The Lakeland evening telegram., 1916-10-17
A Transfer
In Love
1t Worked Well For All
Concerned.
BY ALAN HINSDALE.


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Who has ever read a romance in
which a pair of lovers gave each other
the mitten and the story ended hap
PLY? If such an incongruous tale has
ever been written. certain it Is that
few authors have ever broken what
may be called the romantic laws. In
real life numberless escapes have been
made by lovers backing out from their
pledges, and much misery would have
been avoided had certain other cou
pies followed their example.
The British had shelled the Ger
man works in Flanders, and now the
order was given to advance There
was desperate conflict, at the end
Of which the ground was strewn with
the dead.
Two British officers, Captain Arthur
Fitz- Herbert and Lieutenant Howard
Margrave, both wounded. lay side by
side. 1t was night, and neither could
see the other Fitz-Herbert groaned
Are you badly hit. comrade?" asked
Margrave.
Hit to DEATH" replied the other.
Can l do anything for you? I've
| got some life left in me-
"If you live, yes; if you die, no.
what is it?"
"A year before left home mar
ried girl who l supposed loved me.
Later ! learned that she loved anoth-
er and had married me because had
befriended her and her family when
they were in trouble. When the call
came for troops for this war | was
largely influenced by this discovery
to enroll. If l We're killed it would
end life embittered by great dis
| appointment and she would be free to
marry the man she loved. If you live
to get back to England tell her what
l have said to you and it is my wish
that she live happy wife with him."
singular" replied the other. half to
himself and half to his comrade. "The
main reason for my being here is that
the girl l love married my rival"
you will find her to whom you are
to deliver the message-her-the mes
.. sage-in the town.
Hes Dead" said Margrave, land be-
fore he could tell me that without
which l can't serve him."
At this moment the field was again
alive with the cOntending armies. The
Germans countered, but We're driven
back by the British. Men went STUN
bling over Margrave, and a German
fell across him. preventing what life
there was left in him from being
trampled out. With frightful din in
his ears he lost consciousness.
The next thing Margrave knew he
was In field hospital, looking up into
pair Of eyes belonging to a woman,
regarding him with feminine sympa.
thy. She was young and comely. In
deed, to the sufferer, used to scenes of
frightfulness, she seemed an angel
But naturally his first thought was
whether he was done for or would
live.
(which is it." he asked, life or
death?"
I'm all probability Ife," was the re-
ply, with an encouraging smile.
Good! And yet" he added, speak
ing rather to himself than to his nurse
-"and yet came to-
Looking into the face above him, he
checked his words. A new interest in
life was born In him.
When Lieutenant Margrave left the
hospital he left the army, too, for he
was no longer in that perfect health
required for soldier He was not
only sorry to leave the army, but to
leave the hospital, for his departure
broke In upon a companionship that
had given him desire to live. His
nurse was Gladys Erskine, the daugh
ter of an English country gentleman
She had volunteered among the many
noble women not only of England but
OF America, who resigned comfortable
as well as luxurious homes to minister
to sick and wounded soldiers When
Margrave parted with her he asked
her to return to England to assume the
position of head of his household, The |
temptation was great, for he had late |
ly come into large estate, but Miss
Erskine preferred. so long as she was
able, to work in the cause of humanity. |
Margrave had been home a month |
when he met the lady whose decision /
between him and another man had |
sent him into field where he might |
hnd relief from his disappointment in
excitement II not in death. She wore |
WIDOWS weeds. Her husband had
also responded to his country's call |
and had not returned. being reported
among the missing. which usually
means those who have died. but have
not been accounted for.
Now, had not Margrave found new
love In a hospital in Flanders there
might have been a romantic end to
the circumstances that sent him to tho
'front.' Since the lady was a widow
there was no impediment to their mar.
riage But even IL Margrave's heart
mad not been transferred to another
there were evidences besides widows
weeds to indicate that she really
mourned her husband.
What O cfprulc, x-,..