The Press., 1917-05-10

i by her voice. But 1t was not proba- ble that this alone would enable him to recognize her.
 The first time he heard her speak was when she gave instructions to a 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 refrainad 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"
 "One near to you?1
 '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 it was that Arthur Bain- bridge was unknowingIy attended hy 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. 1t Is not by words alone that love Is expressed, nor does 1t even require look. The touch of a hand may speak more than either.
 Be this as 1t may, Bainbridge soon came to know that he was loved. He hastened to say that his heart was aI- ready occupied, though he had already given a hint as to that.
 ''I shall never be able to see you," he said, land 1t is well this is so, for could not love you, for gave my heart to another several years ago. When hear you speak hear her"
 Aileen made no reply in words. Yak ing his hand in hers, she pressed 1t.
 Then Bainbridge began to ask her questions about herself. She told him that she had been left a 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 multifarious 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 Bainbridge said to her:
 ''If you think that nursing a blind man would give you an object, do so as my wife,
 with your loveT
 '9That 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 enfolded in an embrace.
 One day a chaplain was summoned to perform a marriage ceremony. A blind officer was married to the rich American who had founded the hospi- tai In which he occupied room.
 During this courtship the surgeon who attended Bainbridge 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 poisoned, after which the patient was kept in a dark room for long time When the light was admitted to the room he exclaimed:
 q can seer'
 What do you wish to see most?" asked the surgeon.
 ''My wife"
 q am here," exclaimed Aileen and stood before her husband-the girl he had loved as his pupil.
 There had been a change in the af- fairs of the handsome teacher since he had left America, but he did not yet know 1t. His cousin, a young man near his own age, was heir to a for tune. The cousin, 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 he would be the poor husband of a rich woman. It provided him with his share of this worlds goods, and he was not dependent for funds on his wife. The only discomfort is that he must go through life with a patch over one eye, but there Is some compensation in the fact that he gave the eye in his cnnntrYta narYica