The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-02-14


he had dined at the mess.
Il think you are mistaken, sir" h,
answered quietly.
The surgeon searched his face, and
like decent man, admitted his error
Another poor devil gone down." hi
thought, as he turned to his work,
There were three more operations
following. and Mark sighed with relief
as the last man was carried away. He
took a scrubbing brush and bar o1
soap and kneeled down to clean the
floor, while his fellow attendant
secured the splashed table and carried
away the towels.
Mark was conscious that the nurse
still fingered, and he went on with
his scrubbing. Somehow he did not
want to meet her eyes.
She came toward him and stood near
him. by the table. Something splashed
down to the fioor-then something else.
Mark raised his head. They were
tears. and others followed them down
the nursing sisters face. The girl was
Eleanor.
She put out her hands blindly. "Oh,
Captain Markl" she whispered.
Mark felt himself beginning to
shake; fate seemed to have played a
wretched trick on him Just then.
"Why. Captain Marki Why-why
did you do this?" asked Eleanor.
"Hey,Weston I" called his fellow or
derly from the door Of the sterilizing
room; and then, seeing him with the
sister, withdrew.
"You heard my manner" asked Mark.
II heard It, Captain Mark. Won't
you tell me what 1t means, what It all
means?"
"What It all means7" he repeated
vaguely. wondering at the concern on
her face.
"Why you disappeared as you did
from Washington. I knew that you
had applied for leave Of absence. be-
cause you had overworked in the hot
weather. But you - never came
back" Her voice broke into q sob.
The Colonel didn't think 1t strange.
BE wouldn't acmit that there was any
except that you must have
gone back to your regiment. Did you
md he quarrel, Captain Mark? It's
I could learn nothing
about you, but Major Kellerman had
laid you were tired Of the work and
night have got some appointment out
II the service. Their tales were con-
letting. And you weren't on the army
list any more. Won't you tell me, just
know-because-"
Mark could hardly restrain his feel |
ng.
''Tl tell you," said Mark, raising his |
yes. II was accused of treachery, of |
'etraying secrets to enemies Of my
ountry-"
Eleanor laughed In a little, mirth-
ess voice. "You're still the same,
Jncle Mark" she whispered. did you |
hink would believe thatf'
"It was not true," cried Mark, net
led and desperate. ''But twas found |
hat frequented gambling houses"
"You are 90 fond Of money, Uncle
farkr'
II wanted money. You were rich,
nd wanted your esteem. ] wnnted
0 move in your circles, to win your
nvor, as others could"
She gasped and grew red; he saw
hat his arrow had gone home. and
rent on pitiiessly.
"When I was at your reception you
ad smiles for everyone"
"Thats enough, Captain Wallace"
he said, with IN indrawn breath. ''You
,sulted me the last time we met, you
now. or probably have forgotten. Il
see that all my thoughts of you
'ere wrong. was always q burden.
nd when you didn't write 80 many
ears, and when you didn't come to
ee me, I thought--oh, I'll tell you now,
lnce you have humillated me as deep
as Il Is possible to humiliate q II
oman. l thought you stnyed a.~ay
nd kept nway because you liked me,
nd because you were afraid that !
light como 10 care for yau, and ruin