Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-11
CHAPTER XVIII.


with Eleanor in the little cottage gar
den.
when the auto comes to TAX" you
hack to the hospital | shall feel th'''
nv new life has lost the best part VI
its PROMISE" said Mark.
II was long and extraordinarily
imaginative speech for him. ana h'
s,ooJ shamrfaccd after hc had said IL
like a boy who had delivered Il grown
mans aphioiSm.
"cop,nin Mark" said Eleanor. you
knew who | was. and you couid not
yuu ro,,Id not have believed my father
ipnocrnt. md vet you had faith in me
You must have suffered when used u
talk about my dreams OF him. and you
hid yo,lr suffering and your knowledge
because of me-"
"That was nothing. Eleanor.
"('np,ain Mark" she whispered
bending toward him. IL kissed 20"
today"
THAT was nothing, Eleanor"
"t,nptain Marx! What do you mean?
How dare YOU?
Mark looked utterly disconnected. i
meant mean, Eleanor. I'm just your
old ruardian--a sort of old friend 20"
know. and you were glad | had com"
back safe
"O. Captain Mark" said Eleanor
shaking with helpless laughter which
disconnected him still more: and yct
hr thought her lashcs were wet win
tears. Captain Mark. you are really
going to make me say it?'
Say. what. my dcar?"
"rhat Il ought to have been you.
"Iiut you mustn't let that worry you'
Eleanor. It's often done in such cases
i lust thought YOU were too old to
kiss You know. wanted to
"Oh. thank you, thank you. said
Eleanor wearily. Captain Mark, you
KERR ttETHr, :ahsstEd assEd Gs,alaiau q J&ias. Sc.
YOU aren't going to spare me. so listen
I love you, and have loved you only
and nobody hut you, all through my
life, from the time | got your first let
tcrs to the time you came to see m'
nj the Misses Ilarpcrs' school and IRON
then to now.'
Mark looked ut her in ncrcdulous
ioy: ne was no longer capable OF feel
Ing astonishmcnt. but II all seemed ilk'
a happy dream, unreliable hut. while II
lasted. dear beyond all imagination.
."rhc colonel knew il. And-othcrs
Everybody did but YOU. And do you
know why have told you what I've
oftcnrd pinchrd myself to keep from,
telling YOU? Because YOU loved m'
without exactly knowing it
"Rut | did know il, my dear
..Without exactly knowing it. and
when YOU admitted a little hit of II to
yourself YOU We're prompted to commit
those foolish acts. to hc So rude To me
and hurt me So much. But woman Is
never deceived. She always knows.
knew"
My dear" said Mark solcmnly. "you
have been everything in the world Ia
me since that very first day outsid,
Santiago"
'Of course | have. AS you have been
to me. And that Is why told you, SO
that we two should not he unhappy all
our lives. fou see. dear Captain Mark
IL isn't as II YOU didn't care for me. II
| had cared and you hadn't, should
have hidden my feelings and never let
YOU dream Of them. and you never
IA La, Nl
have told me all this. and I've just
been interpreting your thoughts. he
cause all | did just now was to tell
YOU what YOU wanted tn tell me with
out knowing that YOU wanted to tell
me what YOU did want all the time
Isn't that so. Captain Mark?
YES" answered Mark. feeling COM
plctcly at sea, hut incapable OF contra
dieting anything that Eleanor chose to
say.
Isn't that So Mark, dear?"
"Of course it is" said Mark.
$50 YOU have actually told me that
YOU care for me. and YOU want me to
give YOU my answer Is that what you
want me to understand. Captain
Mark"
Yes. my dear. OF course 1t is" an
swercd Mark.
Eleanor looked down thoughtfully,
well. I'm not sure" she said. in 4
mcditative manner. You know, you
have been terribly. abominably rude to
me so often"
Mark had q great horror of losing
her.
"And you've broken your solemn
promise. and YOU can't imagine what n
shock that gave me, because idealizcd
you in n childish way. and I never
dreamed that you were capable Of not
keeping your word. Captain Mark"
81, Eleanor" asked Mark In bewil-
dermcnt Eleanor. surely I never
promised anything that didn't do"
DO you remember that evening In
Washington. the evening when you
came to see us. and We didn't get on
wen together at all. at first?"
And suddenly YOU became the little
girl that l had adopted. Eleanor"
And suddenly YOU became my dear
Uncle Mark again! Well. do you re-
member promising me that YOU would
never give me up any more. no matter
who might seem to have a better claim
on me? Do you remember that. Cap
tain Mark-Mark?
"Of course I do. dear. but YOU were
speaking Of guardians"
81. Captain Mark? Guardians" she
asked. I was speaking Of"
Colonel Howard and me"
"Of you, dear. Just Of you." an