The L'Anse sentinel., 1918-10-18
LOVE AND WAR
BY AGNES q. BRooAN.
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Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper
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Down the garden path, with glowing
hollyhocks like sentinels on either side,
DulcIe moved slowly. At the farther
most end of the garden she would find
a small white house, and In the vine
covered porch Of that house lived 4
merry old lady who was always her
comforter. For Dulcie was, these
days, in need of sustaining sympathy.
Hers had been grave mistake, one
which she feared might be beyond
remedy. 1t had seemed so difficult to
learn the secret Of her own perverse
heart. Robert and Gordon both had
loved her, "Bobbie" from the time Of
their school days, Gordon during these
last few months when engineering
business sent him out from the city.
Until Gordon came, Dulcie had been
sure that her affection was Bob's
alone; afterward she came to believe
that Bob had merely grown necessary,
like any other accustomed possession.
But the problem had caused her little
anxiety until Bob's time Of departure
to serve his country across the great
water; then, as he plead with all the
earnestness Of his honest heart for
her promise of love and loyalty, Dull
Gle had considered 1t her duty to con-
fess to him her growing interest in
Gordon, and for that reason to refuse
the promise.
She had loved Bob always, she de-
cided, as she walked on between the
hollyhocks, and now 1t was too late
to tell him so. She could even have
no knowledge of his whereabouts.
Discouraged, bitterly disappointed
in the girl of his heart, Bob would
never let her hear from him; she was
sure of that. And on the porch, in
her soft gray dress, with the after
noon sun glinting her silvery hair, sat
the little old lady who had lived and
learned.
'Im so glad to see you, DEAR" she
greeted, "but not to see that shadow
In your eyes, surely"
There was gentle malice in the old
voice. "The new lover proves all that
one could wish?"
"There is no new lover" Dulcie
burst out passionately; "there never
has been any lover but Bob. only I
was too stupid to know"
"It takes me back" she said, ito
one troubled time in my own girlhood.
We were Southerners then, and our
men were bidding us good-by and go
ing Off to war. l was a gay bit of a
creature, coquette, too, fear, but
that was much in the fashion of the
time. So two lovers of mine were
rushing away, all aglow for victory
yes, lovers, my dear.
"There was one lover, tall and well
favored; rich, too, in the things we
counted dear-and the other, just a
brave lad. true and good. My own
selfish heart inclined toward this hum
BILE lover, but-well, the other would
be the more envied conquest as a hus-
band, you see, and So" the old lady
sighed and smiled-"I accepted them
both"
Dulcie's eyes widened incredulous-
ly, but her old friend continued.
""The engagement must be kept a
secret told each one, and to each,
gave one of pair Of bracelets, a
cameo on the clasp, sort Of love
token, my dear, a sort Of faith token
from my faithless self. when the
war Is ended thought, 4 shall know
which man I really wish to marry
Letters came occasionally as they
could, from both In their different
places; still, was I undecided. But al
ways in the fanciful dreams of my
future, stood great house, the home
which my fortuhe-favored suitor could
provide. And all at once, one eve
ming, as I sat dreaming of this great
house and myself its mistress, came a
message, brief maddening message,
from one Of our rough hospitals Of
war: A soldier was being cared for
there, said the message, he was
wounded, perhaps fatally. Upon his
person WAS no means Of identifica-
tion; in his pocket a bracelet alone
had been found, a cameo-set bracelet,
wrapped In paper bearing the name
and address to which this message
was sent. Would notify the mans
friends Of his con 1tion?
"The manY My heart seemed to
stand still at Its own question
'Whicbmanf" It demanded, fiercely.
The old lady paused. Across all the
years her eyes shone wistfully. "And
I hoped" she went on, "Oh! prayed,
that this wounded soldier might not
be the humble lad and true. Straight
way, went to see; miles were as
nothing. had to know, and perhaps
to ask his forgiveness before It would
be too late. So throughout that long
Journey I suffered the penalty of my
deceit. And as bent over the broken
body of the lad loved, knew that
nothing in the world thereafter could
count with me, save the making of his
happiness. The other? Yes, he lived
through the war and married one Of
my friends. Thomasw called the old
lady suddenly, "Thomasw
From IN inner room came an old
man, still military In his bearing, an
empty coat sleeve hanging at his side.