Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-20

she may have felt and suffered in Sc.
cret could only be conjectured by those
who loved her. Bansemer,s maine was
never uttered His fate remained I'M
known to her The faraway, unhappy
look in her eyes proved TO them that
Graydon was never out of her
thoughts.
David Gable was in Chicago when
Mrs. Cable received word from her
sister. once Kate Coleman. that she
soon would reach San Francisco with
her husband, bound for the Philip
pines Kate was the wife of a West
Pointer who had achieved the rank of
colonel in the volunteers by virtue of
political necessity. His regiment had
been ordered to the islands. and she
was accompanying him with their
daughter, girl of sixteen.
Colonel Hardin had seen pleasant
service at the eastern posts, where his
wife had attained certain kind of
social distinction i'll the army fast set
She was not especially euamored of
the prospect ahead of her in the Phil
ippines But the new colonel was u
strict disciplinarian on and off the
field. He expected to be brigadier
general if fortune and fayoritism sup
ported him long enough. Mrs. Hardin
could never be anything more than a
private in the ranks. so far as his es-
timatiOn of distinction was concerned.
His daughter, Ethel, had, by means of
no uncertain favoritism, advanced Il
few points ahead of her mother and
might have ranked as sergeant in the
family corps.
Mrs. Hardin played cards. drank
highballs, flirted with the younger Off.
emphasis and was as happy as any
subordinate could be. They had not
even thought of such thing as di-
yorce. and the whole army wondered
and expressed disgust. The army's
appetite for scandal is surpassed only
by its bravery in war 1t is even
limited that the latter is welcomed as Il
loophole for the former War brings
peace.
The arrival of the Harbins and n
staff of gay young cadets fresh from
the banks OF the Hudson put new lie
into the refuses. Tha regiment was
to remain at the Presidio for several
weeks before sailing. One of the lieu
tenants was a Chicago boy and an ac-
quaintance of Graydon Bansemer. 1t
was from him that Jane learned that
| her sweetheart was a soldier in the
service, doubtless now in LuZon.
| A week before the sailing of Colonel
| Harbin's transport Jane suddenly an
nounced that she had but one desire
Mia with her aunt She did not pre-
| sent her plea with the usual claim
| that she wanted to be of service TO hel
| country. She was not asking TO SC
out as Il heroine of the ordinary type
| Instead she simply announced that she
| wanted to go as a temporary member
| of Colonel Harbin's family, to endure
their hardships and to enjoy their en-
| thusiasms Mrs. Gable recognized the
true motive. however.
Her pleadings We're in vain. Th'
Harbins had lucklessly urged Jane Il
/ join them. kilograms flew back ant
forth across the continent, and Davit
! Cable came on to present his feeble
7 objections.
When the great transport sailed
| away. Jane Gable was one of her pas
sengers, the ward of the regiment.
ITS just for a little while. dad" sh'
said wistfully at the dock; "a few
months. I'll think of you every minut
I'm away"
The blood of the man in the service
was calling to her. The ocean was be
| tween them. The longing to be nea
him, to tread the same soil, had con
quered III the eternal battle of love
After all. no matter how the end wa
| attained. she was creature of life
| brought into the world to love and t
be loved. She put the past behind he
and began to build a new future:
! future III which the alteration of Gray
don Bansemer was the founda ton
The hope that makes all human aver
ages was at the work of reconstruc
ton; youth was the builder. I'll,
months of destruction had not left ;
hopeless ruin as the heritage of deaf
| impulses.
The world grew brighter as the shiI
| forged westward. Each day sen
warmer blood into her veins and f;
deeper light into her eyes. The new
life was not inspired by the longing Il
be his wife, but to see him again anC
| to comfort him. She would be NJ
mans wife.
At last one hot, soft morning il
early July the great transport slipped
past Corregidor and turned it's nos,
across Manila bay. past Cavite. to
ward the anchorage which ended thu
long voyage. The city of Manila lay
stretched out before them-Manila, tn,
new American capital.
The troops We're marched off to quar-
ters, and the Harbins, with Jane Ca
bic, repaired at once to the Oriente
where they We're to live prior to tax
ing house in Ermita or San Miguel
The campaign was not being pushe,
vigorously. at this time. 1t was TIL
rainy season. Desultory fighting wa
going on between the troopS and IN