The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-10

The Evening Story
A Handsome Man.
(By John Darling.)
| Light gradually dawned upon the
darkness of the wounded soldiers
mind. With a vague consciousness
he looked about and his eyes feM
upon the last person In the world
whom he expected to see-Marian
Hamilton. A fleeing smile crossed
his lips and lit up his eyes for a mo-
ment and then sleep enveloped him
i Hours afterward when he awoke
again he looked in vain for the face
of the girl He was very weak from
the long illness since he had been
4 carried from the battlefield. and the
lsight Of Marian fretted him and re-
tarded his recovery.
/ Where is she?" he asked at last
of one of the nurses who came to
1 minister to him.
j "The-the nurse who stood by my
Marian Hamilton 1t was a long
speech for him and he was visibly
4 weakened.
i you knew her? She was called
homo to America suddenly the nurse
told him.
The soldier sighed. .::Then it's all
over after ALL" he whispered. Some
thing-her face. perhaps. had given
me hope"
i "Of course it had,' replied the
nurse cheerily. You're getting bet
ter-you have cause to hope"
'Ah-I know I'm getting better. 1t
wasn't that hope-it@' But he
could get no further. The nurse babe
him try to sleep.
i Marian Hamilton had met John
Broadfoot in Washington while that
British embassy. He had been no.
ticeable even in Washington society
because Of his handsome face and
splendid carriage. His manners, too,
were charming and he was a much
sought after guest at social functions.
i From the moment that he beheld
Marian he had loved her. And he
was not long in telling her OF his
feeling. Marian had been very kind
but very sorry-she could not marry
him. She had always said she could
not be happy with a really handsome
hoped she would not fam in love with
stone. She recognized her own weak
nezss-a tendency to jealousy
II And it was not until John Broad
foot was called back to his own coun-
try to serve his colors that the girl
realized that, in spite of herself, she
loved him. She had babe him a hasty
goodbye and there had been no time
4 for further explanation.
4 Following his departure she evaded
society,"; she was not happy. And
when an opportunity came to enlist
fnp to- <1a~ D>1
ranks she cheerfully took up the pre-
hminary work in Washington. Later,
when a girl chum decided to go on. to
the scenes of battle in Europe she
begged leave of her parents to ac-
company her.
} that she should one day find her old
lover, John Broadfoot, among the
wounded soldiers under her care. His
wounds had been SO severe that there
had been little hope of his recovery
and she had fingered day and night
at the side of his cot SO that she
might be near him when he regained
consciousness. And she had been
there only to receive that heeting
recognition and then to have him
sink back again into the darkness.
! Strangest Of all, followed the cable
calling her to Washington. She had
only time to leave message with
the girl with whom she had come
|
; That message conveyed to John
Broadfoot the hope that ii he still
cared to tell her q story she would
listen. But the wounded soldier had
not yet received tho message and he
looked forward to the time when he
could rejoin his regiment and fight
at the front. He did not know that
his wounds would keep him from be-
: ing eligible for battle for months to
' come.
I've found Miss Hamilton's friend,
t Mary Sprague, who says she has .
1 nurse said to him one morning when
; he seemed brighter and stronger.
'Wiu you see herr"
t ''Will a thirsty man drink" he
!. asked her. smilingly.
And almost as he said the words
. his cot. John Broadfoot-you know
= me now?" she said, taking his thin.
white hand.
'Now-and always, hope" he said
8 with a touch Of his old time chivalry.
I fngton. U. S. A., isn't it ?''
Broadfoot nodded against his pill
: low. Then he seemed to wait for the
message. 1t was So much a waste
, of time to talk of anything else when
E he was obsessed with the desire to
> know why Marian had been beside
Marian was with me-" Mary
Sprague began.
: "Tyes. I remember seeing her
? standing here" the patient said.
'-She and Joined the Red Cross to-
gether and-she was suddenly called
, home. Her mother was i'll. She
t told me to tell you that" Mary
! Spraxue hesitAted-'that there was
some story you wanted to tell her
J that-that she would be interested in