Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-02-13

OF wires he got leave To Join small
party that Was going up with dis.
patches. and the result was that he
had adventures enough to NIL a book.
The party got through alive. but every
man of them was wounded. inciudin.
Jones. who made the last forty miles
-Hs found Templeton nat on his
back and ravins with fever In quaint
century old church that had been turn,
ed into q hospital. The surgeon In
charge told Jones tina, IL Was prac'
ticaiiy all over: the man Was as good
as dead. VIII he BE- conscious AGAIN.
asked Jones. And the surgeon said
that II was possible.
when Is II likely to happen!'
-'Hcayen knows answered tho sur-
scon.
I'm watt said Jones. Ard hc tat
down on the foot of the bed. OF courS.
they tried to take him away. but he
wouidsr 20. and as everybody was
pretty brsy he was presently forgot
ten.
'Tcmpiciaa ravcd and tossed. and
he said some things that might 30 to
n feeling mans heart. considering the
circumstances. but he mentioned no
name. About ] O'Clock he became
quiet. and from that hour Till morn.
Ing he seemed to b. sinking down to
death. Then he stirred and half raised
himself.
".HelIo, Jones' said he. Where did
you come from
"'i'yc got n letter for you. George
was the reply. 1t came after you
left
"'civc II to nc. said Templcton.
extending n weak. thin hand.
"iIS took tho letter and raised II to
his breast as he sank back against tho
pillow. Jones waited. but Tcmplcton
did not move. He lay there smiling.
with the letter on his breast. The man
was dead.
".This is . valentine that some one
has sent to him from home said
Jones when tho surgeon came. i
think VIC ought to bury II with him.
"'How do you know what II is?
asked the surgeon.
Jones could not answer.
ave ought to open IT, said the doc.
tor. In order TO communicate with
the writer. Some one might want to
know that he 20, It.
He took the envelope out Of the
dead mans hand and opened 1t after
somo hesitation.
Dear George he said In a whis.
per. Mail this to Frank Jones II you
know where he is. and never tell him
who sent II. ] don't know how to nd.
dress him. but you can find out
That's mine said Jones In q
dream.
The doctor put the inclosure Into
his hands. It was In n separate en-.
vclopc. unaddrcssed.
"'This is n friendly letter from
mighty fine girl said the doctor. I'd
like to take something OF this kind
with ME when CO.
He put It back into its envelope
and laid It inside the rough woolen
shirt which was the dead mans gar.
ment.
"'He has delivered your message.
little GIRL said h., and he'll never tell
who sent It.
$50 that's the whole story. Jones
has come back to this country, and he
has that valentine-a pretty card with
little love verse on II, but not a
scrap Of writing. He doesn't know
who sent It. but II he did think he
would find that girl. feel quite sure
that he would find that girl"
Not bad. as such things CO." said
Breck, rising, but conventional"
Conventional bel beg your par
don." said I. "why. the thing is true"
II don't see that that helps it any,"
replied Breck. However, that's
neither here nor there. I'm hard Lp.
and If n valentine story's what you
want I'll go home and see what can
do for you. By the way. 1t wasn't Tenn
pleton's girl, of course?"
1.-THE one who sent the valentine?
Certainly not" replied. when Jones
got back to this country he looked up
Templeton's affairs bit to see
whether he could do anything for his
family and that sort of thing, and he
happened to discover that the girl for
whose letter he had waited was really /
waiting for him-waiting, as have
faith to believe, very near that rude |
church in Luzon where the man closed
his eyes SO happily to open the eyes
of his soul next moment in her pres.
ence."
You mean she had died." said |
Breck.
Precisely" replica.
And Jones hasn't iound the one
girl who remembered him upon the
far side of the world?"
NO." said /, "but he WILL"
Breck lighted another of his deadly
cigarette.
"why can't write this thing for
you?" he inquired.
mot for your life. my friend" said |.
"Why not?" he demanded.
Because l am JONES'" said I, "and
at present the matter is sacredly con-
fidential. When l have found that
girl shall write the story myself
Chicago Record-Herald.