The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-07-04

that crowd OK butterflies back there"
nodding his head in the direction of
Washington. at seems, however, that
1 am mistaken"
Butterflies ~ Louise exclaimed in
dignantly. butterflies, indeedi livery
one of the crowd is at work, and hard
at work, at that. Do you think it easy
to spend all night at Union station
meeting troop trains and TO stay there
until six o'clock in the morning hand
ing out coffee and sandwiches to men
who have had nothing to eat for hours
and hours and"
"The uniform is becoming" he re-
yours"
''To say nothing of the strain upon
ones sympathy. Only last night
Marion Harland cried like baby over
an old man and his wife who had come
for a glimpse of their boy who they
had heard was on his way to Camp
Gordon. Did they find him? No. In
stead, they were told his company had
left suddenly for France. The boy was
in the engineers. If the girls were
butterflies do you think they would
have been moved over the sore trouble
of those two old people" Her voice
was steady in its wrath. "Would but
terflies go day after day to surgical
dressing rooms; would they care for
three Belgian children and knit and
knit, and knit"
''Hysteria," he returned stubbornly.
"There are a great many in dead earn
est, but there is also certain number
that have gone into the thing for ex-
citement and effect But this is aside
from the matter in which / am inter-
ested. Why did you write this note
and send back your ring?"
OF what he said she caught but one
word. "Hysteria, Oh. You great
brute" Two angry tears rolled down
her checks. He saw them, although
she had quickly turned her head.
Leaning forward he took her resist
ing hand firmly in his.
eve do not seem to be getting any,
where, Louise, just further and further
from the thing that means everything
to me, to both of us. In spite of my
bewilderment I know you think you
have some good reason for what you
have done. Leave the others out of it.
Dear, l am very unhappy"
But she harked back to something
he had said. "Where did you see me
in uniform?" she asked abruptly.
"At the station two nights ago"
"And you did not speak to me?"
Unfortunately, 1 could not. 1 was
with the general"
Il did not see you" There was an
edge to the tone that caught his atten-
ton.
"That would not be surprising in the
crowd"
'You were not in the crowd when
saw you. There were but two, you
and"
He took her hands now and forced
her to to turn toward him. "You saw
me? Did you see who was with me?'
Il saw wOmaps head against your
shoulder. That was enough"
''Was that why you returned your
ring?"
wouldn't you call it a sufficient
reasOn?"
appearances are often deceptive"
he said slowly. 81 thought you trust
ed me-"
against the evidence of my own
eyes?"
"Yes, and because you say that you
believe me unworthy of trust"
'If conditions were reversed, what
would you Think"
"That would be an entirely different
matter he returned shortly. "Often
situations arise that place a man in
Il position in nOWiSe touching the 10y
atty he owes the woman he loves, arki
l love you, Louise"
''You will not explain?"
81 cannot, dear. You must accept
my word that there was no disloy-
atty"
She turned to MIN impulsively 81
would have given everything l pos
NNNSCt ~ Stl llluI lttltE DICK. Deg
ged the carrier to give it to me, but
he wouldn't. He looked sympathetic
and said: Sure, if you've quarreled
with him, miss, you'll have to write
another. This now belongs to him.
l was furious. And l was heartSicl
and started home to have it out with
myself"
THAT was what I was doing. I was
given a weeks absence and was on
my way home. | have Il dandy plan to
prevent future complications. What
do"
Here the conductor interrupted,
looming big in the dim light. "Pretty
bad, captain he said in passing. eff
teen hours of it. But we will be in
Winchester soon. They have dug us
out from the other side. A terrible
storm"
"a blessed storm Robert Lee
answered, as his hand sought and
held the one deep in the pocket of his
coat.
"Heh? What?" For a moment the
conductor looked on in amazement,
then smile of understanding spread
over his face as his gaze rested upon