as he detected
q culver in her voice.
"Forgive me, because-because, as
you say, l am going away. l want
even more than that. have never
given you a charm. There were always
80 many others. Yet now ask one
from you. Let me take the silver heart
In trust. TO you It Is a small thing.
To me-
He paused. She had turned again to
her study OF the fire.
The shadow deepened on his face,
but he continued, with forced laugh |:
"Oh, will bring 1t back again, never
fear. And who knows but that its ex-
periences In camp and on the battle
field may enhance Its value in your
eyes. II anything should happen to me.
1t shall be sent back to you In safety"
The girl turned impulsively. you
shall have the heart, Rob, but don't
talk about not coming back again. We
your friends cant spare you" She
smiled up In his face as she fastened It
on his watch chain. "For the sake of
old times" But she knew that 1t
meant more than that to him.
He marched away with his regiment,
and she waved a flag and cheered with
the rest. Afterward the weeks stretch
ed out into months, punctuated by let
tiers written on shipboard and finally
from the Philippines.
She forgot her interest In her charms
and herself. 1t was new experience.
Between mail days she went to Red
Cross meetings and read war bulletins.
She told herself that II was her latest
fad.
One day a newspaper telegram
taught her the truth. 1t was the ac-
count Of paltry sklrmish, and 1t said.
"Many killed and missing"
1t was his regiment. A dreadful fear
seized her heart.
Later news gave the list Of the miss
Ing. She swayed as she read It. But
the horrible certainty Of his name in
print could tell her nothing. She had
guessed II before. Rob was dead! And
now she knew that somehow all the
sunlight had gone out and left life gray
and hopeless.
Her chain charm was dangling from
her belt, and a swift stab Of reprOach
reused her from apathy. She had been
so unfeeling that last night. But, then,
she did not know that she loved him.
The chain brought It all back too vivid
ly-the fire light and his face. She shut
up the glittering thing In the depths Of
her treasure box. II she could only
have buried memory with I'll
And now as the days went by she
watched with a horrible intentness for
me heart to como back to her. He had
Iaid, "If anything should happen 10
me, II shall be sent back TO you IN
safety"
She knew that somehow or other Il
would come back to her, and II did.
She opened the box with trembling I'm
gers There was no word. but wrap
ped In coarse paper was the silver
heart, furnished with a dull brown
stain.
She awoke one morning TO ind that
she had been I'll for many weeks When
memory came back to her, she weDt
that there should have been an awak-
Sning Through the long days Of con-