The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-11-28

doctors from an Arizona town, whom
he had dined at the mess.
II think you are mistaken, sir" he
answered quietly.
The surgeon searched his face, and,
like decent man, admitted his error.
"Another poor devil gone down." he
thought, as he turned to his work.
There were three more operations
following, and Mark sighed with relief
as the last man was carried away. He
took scrubbing brush and bar of
soap and kneeled down to clean the
floor, while his fellow attendant
secured the splashed table and carried
away the towels.
Mark was conscious that the nurse
still fingered, and he went on with
his scrubbing. Somehow he did not
want to meet her eyes.
She came toward him and stood near
him, by the table. Something splashed
down to the floor-then something else.
Mark raised his head. They were
tears, and others followed them down
the nursing sisters face. The girl was
Eleanor.
She put out her hands blindly. "Oh,
Captain Mark!" she whispered.
Mark felt himself beginning to
shake; fate seemed to have played a
wretched trick on him just then.
''Why, Captain Mark! Why-why
did you do this?" asked Eleanor.
"Hey, !" called his fellow or
derby from the door of the sterilizing
room; and then, seeing him with the
sister, withdrew.
"You heard my nameT asked Mark
II heard it, Captain Mark. Won't
you tell me what it means, what 1t all
means?"
what it all means" he repeated
vaguely, wondering at the concern on
her face.
"Why you disappeared as you did
from Washington. 1 knew that you
had applied for leave of absence, be.
cause you had overworked in the hot
weather. But you never came
back" Her voice broke into a sob
''The Colonel didn't think it strange
He wouldn't admit that there was any
reason, except that you must have
| gone back to your regiment. Did you
and he quarrel, Captain Mark? It's
unthinkable. / could learn nothing
about you, but Major Kellerman had
said you were tired of the work and
might have got some appointment Out
of the service. Their tales were con
ficting. And you weren't on the army
list any more. Won't you tell me, just
because-you knOw--because-"
Mark could hardly restrain his feel
ing.
"Pll tell you" said Mark, raising his
eyes. 81 was accused of treachery, OF
betraying secrets to enemies of my
country"
Eleanor laughed in little, mirth
less voice. you're still the same
Uncle Mark" she whispered. "Did you
think would believe thatT'
'Tt was not true" cried Mark, net
tied and desperate. "But 1t was fount
that frequented gambling houses
"You are so fond of money, Uncl,
Markl''
81 wanted money. You were rich
and wanted your esteem. / wanted
to move In your circles, to win YOU
favor, as others could"
She gasped and grew red; he saw
that his arrow had gone home, ant
went on pitilessly.
"When i was at your reception yol
had smiles for everyone"
"Thats enough, Captain Wallace
she said, with an indrawn breath. "Yol
insulted me the last time we met, yOl
know, or probably have forgotten. L
see that all my thoughts of 20,
were wrong. 1 was always burden
And when you didn't write so man.
years, and when you didn't come t.
see me, thought-oh, I'll tell you now
since you have Inundated me as deep
ly as II is possible to humlliate {
woman. / thought you stayed ava,
and kept away because you liked me
and because you were afraid that
might come to care for you, and ruiz