The daily Alaskan., 1906-12-28
ON THE BORDER

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 cry evidence of distress. On bed lay young girl. She was either uncon. sclous or sleeping, for she was very , low. aud It was impossible 10 tell whether 1t was sleep or coma.
 They are lighting at the front" the old man unused. and If anything should happen to Bert it would turn the scale. But if anything does hap pen she must not be told. Still, would il not be better for her to know it and die instead Of living on the life of desolation in store for her:
 The doctors opinion that she will weather the storm and get well l have little confidence In. Is it his opinion, or does he Saly it tO keep me up:
 The nurse came in and begged the old man to 70 10 bed. He refused, tell ing her to go into room across the ball. lie down and leave him to watch alone. If anything important occurred be would call her She went over to the bed. laid hes hand on the sick girls forehead and looked at her long and anNiOuSly. Then she turned and told him that il was not best she should leave. But he firmly refused 10 go himSplC. and she took book and went into the room he had indicated
 Ever since her mother died" be unused on. she has been all have had to live for. Sometimes jt seems 10 me that all Ihr iu'r she has had for me has been merged in her love for Bert That's natural All the love l had for my parrut waS nothing compared with the love | bore her mother. And when her mother died gave it all 10 my little girl
 Il wonder whats going on down there. Last nights dispatches we're that s light couldn't be put of twenty four hours We know what they do almost uS So"u aS they do It. Bert must take his chances -oue out of three or four or five, l suppOse-while here lies the girl he loves aud who loves him. having not one chance in a dozen IT be dies she will never smile again IT she dies l will never smile again. but he-he Is young. He rAn forget or replace the old with the nEw. :"
 Curious thoughts run through the mind of one in suspense. The old nan feil to coujuring up all sorts of poSSi- ble happenings He tsnCied hls girl again in health. her lover safely re turned their meeting. In their happi- ness he forgot that he would be left alone or remembering it was mtigated that they were happy. He pictured Bert d physical wreck coming to Ind the girl he loved gone; the young mans agony. followed by a settled glOoA,. This came the nearer home to him. for ir was what he would have to suffer himself
 Then he went back To the period when she whose life hung by thread was jumping her rope, rolling her hoop. He saw her grow from child to maiden. from madden lu woman. How quickly iI had all come about, And now lr she. died. what had all his er- forts tU raise her. Ler studies. her ac- romrliShmrutS. availed: All swept away al the rraSng of heart tu beat And her longer life. what of it: Every effort he had made or should make would br urutraltZed.
 Tue patient stirred. The watcher was about tu go into rhe other room and call the nurse when the girl suddenly, with u strength that asIouiShed him, >at up and fixed her eyes on vacancy or. u> ir seemed. some one in the center of tue room.
 "Brrr oh. Bert, nayr you cOme:''
 She stretched forth her arms. and rhc snru> of her vision seemed 10 draw urar"r ro herself Her arms folded, she ra.>,.l hrr face a~ though for a kl>> rhru fell back on the pillow.
 Tle oId .an >pran@ To the bedside auI WAS joined moment jalrr by tue uur>~. who puirEly slipped hrr arms under the invalid and raised her. See lD., uo sign Of life. she p}ared her hand on ,hc girls heart. Then She looked up and said.
 "Shr'> gone.
 The oli man went 10 a table, sat Town aud placing his arms ou it. rest ad his h'aJ on them. Tue nurse laid .hl drad girls uriu> beside her. turn .L. IuoNrd at Ire old man pityiu=ly and eff ,h" room. Thr v;tSc wa> closed for ler. aud iu day or iw" she would be ready for thr next one.
 The oid mau rrmaturd where he was. The rlr.k struck !hc hours successive Vi. ,. g. 1. ;. Then there was the >ouud of nuyS running m thr street rr,ow aui shouting.
 'Ext~a, Great battle at SauJiagU,'
 The nld mau StarJrd up. Going into tllr hau hr rang for a servant. One of them had been up all night To summon q Lorro. If needed He responded at once. and his master ordered him to bring him n paper. In it was q tele- gram lwnOunriug tho last battle of the Spanf~h- American war with a partial l list of the killed aud wounded. Among 1 tha former was the name Lieutenant Albert Hibhard.
 AS the old man read it something like 8 smile fitted across his face.
 Thank God" he said. they have - .as.o+l,,-r prnyfIenra who re-