Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12


| the young mans throat.
You have been very good to me- but
| but you are very foolish. You have no Idea
| who 1 may be! And you picked me up out
| of a circus
Il know where found you, and / repeat
that / want you"
Your father was a sea captain. and you
took long voyages to India with him when
| you were boy. so your mother says" said
Agatha.
Duncan nodded wonderlngly. Il know
some parts of India pretty we'll"
Agatha pushed back her sleeve. II don't
| suppose that you have noticed this, as 1t
was not the wounded arm. Do you know
what this means?"
Close to the shoulder were two small,
symmetrical white scars that resembled
q cuniform character. The doctor looked
from the arm to the girls face
In india. he said, slowly, that means
of royal bIood!''
The girl nodded. My father was a ma
| tive OF India. He. too. had this scar on
and the English brought him to London
when he was boy He always planned to
go back, but he died soon after was born.
My mother was an Irish girl"
The doctor locked at the sensitive. high
bred features and the slender olive fingers.
Then he nodded understandingly.
Mother had nothing but me, and after
she drffted to America, they found / could
train animals. Mother always Travelled
with me-she died a few months ago.
There was silence for moment then.
Il ask you again., said the man, Will
you stay with me?"
"oh. can't, said the girl. II can't
must go back hate 1t, yet-yet-Dr.
Freeman were you ever homesick7'
Yes briefly,
breath. i've been homesick for some
thing all my life. For something l never
saw, and never can see. Perhaps it's the
moonlight on the rice fields, that father
used to talk about. Perhaps it's--Oh, I'm
sick of fighting the poor brutes, but must
go back l should go mad. here she
| looked at the peaceful beauty of the valley.
The mans eyes did not leave her face
My mother would have liked II here, she
said.
Agatha" said Duncan, softly. , ,nto
The tired. wistful eyes looked down INTO
| his. Agatha, do you love me?'
Yes. but OH" wildly II can't marry
| you I can't stay here. You must not ask
II of mel
For a long time the doctor looked at
her. reading each line of the beautiful
face with the understanding that only love
could have given. Then into his own face
came new lines-lines of remuneration ana
Quiet grief that by some subtle force added
to his age in a single minute
'I will not ask it, Agatha, he said
1t was late that night that the door OF
the cottage opened and Agatha stole out
into the moonlight. She carried little
bundle in her hand and wore the white
gown and hat given her by Mrs Freeman;
She did not go down the path but hurried
around the house and out across the flelds-
Once away from the house and Its environ
ments she paused as if to look back, then
she shook her head and went on.
II must not stop" she said aloud, ''or my
courage will fail me. Hell be out all night
with that case and it's best that l should
go now II could not bear to say good
bye"
She plodded on YEARLY. with more fire.
quent and longer pauses as her scanty
strength was more and more taxed. The
animal show was still stranded just outside
of Clintonville, where the barker was walt
ing reinforcementS in the shape or a new
animal trainer and a partner with enough
money to enable him to move.
1t was midnight when Agatha reached
the tents. dim and ghostlihe in the moon
light She was completely exhausted. She
FASTENED as best she could past the smaller
tent where the men slept, and entered, with
the deftness of familiarity, the larger and
animal tent. AS the flap fell behind her,
she stood in the darkness, breathing fast,
the familiar smell of the animals. the touch
of the sawdust to her feet, bringing the
warmth of excitement to her cheeks.
isn't it good! Isn't it good!' she said
to herself
Little growlings and scratchings told her
that she had Weakened the animals by her
entrance Her eyes were now accustomed
to the dimnesS, and she could discern the
different cages. She walked slowly about
the ring, whispering the names of the ami
mails, scarcely above her breath. They
seemed to recognize her. for though there
was sign of greeting they sank back
again to sleep, quietly enough.
At last, the first gladness of her return
past, Agatha dropped into one of the audi
ence chairs.
II wonder if the doctor is back again?"
For many moments she sat in silence, her
outward sense acute to catch each sound
made in the cages her inner sense Wrest-
ling with a new homesickness. Suddenly,
the rough life of the circus seemed abhor-
rent to her. The picture of isolation and
danger since her mothers death returned
to her with overwhelming force. But this
was least of all The young doctors face,
| his tenderness. his understanding and SYM
pathy, his
Agatha rocked back and forth in misery
of mind.
What shall I do?' she whispered "oh,
what shall l do?"
For a long time there was silence in the
tent, save for the uneasy noises of the ami
mails. The ma shadowy white figure stole
to the flap, lifted 1t, and again began its
weary trip across the fields
The moon was low in the sky when
Agatha turned in at the garden gate
Exhausted and trembling she toiled up
fore the screen door she noticed a dark
figure in the hammock which swung
across the porch. In II lay the doctor
fast asleep, his surgeons case on the floor
beside him Evidently too weary TO climb
the stairs, he had dropped into the ham
mock to rest. AS # aware of the girls
presence, he sat erect.
Agatha" he said, what Is 1t? Where
are you going?"
Agatha moved slowly toward him II
have been across TO the animal tents" she
said II thought l wanted that most of
all"
The doctor looked down at the face that
was weary. even in the dimming light.
"Oh, Agatha" he said. you were not
strong enough for that!"
Il know it," replied Agatha simply. and
so have come home"
Homer" repeated Freeman, wistfully.
Yes answered Agatha, 'if you still
want mel!
There Is nothing else in life that I do
want" said the doctor, his voice trem-
bling with sudden joy. And Agatha's
homesick face found a sudden resting place
by the Way"
From the Green Bag.