The Nevada County picayune., 1918-11-28
CHAPTER III.

several years tatef t5aptdln MdEh Wallace descended from street ear and walked up the grounds of q very select young ladies boarding chool in WestChester county New York, kept by two maiden ladies. Entering the colonial portieo, the captain rang the bell and asked to see Miss Howard. Five minutes afterward, having satis- fled the lady principal that lie stood in the avuncular relation to her charge, and was q man of blamelesS life, he met Eleanor in the reception room.
 It was some years since he had seen her. The grimy little waif of the San tiago battlefield had shot up Into slim, long-egged schoolgirl, with brown hair tied back with ribbon, and face that already showed the promise of beauty.
 The girl hurried forward as if eX- pecting an embrace, realized Marks intention, and checked herself quickly and held out both hands.
 Dear Uncle Mark !" she exclaimed, I've been looking forward to you ever since l got your letter telling me that you were coming East"
 Well, it's nice to be appreciated like that said Mark, laughing.
 "I couldn't quite persuade myself that 1t was true. and that l should eally see you at last. And you're not in the least like your photograph"
 ''Homelier, EleanOr?'
 No, but different. Older-very much older. You must be awfully old quite thirty, I should say"
 Nearly" admitted Mark, wondering whether the long years in the West, with the sweltering heat and arduous service, had really aged him prema- turely. Mark had had no influence to secure him anything better than a border post. He often wondered why he had not gone into civil life, like so many of his class, and amassed a com potency in the first booming years of the twentieth century.
 Something in the blood. perhaps, had held him to the army life, which he loved SD much in principle and hated so much in practice. He was not far short of thirty; he had nothing but hls meager pay; no ties but q married sister in Chicago and the girl in the boarding school, who filled so great a part of his thoughts, so disproportion- ate a share.
 For until that day he had only seen her once since he picked her ID in the jungle, and she had been too young to retain the memory of the meeting in Major Towards home.
 'I expected young man. hut I'm just as pleased to see you" said Eleanor. T don't like very young men"
 Mark received her amends with amusement. and they sat down side by side upon the sofa, and were soon deep in conversation. Mark learned all about her school and her friends She was very happy there and would re- gret not going back at the end of the holidays. However, Major and Mrs. Howard had only placed her there for q few months while they went on visit to the West.
 q always felt that you are really my guardian, even if you did give me up to Major Howard" said Eleanor
 But have only lent you" said Mark. Il couldn't very well take care of you when l was sent to Texas. And 1t has always been understood that you belong to mel mean, that am your guardian. Eleanor"
 II know" she said. And you write me such splendid letters. with such good advice In them"
 (Which you don't follow"
 Indeed l do" said the girl. eagerly. "Only sometimes 1t is just little out of date, Uncle Mark"
 "In what particularT inquired Mark, beginning to feel little like prig in the presence of this self-pos- sessed young person. It is so easy to assume the task of adviser from a dis tance. but difficult to retain the role face to face.
 Well, when you wrote me last year to remember not to be pert and for ward. like modern children, Uncle Mark. Pertness comes at seven or eight. One isn't pert at twelve-at least, not in the way you meant. They call It nl-bred, then"