The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1918-10-04

"o'Le' OF course. and | have q very
'iu impression of being brought int
Inc uiHlng room and toasted at that
otnner which the Major gave To the
o1ncers after the war. Rut hoforo on
.nlt l seem TO have memories, as if
they were pictures"
Wnat Is the first thing YOU reme7c.
ber?"
see woman lying in a bed in q
strange room. Her face is whiter than
any lace have known a man SITS he
oiue' her' with his head in his hand
Ill., lhouSh death has no meaning for
ie' am afraid, for l know that she
was my mother
WAS this in Cuba, E,eanor2,
I don't know, but think so 1nc,o
'lifA' because l remember running TO
'He WINDOW and seeing a great nalr,
! zee outside, with spreading branches.
1Ahu lhere are other cities, and we
| seem TO go from place to place ALWAYS
"atchlns for somebody, and vet. as if
$ete, hIaIng from people, I know we
AVOID people, bat it is an Instinct on,v
nat tells me so.
And again I am with nv father in
ne jungle. | don't know how we oot
heis' Dci L see the trees ali around
re, ana | am afraid. We walk on and
a. ana sometimes he carries me. and
re sleep under the trees and are
'fenched with rain. I am SO tired and
EhrSty. But we go on and on. and
Shen we stop we find little hut. and
ara afraid no longer"
And then?' asked Mark il. aei+a-
on.
i remember nothing. l SUPPOSE the
UIlet that killed my father must have
truck him while he was in the hut
IL nave no picture in my mind at
H.
Mark munbled something to con-
cal his agitation. ''And do tou re
aemher re coming and picking Won
;p?" he asked
she shcok her heat regretfully. 81
ont remember anything else" she
answered. Nothing until that dinner
the majors house."
she linked her arm through his and
"Aed at MIN earnestly. ''Uncle
leIk, 1t makes me unhappy some
mes to think that | have nc memory.
% clear memory Of my parents. am
'uca that some day all this mystery
Tlii De cleared up. Don't you hose
%"
1es, answered Mark, miserably.
ne mad always wondered what the
hid would be like. Towards half
early letters had always assumed too
Ally reIinIn;Shed Eleanor to the Ma
:, aad he mad never learned ANYTHING
out her that he had really wanted to
4oN'. lie had not ina gined the pre-
>cl0us, higls-strung, idealistic girl
nom he now saw. lie knew that tha
;Sciosure Of her fathers dishonor. if
yer It came about, would shock her
ito revulsion of feeling that would
)e fatal to the true DEVELOPMENT of
cer character.
He had often wished that he had not
,resSed That idea of the regimental
"a scot upon the major. It had been
o.n n 4 mind attuned to the victory
t1at bloody day; in normal mo-
,RntS he would never have enter
lined it. Yet Major Howard had
'eea more Impressed than he had ad-
nitted to Mark The idea had
spread through the minds of the other
Ulcers. There was never a Guard din
,er but Eleanor was solemnly toasted.
lo.Gh she was not permitted to be
resent, and somehow the child had
,ecome symbol i'll the minds OF these
,i2in men in business and professional
life who spent two weeks in camp
lch year.
After the war Mark had gone to the
eyuiarS; but he was still in touch
WITH the officers OF the Seventieth and
lie knew that, # ever war came, he
:Ocid obtain Al appointment to it,
Il am sure that my father will prove
have been a brave soldier" said
eleanor, clasping her hands eagerly.
And sometimes" she continued, Il
mix that there must have been 8
great mystery about him.
"Why?" demanded Mark, startled.
Because of the man who watches
Tor me-
watches for you? It is magma
ton, Eleanor"
She shook her head. "Pve seen him |
hree Or four times,' answered the |
;irl. "He waits at places that we pass
when We go out together. And he |
watches me then, though he never at
lempts to speak to me-
'And you've told Miss Harper?'
IN \, Uncle Mark She would think
was historical" answered the girl. |
shrewdly.
Mark could see that, but he was
certain that it was hysteria, that the
idea had come to the child as the re-
suit of brooding over the mystery Of |
her parentage. The entrance OF the |
lady principal put an end to their con-
versation. Mark rose reluctantly. His
visit had been all too brief, and it