The Yale expositor., 1918-12-19
CHAPTER v.

When at last he alighted at the
ton room, he felt that he was almost
trembling with eagerness.
He looked uncertainty about him, at
the group of young officers, the ladies,
at Mrs. Howard, and then at the styl-
| ishly dressed young woman at her side.
And, forgetting his manners, he APP
preached her in stUpefaction, ignoring
his hostess for the moment.
"Eleanor!"
"Uncle Mark It's never you, Uncle
Mark I" cried the girl. "Why, should
never, never have known you"
But would he have known her, had
he not looked closely into the clear
eyes to discern the face of the little
waif beneath the beauty of the woman?
He had often and often imagined her,
grown to womanhood, and dressed as
he would have dressed her, but some
how she had always had the look and
aspect of the child, blended with the
schoolgirl. A sudden chill went through
his heart at her self-mastery, the we'll
|
real eagerness. And he realized that,
though he had always looked on her as
lost, at the bottom of his heart he
must have hoped to find her again.
He stood, a graying-haired, uncom-
Portable, almost middle-aged man, try
ing to feel at home. He saw Keller
man looking ut him across the room, as
IL there was some message in his eyes.
81 hope / haven't changed so much
as all that" said Mark, trying to
smile.
"No," she answered, looking at him
with a searching, direct gaze. mot
really-only at first appearance. Why,
Uncle Mark, your hair is turning gray.
What have you been doing with your
self?'
He felt that the unconscious shaft
had gone well home. He only answer
ed vaguely. There was q little in
formal dancing, and, as he felt befitted
his age, he waltzed a few turns with
Eleanor and sat back with Mrs. How
ard, surveying the gay crowd, and re-
calling memories-about the most dis
heartening thing that he could have
done.
"What do you think of EleaDor?"
asked Mrs. Howard. "You didn't ex-
pect to find the little schoolgirl grown
up like this, did your"
"Nor she me-like this" answered
Mark humbly. But the COloners wife
missed the allusion.
"She has been crazy TO see you,
Mrs. Howard continued. "She gave
the Colonel no rest after he told us
, that he was trying to get you for the
war Office. l believe she had always
, had sort of romantic recollection OF
, you, and looked upon you as a sort OF
| guardian, although, of course, 1t was a
fortunate thing for her and us-and
you, too--that Colonel Howard did
succeed in inducing you to let us take
her. She has been everything to us.
, "Of course" said Mark mechanic
ally.
, ut would have been a terrible life
, for her out In the desert" sighed Mrs
Howard. 81 think that you were very
wise, Captain Wallace. And what q
, dreadful burden and responsibility you
, you would have had"
4 This time Mark did not attempt to
answer.
"She has been q daughter to both OF
u.s." pursued his hostess. "And now
? I'm afraid--we're both afraid, Captain
Wallace, that we cannot hope to have
I her for long. She was quite the rage
5 in New York last season."
: Wallace followed the girl with his
!. eyes. She had just been dancing with
young officer; IL had been q two
/, step, and as the band of three pieces
{ broke into the widest and merriesi
, part of the piece he saw her, with
, flushed face and laughing eyes, accept
t Kellerman's arm and surrender herself
to the dance.
Kellerman caught Marks eyes across
' the room. He looked straight back
{ with a meaning challenge which was
! unmistakable. Mark knew at that
e moment that his antipathy to Keller.
: man had returned, although he was in
{ clined to believe the other was not
aware IL had ever existed.
2 Kellerman was q splendid figure,
even In his civilian evening clothes,
Fully six feet tall, with the chest and
!. limbs OF an athlete. ford, with crisp
( black hair and sense of the posses
. sion of power. he looked at least five
!. years Marks junior. though they had
r been born In the same year. "Hand-
. some Kellernan" had been his sobri-