Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-07-18
TICKETS cooD ONLY oN sPEcIAI1TRA1N IN EAcH pl

good I, physician, say they are all
too good. Only in that gap between
them and us lies any margin which
permits you to lie to yourself at the
altar To care for them-to shield
them they, the apple of the eve. That
is why we men are here" He turned
away, his face working.
sIs it agfeed?" / asked OF Colonel
Sheraton sternly.
His trembling hand sought mine.
eyes," he said "Our quarrel is dis
charged and more than so. Harry,
shake hands with Mr.. Cowles. And
now, men. our quarrel now runs to
Gordon Orme! Tomorrow we start
for Carolina, where we had his last
address. Mr.. Cowles, my heart bleeds,
it bleeds, sir, for you. But for her
also-for her up there. Inc courts
shall free you quickly and quietly as
soon as it can be DONE 1t is you who
have freed us all. You have been
tried hard You have proved yourself
a man."
The door at the stair burst open. A
black maid. breathless, broke into the
room.
"She's a-settin' there Miss Grace
Just a-settin' there"-she began and
choked and stammered.
sWhat is it?'' cried DR.. Bond sharp
ly and sprang at the door. ] heard
him go up the stairs lightly as though
he were a boy. We all followed.
/ say that we men of Virginia We're
slow to suspect woman. l hope we
are still slower to gossip regarding
one Not one of us ever asked DR..
Bond question, fearing lest we might
learn what perhaps he knew He stood
beyond her now, his head bowed. his
hand feeling for the pulse that was no
longer there The solemnity Of his
face was louder than speech. 1t seem
ed to me that heard his silent de-
peace forever.
Grace Sheraton. her lips just parted
in little crooked smile, such as she
might have worn when she was a
child, sat at low dressing table, star
ing directly into the wide mirror which
swung before her at its back. Her
left arm lay at length along the table.
Her right. with its hand under her
cheek and chin, supported her head,
which leaned but slightly to one side.
She gazed into her own face, into her
own heart. into the mystery of human
M
She could not tell us what she had
learned.
Her father stepped to her side OPP
posite the old doctor. heard sobs as
they placed her upon her little white
bed, still with that little crooked smile
upon her face. as though she were
young, very young again.
| went to the window, and Harry,
think, was close behind me. Before
me lay the long reaches of our valley
shimmering in the midday autumn
sun. 1t seemed scene of peace and
not of tragedy. But even as looked
there came rolling up our valley slow
", almost as though visible, the low,
deep boom of the signal gun from the
village below 1t carried news. the
news from America.
/ saw Colonel Sheraton half look up
as he stood bent over the bed. Thus,
stunned by horror as we were. we
waited 1t was long time, an inter-
minahle time. moments, minutes. it
seemed to me. until there must have
been thrice time for the repetition of
the signal, if there was to be one.
There was no second sound. The sig
nal was alone. single. ominous.
..Thank God. Thank Godr' cried
Colonel Sheraton, swinging his hands
aloft, tears rolling down his old gray
cheeks 1T is war! Now we may
find forgetfulnessw