Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-28

onel OF the newly raised volunteer regi-
raent, rose and prepared to go. He had
come in only a few minutes before.
"Was there any one who called for me
while / was out ?" he asked.
"Not one, Mr.. Reynolds. AT least, not
one that ! saw" the old captain replied.
He was not really a captain any more.
He did not even use the title. for he was
only a clerk, with a temporary position in
a recruiting Office such "a the government
will authorize when volunteers are called
for.
"You'd have seen her Ill right il she
had come,' returned the younger man, with
u proud thought rather sheepish smile.
AT least il seems To me that she's hardly
the sort that any man would overlook, but
perhaps I'm p~rejudiced. Such things do
happen, you know, colonel"
.They do" agreed the captain, with a
grave smile of sympathy. "ln this case,
however. | nave no doubt that the lady i
as impossible to overlook a You think.
But in calling me colonel you do me too
much honor. Mr.. Reynolds. | have no
claim TO that title"
"Well, you ought to be a colonel. even
if you aren't one said young Reynolds,
still smiling.
E~x-Captain Peter Brandford WINGED. The
statement was true; he ought TO have been
a colonel by this time-had things been
different. But Young Reynolds knew moth
ing of this. His remark was one Of idle
kindness, nothing more.
Just then "A great limousine drew up
before the door.
Young Reynoldh searched wildly for his
cap, for the moment mislaid. Peter Brand
ford glanced out of a window to find his
eyes gazing straight into those of a young
girl who leaned out of the ear. As for
n moment their eyes held each other. He
saw in a face puzzled gaze of recognition.
AT the time, however, he saw 1t subcon-
sciously, for the sight of her had affected
him like an actual physical blow
Then Reynolds came running across the
pavement, and the old captain could see
that she asked him a question. AT the
same time there came in the sound Of the
street one of those familiar. unaccount-
able lulls. Thus it happened that every
word of the young mans reply reached
Peter Brandford's ears. q
IL don't know anything about him, ex-
cept that he's very evidently a gentleman"
young Reynolds was saying. 'When | took
him on a. my clerk. | fancy he needed the
job badly enough, poor old soul! D'you
know I'm beastly hungry! May ! dine a
! amt II change into 'eits' and JOIN YOU
and your people afterward. Where are
We g%oingf"
She mentioned a theatre, and Reynolds
called the name Of a gilded hotel to the
chauffeur. Then got into the limousine
and slammed its door a the ear moved
smoothly away.
Taking his hat and his heavy stick, with
its battered silver top, the old captain
locked the office door behind him. At
first force of habit took him toward the
only place that he had a right to call home;
then he altered his course.
The thought of that boarding house din
ner with it, eternal. aimleSs chatter was
utterly abhorrent to him. IL was only ac-
ton Of some sort that could aid him IN
bringing his mind bach to It's accustomed
discipline. What he needed was 10 walk.
The sight of that face in the limousine
had opened the gates OF hls mind. ana,
strive n he might to prevent them, a flood
Of memories came rushing through.
And every memory was woven around a
girl--a girl long ago, but with a face 80
like the one he had just seen that with all
his might he endeavored To refuse beliet
in the existence Of a resemblance % eX-
traordinary. He now remembered that the
girl had seemed to recognize him, and that
in itself went To show what strange tricks
ones Imagination will sometimes play.
That she ever could have known HIM was
absolutely impossible-it was to the last
degree improbable that she had even ever
seen him before that evening.
Yet all his reasoning utterly failed TO
convince him: the impression had been too
strong.
The captain had met her-the girl-far
from any army post. She was all hal y
man could desire, and he had loved her
from the moment they met. Ii was she
was.
The occasion was her fathers retire
ment from the army, and she told her lover
with innocent pride and pleasure in the
fact that he and her father whom she a.
dored must have known each other.
They did, for her father was the ser
geant- ma Tor of Peter Brandford's OWE
squadron.
1t needs a soldier fully to understand