Gilpin observer., 1919-04-17
CHAPTER XVIII.

Perhaps It was because they had
seen so many horrors during the past
four-and-twenty hours that these
seemed all to have fallen away that
night Mt staff headquarters. There
was brief hour of rest after inter-
minable labors, the lines had been held
and the great assault repealed in con-
fusion; for that hour every man seemed
bent upon forgetting the incidents of
war, and something like gaiety ruled
in the messroom.
All the past seemed very far away to
Captain Mark Wallace as 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.
1t was long and extraordinarily
imaginative speech for him, and he
stood shamefaced after he had said It.
like boy who has delivered q grown
mans aphorlsm.
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 used to
talk about my dreams Of him, and you
hid your suffering and your knowledge
because Of me-"
''That was nothing. Eleanor"
Captain Mark" she whispered, bend
ing toward him. I'll kissed you to-
day"
THAT was nothing. Eleanor"
Captain Mark What do you meanf
How dare you'll"
Mark looked utterly Disconnected. "
mean-I mean. Eleanor, Tn just your
old guardian sort Of old friend, you
know. and you were glad had come
back safe"
70. Captain Markr'' said Eleanor.
shaking with helpless laughter which
disconccrted him still more; and yet
he thought her lashes were wet with
teara Captain Mark. are you really
going to mako me say itr'
Say what. my dearf
That II ought to have been you.
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 mine. see you
aren't going to spare me. So listen. I
love you. and have loved you only. and
nobody but you. all through my life.
from the time got your first letters to
the time you came TO see me at the
Misses Harpers' school. and from then
TO now
Mark looked at her In incredulous
5oy; he was no longer capable Of feel
Ing as,onishInent. but IL all seemed like
happy dream. unreliable but. while it
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 p,nched myself TO keep from tell
Ing you, Because You loved me with
cut exactly knowing it"
But I did know II. my DEAR
Without exactly knowing Il. and
when you admitted little bit Of Il TO
yourself you were prompted to commit
those foolish acts 20 be SO rude 10 me
and hurt me 50 much But q woman Is
never deceived She always knows.
knew"
My dear said Mark soleu,niy. YOU
have heea everything IN the world 70
me since that very first Gay outside
SAatiAsa-
~of erurse have As you have been
~ IRE. And that Is why l told you. SO
that we two should rot he rnhspry all
our lives You see. te&- Captain Mark.
IL isar IS u you dltnr care for me II
I had cared and yoa nztns. should
have hidden ray feelings ard never let
yen dream q thes-A ant yec never
weald have So is's rvsily yor who
have todd re all this. xra I've t1ss
ece1 Interpreting yoGr ,AeuShsA be-
cause all I aie .rs. now was to tell
yea what YEA wanted 10 tell rse with
cas knowing that yos wanted to seil
s.se what IVA esa wan. all the ssrseA
isaT shxs So Captain MAr4y-
Yes answered Mark. sesatrx ecz.s-
r,ess,y AZ sea- bat trsexrah,e ~ coas-s-
s,icsiae anything tia, Elsanex e>ose se
SAY.
-isaS thas So, Mxrs- 6sa.r
u 'Os ccs-se Il is,~ SAID MsrR.
80 yoc have xesrxi,y saic ree hat
yv1 care t>sr r;e. AID yvz want ne &C.
ssve ySs zay szsyxr. Is Tat wAas ~.
wsss Ee - SstssxrasA Cxy1asz
Mxrkr