The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-12-30
RED cRoss AND KHAKI
sy


Marina Wilson was glad to zee, old
London after her six weeks among
the wounded In Belgium.
Lieut.. Cyril Baker, too, was GLAD
to see London after being In the thick
Of the lighting for two long months.
Neither Marina Wilson o Lieut..
Baker knew that the other existed.
1t was an amusing surprise then for
the young oflcer to Q his own ard
Miss Wilson's pictures boldly printed
In the middle section Of the Mirror.
The heading connecting the two pho.
tograph was Military Wedding"
Baker vas half annoyed and halt
amused at the mistake made i.
the newspaper Office. In the same
page there appeared the photograph
Of Lieutenant Cameron, at home in
Kent recovering from wounds.
There was q photograph ais,
of Miss Jane Cartright, Red Cross
nurse. Baker saw Immediately that
the four pictures had been confused.
mice face-Miss Wilson'S" wal the
officers decision after long contempla.
ton of the face beside his own in the
paper. Il fancy she won't mind the
mistake any more than l do"
When congratulations began to pour
in on him by letter and telegraph, to.
gether with much good-natured chat.
his anger decreased while his amuse
ment grew. The ~sttnation served as q
pain forgotten and oblivion temper.
arily to the e of the battlefield.
The little Red Cross nurse was
completely at a loss to know why tele.
grams and letters reached her congrat.
ulating her IN her forthcoming mar
rage. She had not seen the photo.
graphs in the daily paper o had she
heard the name of Cyril Baker.
It was not until she received the
letter from Captain Gordon Of the
Queen Victoria Rifles, q young officer
whom she had nursed back to health
In Belgium, that the mystery was par.
tally solved.
Cyril is a fine chap" Captain Cor.
don had written. Il have been at
mis- ~diggings, Dunkirk, in Nottingham.
Kent, often. Long life and great hap.
piness to you BOTH"
Marina realized that it had cost
Captain 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 Lieu.
tenant Baker and ask him to solve
the riddle for her.
Being a delightfully."- sunny day and
not a long trip into Kent, Marina
dressed herself with unusual taste
and took the train for Nottingham.
There was no reason why she should
not go Her life among the wound.
ed soldiers had taught her that pru.
derry is a thing unknown to the Red
Cross nurse.
Her trip through the meadows OF
Kent was delightful. When she
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
she preferred to take it, for the sum-
mer was in full and fragrant bloom
. tonic for ragged nerves.
Dunkirk q a rambling old house
that lay in q tangle of rose arbors.
Lieutenant Baker, lying in his in.
valid's chair, glanced up from his read.
ing at the sound Of light footsteps
approaching.
He drew q surprised and wonder.
fully celebrating breath when he saw
the slim figure making its way
through an arbor Of roses in his dlrec.
ton. For Just = second his glance
was puzzled. =
He would have risen save that
Marna's quickened step and raised
hand prevented him.
II will not come II you attempt to
stand" she admonished with dainty
command. II know IN invalid when
I Q one" Her smile 90 radiated her
face that Baker felt slightly Jealous
Of all the invalids she must have
smiled upon. Her. picture, he told MIN.
self, in no way flattered her.
Marina seemed surprised that there
was recognition in his eyes tor to
her the young, bandage-enclosed ON.
Ger I'm the chair ~ . complete
stranger.
Il suppose you have come down to
talk about the wedding?" he ques.
toned laughingly, when she had seat.
ed herself beside him. Then beckon.
ing to a maid in the window, he or.
dered tea brought into the garden
But, you see, l am in the dark. l
haven't the slightest idea what has
prompted all my friends to make this
ab-this mistake" q.
Il thank you for leaving out the
word absurd, !" Lieutenant Baker said,
and Marina blushed with charming
promptness. Haven't you seer this?"
he asked, handing her q sheet from
the daily paper.
moi" she said softly, and continued
to blush when she saw her own and
the young officers photographs and