The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-02-01

doctors from an Arizona town, whom
he had dined at the mess.
Il think you are mistaken, SIR" he
answered quietly.
The surgeon searched his face, and,
like a decent man, admitted his error.
Another poor devil gone down." he
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 scrubbing brush and bar of
soap and Rneeled 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 floor-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 Mark!" she whispered.
Mark felt himself beginning to
shake; fate seemed to have played a
wretched trick on him just then.
"Why, Captain Mark! Why-why
did you do this?" asked Eleanor.
"Hey, Weston!" called his fellow or
derby from the door Of the sterilizing
room; and then, seeing him with the
sister, withdrew.
"YOu heard my name" asked Mark.
81 heard it, Captain Mark. Won't
you tell me what it means, what it all
means?"
'What it all means?' 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 sob.
"The Colonel didn't think it strange.
He wouldn't admit that there was any
reason, except that you must have
gone back to your regiment. Did you
and he quarrel, Captain Mark? It's
unthinkable. I could learn nothing
about you, but Major Kellerman had
said you were tired of the work and
might have got some appointment out
of the service. Their tales were con-
flicting. And you weren't on the army
list any more. Won't you tell me. just
because-you know-because-"
Mark could hardly restrain his feel
ing.
'I'n tell you," said Mark, raising his
eyes. II was accused of treachery, Of
betraying secrets to enemies of my
country"
Eleanor laughed in a little, mirth-
less voice. you're still the same,
Uncle Mark" she whispered. "Did you
think l would believe thaty'
SIT was not true" cried Mark, net
tied and desperate. 'eBut it was found
that l frequented gambling houses"
sYou are so fond Of money, Uncle
Mark! ~
II wanted money. You were rich,
and wanted your esteem. wanted
to move in your circles, to win your
favor, as others could"
She gasped and grew red; he saw
that his arrow had gone home. and
went on pitilessly.
\ "When I was at your reception you
had smiles for everyone"
''That's enough, Captain Wallace"
she said, with an indrawn breath. you
insulted me the last time we met, you
know. or probably have forgotten. +
I see that all my thoughts of you
were wrong. was always a burden.
And when you didn't write so many
years, and when you didn't come to
see me, thought-oh. I'll tell you now,
since you have Inundated me as deep
" as 1t is possible to humiliate u
woman. / thought you stayed away
and kept away because you liked me,
and because you were afraid that !
might come to care for you, and ruin