The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-03-27

CHAPTER XVIII.
Perhaps It was because they had
seen 10 many horrors during the past
four-and-twenty hours that these
seemed all to have fallen away that
night at staff headquarters. There
was q brief bour Of rest after inter.
minable labors. the lines had been held
and the great assault repelled In con-
fusion; for that hour every man seemed
bent upon forgetting the incidents Of
war, aud something like gaiety ruled
In the messroom.
All the past seemed very far away to
Captain Mark Wallace % he stood
with Eleanor In the little cottage gar
den.
"when the auto comes to take you
back to the hospital shall feel that
my new life has lost the best part Of
its PROMISE" said Mark.
Il was q long and extraordinarily
Imaginative speech for him. aud he
stood shamefaced after he had said Il.
like boy who has delivered . grown
mans aphorism.
Captain Mark" said Eleanor, you
knew who was. and you could not
you could not have believed my father
innocent. and yet you had faith in me.
You must have suffered when uDed to
talk about my dreams Of him. and you
hid your suffering and your knowledge
because Of me-"
THAT was nothing. Eleanor."
l NNnAkaon ~ - oAN~w~~~A A~AA-
Ing toward him. I'll kisssd you to-
day" r
| THAT was nothing. Eleanor"
| Captain Marx What do you meant
How dare your
| Mark looked utterly disconnected. n
mean-I mean. Eleanor, I'm just your
old guardian sort Of old friend. you
know. and you were glad I had come
back SAFE"
70. Captain Markl" said Eleanor.
shaking with helpless laughter which
dlsconcerted him still more; and yet
he thought her lashes were wet with
tears. captain Mark, are you really
going to make ms say itr'
Il "Say what my dearf''
AbAyS ~ OUBoS " INV Vo00 yOOs
il "But you mustn't let that worry you.
Eleanor. It's often done IN such cases
II just thought you were too old to
kiss. You know. wanted to-"
20 thank you. thank you." said Flea
nor wearily. captain Mark. you dear.
absurd guardian Of milne, I zee you
aren't going to spare me. So listen. ]
love you. and have loved you only. and
nobody but you. all through my life.
} from the time ! got your nrst letters "a
, the time you came to 80 me at the
Misses Harpers' school. and from then
to now"
II Marx looked ct her in increduloua
Joy: he was no longer capable Of feel.
| Ing astonishmsnt. but Il all seemed like
q happy dream. unreliable but. while II
lasted. dear beyond all imagining.
"The Colonel knew Il. And-others
Everybody did but you. And do you
know why have told you what I've
often pinched myself to keep from tell
ing youf Because you loved me with
out exactly knowing IT."
II "But did know Il, my DEAR"
II without exactly knowing Il, and
! when you admitted q little bit Of Il tc
! yourself you were prompted to commit
, those foolish acts. to b. 20 rude to me
and hurt me 20 much. But Q woman Il
, never deceived. she always knows.
knew"
my DEAR" said Marx solsmnly, "you
. have been everything In the world tc
, ine since that very drst day Outside
| Santiago"
"Of course have. AZ you have been
J to me. And that II why told you. q
] that We two should not bs unhappy oil
J our lives. You zee. dear Captain Marx
It isn't a. II you didn't care for me. Il
, I had cared and you hadn't. ! should
have hidden my feelings and never lei
You dream Of them, and you never
/ would have. 30 It's really you who
/ have told me all this. and I've Just
been Interpreting your thoughts, be
/ cause all ! did just now was to tell
J you what you wanted to tell me with
out knowing that you wanted to tell
me what you did want all the time
| Isn't that %. Captain Markr
IL ~Yes.s answered Mark. feeling com
pletely q ~ bat ineapable of contra
: dlcting anything that Hlsanoe chose d
/ ~.
sImv that q. Msrk. dsarr
n sOf coeroe q ~ sald Marx.
ii IA you have actually told me- tAai
J / you caro toe M ano 20 want me 4
/ | Glvo - ~ on1Wog. y tAot What yos
xe1s = . lnee1lnna Qaptaiz