The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-11-29
CHAPTER III.

3
Several years later Captain Mark
Wallace descended from Il street car
and walked up the grounds of a very
iseIect young ladies' boarding school in
lWestchester county. New York, kept
!by two maiden ladies'. Entering the
EcOlOnial pOrticO. the captain rang the
bell and asked to see Miss Howard.
Five minutes afterward. having salts
fled the lady principal that he stood in
the avuncular relation 10 her charge,
and was q man of blameless life, he
met Eleanor in the reception room.
Ii was some years since he had seen
her. The grimy little waif of the San
ltiagO battlefield had shot up into a
lslIm. longlegged schoolgirl, with brown
hair tied hack with a ribbon, and a
face that already showed the promise
of beauty.
The girl hurried Onward as if eX-
pecting an embrace, realized Marks
Intention, and checked herself quickly
and held out both hands.
"Dear Uncle Mark =" she exclaimed.
i"rve been looking forward to you ever
iEince | got your letter telling me that
tyou were coming East"
well, it's nice to be appreciated
!lIke that" said Mark, laughing.
AZ couldn't quite persuade myself
THAT 1t was true, n that l should
Heally see you at last. And you're not
Tin the least like your photograph"
"Homelier, Eleanor"
mo, but different. Older-very
much older. You must be awfully old
quite thirty. l should say"
Nearly admitted Mark, wondering
whether the long years in the West.
with the sweitering heat and arduous
Service. had really aged him prema-
turely. Mark had had no influence to
~isecure him anything better than a
border post. He often wondered why
The had not gone into civil life, like so
many of his class, and amassed a COM
ipetency in the first booming years of
the twentieth century.
Something I'm the blood, perhaps. had
held him to the army life, which he
loved so much in principle and hated
$50 much in practice. He was not far
tshOrt of thirty; he had nothing but
his meager pay no ties but Il married
~isister in Chicago and the girl in the
Boarding school, who filed SO great q
part of his thoughts, so disproportiOn-
ate n share.
= For until that day he had only seen
her once since he picked her up In the
Jungle. and she had been too young to
retain the MEMORY of the meeting in
Major Towards home.
Il expected a young man. but I'm
lust &c nfaoCad m coo Won said
Eleanor. II don't like very young
;men."
Mark received her amends with
amusement, and they sat down side by
side upon the sofa, and were soon deep
in conversation. Mark learned all
about her school and her friends. She
was very happy there and would re-
,gret not going back at the end of the
holidays. However, Major and Mrs.
Howard had only placed her there for
"a few months while they went on q
visit To the West.
y always felt that you are really
,my guardian. even If you did give me
mp to Major Howard said Eleanor.
: But 1 have only lent you," said
Mark. Il couldn't very well taxi care
lof you when / was sent TO Texas. And
it has always been understood that you
belong to mel mean, that I am YOU
iguardian. Eleanor"
: 81 know she said. And you write
me such splendid letters. with such
good advice in them"
(Which you don't follow"
Indeed 1 co." said the girl. eagerly.
t~Only sometimes 1t Is just a little out
sof date. Uncle Mark"
I'm what particularly" inquired
Mark, beginning to feel q little like a
prig il the presence OF this self-pos-
tsessed young person. 1t Is so easy to
assume the task of adviser from O dis
5tance, but difficult to retain the role
iface TO face.
wei. when you wrote me last year
Ito remember not to be pert and for
sward. like modern children. Uncle
MARX. Pertness comes at seven or
:eight. One isn't pert at twelve-at
sleast. not in the way o meant. They
scall il in-bred. then"
al suppOse 1 didn't realize how big
you we're getting" said Mark penitent-
;ly. But you can't think how glad 1
am 10 see you. anyway"
Its u shame sticking you for years
iout in that horrible desert" said the
fgirl. Il wish. Uncle Mark. you hadn't
stayed in the army after the war"
why. my dear7"
Because then o could have gone
into business in New York, like Cap
tain Murray and Captain Crawford"
I've been thinking about as much
myself, Eleanor. But / guess the army
got hold of me-"
But they haven't treated you right