New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-20


Trarcoq Al home I am great pigeon fancier.
It's nv principal occupation. And you, fhihp'
what is yours
az Jacques, am an explorer.
"Not a commonplace profession, that
"And an ardent one, | assure you. am oe-
voured with impatience to explore again the
fever-ridden jungles Of Africa wnere tne nm,
,,ocoroses range. All. the idleness of captivity
Both sighed recalling in thought the ousIiins
morning when they ha last quilted the hangar
at Belfort in a new aeroplane-the circles III
the pure icy air, the keen JOY at seeing nee
before their French wings the wings OF pru-
dent German Taube. Months and months
,assed draggingly in a Swiss fortress, where
tbev were esteemed and Hospitality treated
vet carefully watched
az suppose YOU hardly ever think Of such
thing as making a home and having FANNY
asked Jacques the observer, of Phlllp, the pliol'
"On the contrary. When one risks his lie
he ought to feel that there is another lie De-
hind him which will continue the turrow'
want 10 have children and hearthstone TO
which to come to rest myself between my e1-
ploring expeditions"
"Rpt under such conditions it ought to be
difficult to find wife"
Don't worry; have found her" answered
Philip. smiling. ,,
A r;nnle Of sweetness passed over his hard
od,,or+nrons face-the face of condottiere
In imagination he saw the pure and tranquil
silhouette of Claire, his iancee the little 1riehu
of his boyhood, with her grave eyes ana ner
almond complexion. -
That young girl, devoted and very stralgh'-
forward. satisfied the need which Philip mad OF
a confdante. Then, when he travelled IN 'he
rough African country, he would be aoie 10
nreserve the pure fame of his hearthstone' ne
could ALWAYS. without suspicion, kiss her
smooth brow and confde to her little, rosy ear
his projects for still greater discoveries
He jumped up suddenly, for an attendant
appeared bringing letters for the two prison
ors Each seized his own and ensconced him.
self in an easy chair. Philip, overjoyed rec
ognized the handwriting Of his fancee.
He opened the missive with leisurely sense
Of ENJOYMENT. anticipating the pleasure which
would come to him from those lines-the SIM
nile recital of a nurse occupied for eighteen
months at the bedsdes of the wounded.
But all of a sudden certain disorder IN the
customary sober arrangement OF the INES
struck him, and surprised, keenly attentive, ne
read on: >,
"Dear Philip: If you were here should
know how to tell you what embarrasses me.
Rut how shall write it? Let me say, first
of all. that nv life belongs to you-and all
nv love. So you will counsel me, will you
not. since you are my strength?
Recently they brought into our hos
krOI
tor. who in the course Of his fourteenth
fight with the German airmen was gravely
wounded Very gravely, alas! he scarcely
could tell what was happening when they
pinned on his breast the Cross OF the
Legion of Honor.
"Since then we have cared for his poor,
damaged eyes. For a long time we be-
lieved that we could save his sight But at
last day came when his vision was ex-
tinguished-when he knew that he would
be totally blind.
"The nurses here have cared with the
tenderest devotion for this young hero, so
harshly penalized both in the present and
in the future He saw the most attractive
among us. all bending over him, before ne
became blind. How was it that he noticed
me, more than the others?
"Why me, who felt for him nothing but
pity? Why did inspire in him an attach
ment which was not willing to return?
81 swear to you, Philip, when Pierre de-
cared his love for me, however much re-
GREETED rejecting him, did it without hesi-
tation. i changed my assignment. lie no
longer heard my voice or my STEP he
could forget me.
"'But one day he wished to go to find me
in the hall on the floor below where then
was. His strength failed him. He fell on
the stone steps and crushed his head badly.
We thought he not going to survive.
Philip there is not woman who would not
have wept to be the cause of the despair
and death of this unfortunate man. In
return for the life which he offered his
country, should he find only indifference on
the part of her for whom he cared? And
what was | to do, when, dying, he implored
me not to reject his love?
81 have been woman, weak or over
sympathetic, as you wish. ! lied to him
out of pity. | said to him that | re-
turned his feeling, that would marry him,
as he had entreated me TO do. To dying
person why refuse that supreme joy?
Death was to efface all.
"But he has survived. To-day he is al