The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-28

NASlplc NoIlu
To do this she must not reveal her
identity to him. Having refused to &C.
cept the position of poor husband to
rich woman, he would surely not
change his decision, now that he had
been blinded. But, remaining unknown
to him, she must win him away from
herself. She designed to play the part
Of woman of small means, hoping to
persuade him. to accept the lesser sac
rifice. The only way by which her
identity might be betrayed to him was
by her voice. But it was not proba-
BILE that this alone would enable him
to recognize her.
The first atime he heard her speak
was when she gave instructions to
nurse concerning his comfort. Aileen
kept her eyes fixed upon him as she
spoke and saw him start. He appear
ed to be listening for something more
from her, but she refrained from speak
ing further at that time. When he
heard her again he listened intently.
"You have the voice." he said, "of
one have known"
Indeed"
Yes; an American"
Zone near to your
"One dear to me-
This was enough to assure Aileen
that she still occupied the place she
coveted, and she turned the subject.
And SO 1t was that Arthur Balm
bridge was unknowingly attended by
one who was intent on being the at
tendant for life of a blind man who
must accept all from her and could
give only his love in return. Though
he could not see her. he was conscious
that she was devoted to him. It is not
by words alone that love is expressed,
nor does 1t even require q look. The
touch Of hand may speak more than
either.
Be this as It may, cambridge soon
came to know that he was loved. He
fastened to say that his heart was al.
ready occupied, though he had already
given hint as to that
Il shall never be able to see you." he
said, "and 1t is well this is SO, for I
could not love you, for gave my heart
to another several years ago. When
l hear you speak hear her."
Aileen made no reply in words. TAX.
ing his hand in hers, she pressed it.
Then cambridge began to ask her
questions about herself. She told him
that she had been left small prop
erty-that, not having to earn her living,
she had desired some occupation and
this had led her to devote herself to
nursing sick and wounded soldiers.
Aileen gave as much time to her In.
valid as she could spare from her other
multlfarious duties. Occasionally she
would steal away to read to him. He
loved this because her voice was the
voice of the girl he had met In Amer.
lea. Whatever time she gave him
seemed heaven sent, and he passed the
long intervals between her visits In
remembrance of the last and in an.
ticipation of the next.
One evening when Aileen was hand
ing him something his hand came In
contact with hers. He had not the
will to withdraw it.
Not long after this cambridge said
to her:
IF you think that nursing a blind
man would give you an object, do so
as my wife"
with your lover"
THAT was given to one whose voice
Is counterpart of yours"
but you cannot see her and can
hear me-"
There was no reply to this. He saw
nothing, he heard nothing, but he felt
himself EMBODIED In an embrace.
One day chaplain was summoned
to perform marriage ceremony. Al
blind officer was married to the rich
American who had founded the hospi-
tai In which he occupied a room.
During this courtship the surgeon
who attended cambridge gave neither
him nor any one else hope that he
would ever see again. One eye was
gone. Would the other ever admit the
light? One day the surgeon performed
an operation on the eye that had been
poisoned, after which the patient was
kept in dark room for long time.
When the light was admitted to the
room he exclaimed:
81 can see!"
what do you wish to see mostr
asked the surgeon.
''My wife,
81 am here" exclaimed Aileen and
stood before her husband-the girl he
had loved as his pupil.
There had been change In the af-
fairs of the handsome teacher since he
had left America, but he did not yet
know it His cousin, young man
near his own age, was heir to for
tune. The cousin, a soldier, had been
killed in Belgium, and Bainbridge by
his death became heir at law to his
estate.
This inheritance removed a certain
feeling OF regret In Bainbridge that be
xvnr1id ha tho moor h.xS1,ar.S 80 :, ~s.t.