New-York tribune., 1918-03-17

a half laugh. But if you only k, r'.a
If you only even had the least sus.. Ia
I've longed to do something for INV, nv .a''N NOV
try-something really useful sOua'
If could make every officer in The ,Ic.a c.a
man navy-and the army. too- s.n wy
love with me, and then hand them nv. osa y
you, I'd do it fifty times Overt -. ~
please, talk nonsense or think no. .Oat
Good night, Mr.. Tiel, and perbans s.i.s -
goodby." W
She laughed as she gave him ii. =.
de gaterve and held out her bas. - "'s
frankly as she had spoken. He Ala
take it, however. Nv wv
"Tm going to escort you oyer.,o "
Browns" he said, with verv a;9...A.
expression now in his eyes. ''u'
He opened the door for her hr. :,
stopped on the Threshold 4 v,.. ~ :
woman was waiting in the hall ''
"Mrs. Brown has sent her girl "a :.
cort me-" she said, $50 we'll have ton =
she corrected herself-"w must saw .,.,
night now. Is it goodby, or shall 49, -.
you in the morning?" ]
His face had become very lono .,.,.
"1'm very much afraid not. I,vs -
to report myself with the lark c,ss
BY"
The front door closed behind her ~.
Commander Blackjack strode back Il ths
fire and gazed at it for some moment, ~
"Well," he said to himself, 81 s,noo,.
looking at things as they ought to !.
looked at, Mrs. Browns girl has say.a
me from making a damned fool of ~,
self. Now to work; that's nv pronu
stunt"
He threw some sheets Of foolscap M
the table, took gut his pen and sat down
to his work. For about five minutes i,
stared at the foolscap, but the pen new,
made movement. Then abruptly Ia
jumped up and exclaimed:
"Dash it, I must!"
Snatching up an envelope he thrust 4
in his pocket, and a moment later va,
out of the house.
Miss Holland and her escort were abou,
fifty yards from Mrs Browns houm
when the girl started and looked back,
''There's some one crying on you'll" shs
exclaimed.
Eileen stopped and peered back into
the night.
"Miss Holland" cried a voice.
''It's the minister!" said the girl
"The-who?" exclaimed Eileen, and
added hastily: "Oh, yes, I know who you
mean"
A tall figure disengaged itself from
the surrounding night.
Sorry to trouble you," said the vdcs
in curiously quick and jerky accent,
"but I've got note l want this girl to
deliver Immediately"
He handed her an envelope.
'Hand that in at the first farm on The
other side of the manse," he COMMANDED
pointing backward into the darkness
'I'll escort Miss Holland"
(Which hoose"-- began the girl
'"The first you come to-" said the con-
mander peremptorily. "Quick as yo'
cant"
Then he looked at Eileen, and for
moment said nothing.
"What's the matter?" she asked anxi
ously. "Has anything gone wrongT
eyes," he said, with a half laugh, III
have. I even forgot to lick down that
envelope. How the deuce I'm to explain
an empty, unaddressed, unfastened en-
velope the Lord only knows" His man.
ner suddenly changed, and he askea
abruptly: care you in desperate nun
to get in? I've something to say to you
He paused and looked at her, but sD'
said not a word in reply, not even 70 10
quire what it was.
Lets turn back little way" ne suF
gested quickly.
She said nothing, but she turned
'"Take my arm, won't you?" ne s's
gestcd.
In the bitterness of his heart DC ". ".
conscious that he had raped OUT ~
proposal in his sharpest quarsefues.
manner. And he had meant to SPEAK .s..,' !,
gently! Yet she took his arra' NV.
timidly, it is true, but NC wonder, .a0usa, :.
he. For few moments they wa'AsO ~
silence, falling slower and slower ~.
each step, and then they stoppeu =,
that, speech seemed to be jcrked Wv
him at last. ;,
"I wonder if it's conceivable 1hSe ~
ever look upon me as anything -
calculating machine?" he inquGs'' .
Il never thought of you IN tns w. n
that!" she exclaimed. ~. y
,"Then did you ever really 'n's
me as a human being, as a--as ~
hesitated painfully-"as 1r,spa u.:i
"Yes," she said, "of course u