The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-12
The Euening Story
Red Cross and Khaki.
(By Dorothy Douglas.)

the light of a great soul The Order
of King Leopold had been conferred
upon her by the king of the Bel
gians for work on the battlefields,
Alberts decoration her only wish was
to get back again to the wounded.
Her help was needed and as soon as
she recovered sufficient of her normal
supply of health, she told herself,
back she would go.
Lieut.. Cyril Baker, too, was glad
to see London after being in the thick
of the fighting for two long months.
gallantry during the capture of Hill
so and had been brought nome
wounded, with an arm that might
never handle another rifle.
Neither Marina Wilson nor Lieut..
Blaker knew that the other existed.
1t was an amusing surprise then for
the young officer to see his own and
Miss Wilson's pictures boldly printed
in the middle section of the Mirror.
The heading connecting the two pho
tographs was Military Wedding" and
underneath was the usual information
that a marriage had been arranged
and would take place shortly between
Lieut.. Cyril Blaker (Queen Victoria
Rifles) and Miss Marina Wilson.
The young officer was half annoyed
and half amused at the mistake made
in the newspaper office. In the same
page there appeared the photograph
Ol OduISTOll, dWolI USu the V lC-
tOria Cross and at home in Kent re-
covering from wounds. There was
photograph also of Miss Jane Cart
right, Red Cross nurse, who had been
decorated with the order of Leopold
by King Albert for bravery on the bat
tlefield.
Lieut.. Baker saw Immediately that
TIE four pictures had been confused.
He wondered if Miss Wilson would
wax angry over the fact that she was
to marry his humble self and how
Miss Cartwright would enjoy the dis
tinction awarded her by a laundering
newspaper man.
Nice face-Miss Wilson'S was the
officers decision after long cOntenpla-
ton OF the face beside his own in the
paper. Il fancy she won't mind the
mistake any more than L do
Perhaps, had he been able to make
good use of his writing hand, Baker
would have written to the Mirror
and had the mistake rectified. But
since it would involve considerable
trouble, he let the matter stand.
When congratulations began to pour
in on him by letter and telegraph. to-
gether with much good-natured chaff,
his anger decreased while his amusc-
ment grew. The situation served as
pain forgotten and oblivion temper
ariIy to the scenes of the battlefield.
He found himself bordering on Marina
Wilson's feelings in the matter and
wondering as to her personality. He
even admitted to himself on one rare
occasion that he would not mind if the
headline above the pictures was fact
and not error. Lieut.. Baker was not
a man to appreciate the life of a
bachelor. He was of that lonely class
merely because he had never been suf-
ficiently in love to want to change his
condition.
The little Red Cross nurse was COM
pletely at a loss to know why tele-
grams and letters reached her con-
graduating her on her forthcoming
marriage. She had not seen the
photographs in the daily paper nor
had she ever heard the name of Cyril
Baker.
1t was not until she received the
letter from Capt. Gordon, of the
Queen Victoria Rifles a young officer
whom she had nursed back to health
in Belgium, that the mystery was
partially solved.
Cyril is a fine chap" Capt. Cor
don had written. II have been at
his diggings, Dunkirk, in Nottingham,
Kent, often. Long life and great
happiness to you BOTH
Marina realized that it had cost
Capt. Gordon much to write those
words. The captains love had been
hard to refuse. She smiled, however
for his letter gave her the cue she
wanted. She would write now to
Lieut.. Blaker and ask him to solve the
riddle for her. Perhaps he was as
deep in mystery as herself.
Being a delightfully."- sunny day and
not a long trip into Kent, Marina
dressed herself with unusual taste and
took the train for Noting CHAM. There
was no reason why she should not
go. Her life among the wounded SCI
diers had taught her that prudery is 4
thing unknown to the Red Cross
nurse.
Her trip through the meadows of
oh II
reached Nottingham she stepped into
the little lane leading from the sta
ton and inquired her way to Dun
kirk. If the walk was not too long
mer was in full and fragrant bloom
a tonic for ragged nerves.
Dunkirk was a rambling old house
that lay in a tangle of rose arbors.
Lieut.. Blaker, lying in his invaliG's
chair, glanced up from his reading
at the sound of light footsteps APP
proacning.
He drew a surprised and wonder
fully exhilarating breath when he saw
the slim figure making its way
through an arbor of roses in his direc-
ton. For just a second his glance
was puzzled
He would have risen save that Mar
mas quickened step and raised hand
prevented him
Il will not come if you attempt to
stand she adanonished with dainty
command. Il know an invalid when
see one" Her smile so radiated
her face that Baker felt slightly
jealous of all the invalids she must
have smiled upon. Her picture, he
told himself, in no way flattered her
Marina seemed surprised that there
was recognition in his eyes, for to her
the young, bandage-enclOsed officer
in the chair was a complete stranger.
Il suppose you have come down to
talk about the wedding2" he ques-
toned laughingly, when she had
seated herself beside him. Then,