Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1903-02-14

~
had adventures enough to fill book.
He found Templeton fiat On his
back and raving with fever in quaint
century old church that had been turn
ed into a hospital. The surgeon in
charge told Jones that it was prac-
tically all over; the man was as good
as dead. Will he be conscious again?'
asked Jones. And the surgeon said
| that it was possible.
when is it likely to happen?
Heaven knows answered the sur
geon.
"I'l wait said Jones' And he sat
| down on the foot of the bed. OF course
| they tried to take him away, but he
wouldn't go, and as everybody was
| pretty busy he was presently forgot
| ten.
'Temp1eton raved and tossed, and
he said some things that might go TO
feeling mans heart, considering the
circumstances, but he mentioned no
name. About 8 o'clock he became
quiet, apd from that hour till morn.
ing he seemed to be sinking down to
death Then he stirred and half raised
| himself.
"'Hello, JONES' said he. Where did
you come FROM?
Give got letter for you, George
was the reply. 1T came after you
left
"'Give it to me- said 'Templeton,
extending weak, thin hand.
He took the letter and raised it to
his breast as he sank back against the
pillow. Jones waited, but Templeton
did not move He lay there smiling,
with the letter on his breast. The man
was dead.
This is a valentine that some one
has sent to him from home said
Jones when the surgeon came. l
think we ought to bury it with him.
eve ought to open it, said the doc
tor, in order to communicate with
the writer Some one might want to
know that he got it.
He took the envelope out of the
dead mans hand and opened it.
Dear George, he said in whis-
per. Mail this to Frank Jones if you
know where he is, and never tell him
who sent it. 1 don't know how to adj
dress him, but you can find out
That's mine,' said Jones in a
dream
THE doctor put the Enclosure into
his hands. It was in a separate en-
velope, unaddressed.
"'This is a friendly letter from a
mighty fine GIRL said the doctor. I'd
like to take something of this kind
with me when 1 60
HE put it back into its envelope
and laid it inside the rough wooden
shirt which was the dead mans gar
ment
"'He has delivered your message,
little girl said he, 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 it, but not a
scrap of writing. He doesn't know
who sent it, but if he did 1 think he
would find that girl. 1 feel quite sure
that he would find that girl
Not bad, as such things CO." said
Brock, rising, but conventional
conventional bel beg your par
don," said I. why, the thing is true. >
81 don't see that that helps it any,
replied Breck. However, that's
neither here nor there. I'm hard up
and if a valentine storys what you
want I'll go home and see what 1 can
do for you. By the way, it wasn't Tenn
pleton's girl, of course?"
''The one who sent the valentine
Certainly not replied. when Jones
got back to this country he looked III
| Templeton's affairs a bit to see
whether he could do anything for his
family and that sort of thing, and he
happened to discover that the girl fol-
whose letter he had waited was really
waiting for him-waiting, as I 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" replied.
Brock lighted another of his deadly
cigarette.
"Why can't write this thing fol-
your" he inquired.
Not for your life, my friend" said 1
why not?" he demanded.
Because am JONES'" said I, land
at present the matter is sacredly con
fdential When L have found that
girl 1 shall write the story myself
| Chicago Record-Herald.