The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-11-21

wv death. Colonel Hardin
1ZND hal Ter installed reg.
u,a-,y u.s. Il a@:se coc Bansencg. a con-
cession not willingly granted. Those
days were like years to her. She was
thin and worn vixen she came down
from the north. but she was haggard
with anxiety ard despair when the
two days OF suspense were ended.
Ethel Hardin was her ablest ally.
This rather laWleEs young person laid
aside the hearts with which she was
toying ard ,ent her every endeavor to
the cause Of romance. 1t was not long
before every young officer in the city
was more or less interested in the well
fare Of Gr2ydon Bansemer. She threw
a fine clouk of mystery about the mil.
~lionalre's son" and the great devotion
Of her cousin. The youth Of the army
followed Ethel to and from the hospi-
tai fUr days and days. Without Ethel
it is quite doubtful if anybody could
have known what a monstrous lmpor.
tant parsonage Private Bansemer real
ly was.
At the end Of a fortnight he was able
to sit up and converse with his nurse
and the occasional Ethel. DR.. G., chief
of the ward, remarked to Colonel Har-
bin:
Hell get well, Of course. He can't
help 1t. / never knew before what so
clety could do for a fellow. He's got
a society nurse, aud he is visited by a
society despot."
DO you think he will be able to do
any more fighting? VIII he be strong
~enoughy"
81 don't see why. The government
won't let him do it, that's all. He can
claim a pension and get out of service
with an honorable discharge-and may
be Il medal. He'll be strong enough,
however. That fellow could go on n
hike inside of a month"
Il suppose Wen all be going home
before long. This war Is about over"
grOwled Hardin.
mo Stree! Wen be fighting these
fellows for ten years. All, there's your
daughter, colonel. Good day"
With the first returning strength,
: freed from lassitude and stupor, Gray
don began whispering joyous words of
r love to Jane. His eyes were bright
}, with the gladness that his pain had
brought. She checked his weak out
: bursts at first, but before many days
b had passed she was obliged to resort
to a tirmness that shocked him into Q
resentful silence. She was even harst
in her command. 1t cut her to thu
quick to hurt him, but she was steel
ing herself against the future,
g When he was able to walk out In the
grounds she withdrew farther into thu
background of their daily life. III
hungered for her, but she began t.
g avoid him with a strange aloofness tina
brought starvation to his heart. While
$ she was ever attentive to his wants
her smile lacked the tenderness he haC
known in the days of danger, and he
face was strangely somber and white.
"Jane," he said to her n day as HI
9 came in from his walk and laid dowI
Y his crutches, this can't go on any
longer. What is the matter? Don
a you love me-not at allT'
She stood straight and serious be
5 fore him, white to the lips, her hear
h as cold as ice.
n II love you, Graydon, with all m,
IT soul. | shall always love you. Please
r. please, don't ask any more Of me
,r You understand, don't you? We can
not be as we once were-never. Tha
ID is ended. But you-you must know
that | love you"
u ut is sheer madness, dearest t
F." take that attitude. What else in tn
. world matters so long as we love on
another? / felt at first that l coul,
: not ask you to be my wife after wha
: my father did that night. That wa
\ as silly of me as this is of you.
" did not contend long against my love
" You have never been out Of my min
night or day. l was tempted NOR
le than once to desert, but that was i'm
re possible, you know. 1t was the tel
lie rible eagerness to go back to you an
compel you to be mine. My father di
you a grave wrong. He
CT But my father did me q grave
u wrong, Graydon. / have thought
all out"
Is Nonsense, dearest. You have save
! my life. You must save my love
These last few weeks have knit on
~ lives together so completely that ne
Their of us has the right to chang
Gods evident purpose. l love you 70
u yourself, Jane. That is enough
There has not been an instant /
~ which l have felt that any clrcun
III stance could alter my hope to MARI
you. You say you have no naml
{ You forget that you may have min,
a dearest, and 1t is not much to
proud of, | fear, in the light Of ce.
", tain things. You must be my wifi,
Jane.''
" 81 cannot, Graydon. That is ina
D~on't-don't plead, dear. 1t win NJ
= avail. Look into my eyes. Don't 70
see that l mean it, GraydonT
- "By heaven, Jane, your eyes Al
no living 10 me- You can't mean what