The Washington herald., 1916-07-23

the veranda. From one to another OF the
'pallid. haggard-faced patients his curious
gaze roved. resting at last upon the man
who sat next to him; big. powerful look
ing longshoreman. who was recovering
from a smashed foot
Then. all at once, Toms inspection Of
his fellow-sufferers ceased. He felt as
though the sun had burst through a pail
of clouds.
For. along the veranda, toward him,
Olive Hale. was hurrying.
Tom half rose in his chair to greet
her; his sudden movement sending a hot
twinge of pain through his injured shoul-
der.
Olive was carrying glass partly filled
with a greasy-looking brownish medicine.
She did not meet TOMS brightly well
coming smile, nor turn her head in re-
sponse to his eager word Of greeting.
Instead she walked past him withou,
| a look and paused beside the chair of the
big longshoreman. r -.-
ut is time for your, tonic, Hirsch, Tom
heard her say. pleasantly. .
'I amt going to take no more of that
stuff" he snaried. My foot's all well
again and I'm as husky as ever I was
won't be dosed with, no more nasty
tastfn' drugs" -
| But, Hirsch," pleaded Olive. ''the doc
tor says you must take It.. And he knows
best Drink It all in one gulp and II
won't taste so very bad
She held the glass tnvitingly toward
his lips. But Hirsch, In a gust of pettish
anger, yelled at her:
Take that stuff away, you smirkins
little fool, or I'll hand you a wallop over
the headr'
As he spoke the longshoreman hung
out one of his hamlike hands to re-en-
fore his threat. The big hand struck
hard against Olives extended arm. The
glass was knocked out of her grasp. Its
| muddy contents cascaded down the front
of her white dress.
An involuntary cry from the girl was
answered by growl of animal rage
| from Tom Olcott. Forsetful of his own
weakness and remembering only the af-
front offered to the girl he loved, Tom
had sprung from his chair and hurled
himself bodily upon the swearing long
shoreman.
With his one available fist Tom land
ed a blow on Hirsch's face that, ordin-
arily, would have sent the brute to slum-
berland. But, in spite OF his rage, Oh
colt was still far from strong. And the
fierce left-hander merely served to set
Hirsch's lip to bleeding and brought
Hirsch himself to a point Of murder
Gus fury.
The longshoreman grappled with his
feebler opponent, seeking to crush, him
under superior weight Tom nimbly
lodged the onset and. with his, left land,
caught the other mans sledgehammer
fist as. 1t was whizzed past.
Having secured the grip he sought
Tom strove to put into effect a jiu
jitsu hold which should place Hirsch at
his mercy. But he had not the strength
TO carry his purpose to successful is
sue
Hirsch, meantime. was struggling like
maniac and raining heavy unsclenti-
&c blows upon his crippled adversary.
Up and down the veranda the two men
fought, while the shrieks of the nurses
and of the other convalescents brought
a dozen doctors and orderlies running
to the scene of conflict.
Tom. holding his own as best he could
with the prowess of his tired left arm,
felt his partly healed right shoulder
blade break again, under the conclusion
of Hirsch's fist. Stung to fresh wrath
by the pain. he drove his left fist once
more into Hirsch's face.
Before he could follow up the blow
the orderliee threw themselves between
the combatants. Four men subdued the
writhing and bloody Hirsch while a doc
tor caught Tom olcott's fainting body
as It fell foorward.
Tom opened his eyes in his OWE room
in the hospital. And. for the instant,
he fancied he was back again at that
first hour Of his arrival there, For
Olive Hale was leaning above him, her
iowerlike face alight with pity and ad-
miration. Duly Tom noted that she
was very pale and that she had been
crying.
"oh, how splendid Of you" she sobbed.
You are a hero to have attacked that
great brute for nv Sakei'
NO" denied Tom. unsteadily. Not a
hero. A dub. Ahero is a chap who
wins. dub loses. I lost wasn't
quite in form. When am, I'm going to
hunt up Mr.. Hirsch and give him a party.
party that will send him back here
for six months. You're-youre crying
he broke off. in wonder.
1T is because I'm so ashamed OF my
self" wept Olive. 1--WE treated You so
abominably. Those darling flowers you
sent me and all, What business was II OF
mine II you're engaged to Miss Blair?'
Engaged to Minna Blair?" exclaimed
Tom. why, what nonsense! She's
going to marry Henry wilkins. one of
my patients. She came to tell me 80,
that day She got excited at something
said and caught hold of my hand.
and"
"oh. forgive me! Forgive me-" wall
ed the girl Il was so foolish, So wick
e6ly foolish And I've been so horribly
unhappy all this time
olive" demanded Tom, a ring of glad
| triumph in his voice Were you un-
happy because you thought I cared for
Minna Blair"
Yes. Yes. And because-'
Then you care just a bit?"
Il care she told him. with the fear
lessness of perfect love, ct care more
| than I care for everything else in the
world, Tom
He reached upward with his unhurt
Eleft arm and drew her face down to his.
After awhile. when they had exhausted
the beautiful inanities Of loves sweet
litany, Olive drew back and said with a
tinid seriousness:
Dear, 1 have a confession to make
I've a fault-a grievous fault-that has
followed me ever since l was a baby
I've tried so hard to, cure myself Of II
and it has made me so miserable! It's
| only right that you should know it be.
| fore-before you marry me-"
II don't know what It is" returned
Tom, fondly, but don't believe 1t.
don't believe you have single fault
You're perfect"
I'm perfectly happy II that's what
you mean" she answered, but the faul,
Is there, nevertheless. It has stood be.
tween you and me from the first. It is
jealousy"