Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-05-02

! must not marry while .Aey
live. unless-Jaek, il is cruel. but I
must sell myself for gold if | marry al
ALL
was glad when she finished abrupt
ly and laid me down where l could
watch the streets pouring their seeth-
ing masses OF human beings. God
knows where-I do not. Back and
forth Gibbs this ceascless tide. but from
What diversified sources 1t has come,
and TO What 1t is going, ! know not.
In a few days he came In again. and
] wrote for him n few words, 4 PHI
fully brief message:
Il am going to the Philippines. You
have made it impossible that | should
live here. and | care @ whether ] live
elsewhere or not. A worthless life Is
best offered up on the altar of my II
try's service, and mine vii. be only an
other name 10 add to the list of poor
devils already killed by pestilence or
the bullet Of a Tagalo."
There was nothing else, only his
name. II WAS quite time that | should
be replaced with Il new pen. | had out
lived my usefulness--but l continued
to be overlooked and many a day and
| night have | lain there quietly on the
desk by the window and thought of
that brave fellow, off there, fighting
where no glory could ever be his.
crawling through tropical underground
and searching out the treaclierous foe
to be finally wasted and killed by in
sidious disease-~dcnied even the hon
or, doubtful, perhaps, of dying BY the
hand Of the enemy.
II was only the other day. ] know
the brilliant bloom had Just burst from
the beds in front of my window, and
great crystal drops from the fountain
were blown by the mndcap breezes OF
the spring when my soldier came i'll
and stood near me. He had returned,
and there was a happy light in his
!, eye. a flush beneath the rich bronze
tiuting Of hts cheek. Evidently his
: enlistment and service had done him
no harm.
He gave one quick glance across the
rainbow brightness that crossed ana
r%ecrossed the velvet crecnness or tn"
l turf outside, grasping me, his old
| friend, he wrote hastily:
\ "Denr Mubelle-~l have come home
u for good, Ny time is up, and ! have
y great news for you, for while out there
y fighting natives and sickness, and
" dreaming Of you-my fortune here was
. being made. Something | had done In
the old life-iourna!ism--it seems AT
u tractel the attention Of the great one:
in power, where formerly ! was almoS'
~ an unknown quantity. So that re
1. turned to find the struggle ended ans
. a sure place waiting for me. ut IL sal
'e airy that seems marvellous, almost. A
III least Il will suffice for all of us, an
VI your dear mes shall never know wan
while | live. ! have written this I
" your old address and am not quite Su!
where | shall find you. A line WI
to bring me to your side; and dear-let
~, be soon, please
Nv heart sang with his for Joy and
was glad that it was spring, glad III
80 grass was soft and green, the flower
bright and the birds singing. For solh'
"s where, IN in the branches of the gret
Nv elms, solne birds were riotously chan
ing a greeting to all things new al
~ beautiful.
The next d~ay--yes. it was only u
81. next day-she came again, but no
changed! More beautiful, II anythln
hut something subtle had depart'
from her personality and had been
placed by another something that
% could not define. but only feel. Al
she. too, lifted me and presently 81
vi wrote:
Dear J~ark-Dearer now. brcan
impossible by my w wifkcdne'
nv Your letter came to me last h'ehl'
ter following me about all day. 4
clad YOU have come back and thAt y
.,a were not killed out there, MS ! "
afraid YOU would be. ! have watch
the papcrs and my heart has ache
hut lack. dearest Jack, ! have 60
.,u and spoiled all the beautiful happlnt
s.. that life had in store for me--oh !
eve of Its appearance. Last ipohti
~. murried--murried for the gold M
needed SO much--and for them--a M
NV did not love, a man who Is Old enou
,,v TO he my father--and who--ls NOT j
YOU, Jack. And in less than two wee
only two weeks ago-~and II seems
,na lifetime to me--they were both goh'
:" zone Juck, to where they could ne
want what l had sold my soul !
' ycur love for. Mother went sudde'
' Father Just failed and then--he '
gone. They held out their hands
Nv! me- he said to me, II day--ahd
went to them. I have forged my cha
beautiful letters they are. or soiid
~, ~ and jewelled--but they burn into
aesh like fire. and they bind TIL. II
'.n,, very agony, l must groan. PITY
W.. Jack. II you are unhappy whit n
~. be? Oh. wait for me--wait Tor NJ
,h,s Jack, perhaps--he is older than
WIZ. md perhaps some time--F0rgive
n.n lack. and forget me.--Mabelle."
. -. The fountain spnrkled In the
a,.. halh thair Chny