Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-07-03


secret. In her heart she knew that Hill
larry would not consent to her sacrifice.
If he SO much as knew of her presence
his protests would no doubt bring on
fatal fever.
When her skin was tested and found
to be perfect Helen's joy was unbound
ed She wanted to suffer- she wanted
to feel just one-hundredth part of the
same pain as that which Hillary was
feeling.
Never had Helen loved him so much
as when under the excruciating pain
of having those inches of skin removed
from the wonderfully smooth white
arms. She smiled, knowing that the
was perhaps to save Hillary's life.
"He must never know it," she kept
repeating to herself as she had re-
peated time and again to the surgeons
and nurses in charge Of the case.
And Helen's will had ruled. There
was not moment during the painful
process of skin grating when Hillary
had even suspected that it was WON
an who had gloried in her sacrifice and
given to him the skin from her lovely
arms. She smiled, knowing that the
large, ugly scars on his face and neck
were healing wonderfully, and there
was more than chance that his eye
sight was returning.
AS he began week by week to take a
more definite interest in life and his
recovery Hillary questioned his nurses
and doctors, but could get no satisfac-
ton.
ut was a young lady who wanted to
feel she had done her bit in the great
war;" they told her; 'she had Led a
selfish useless life, and she pleaded SO
desperately to be allowed to do one
good turn in her life that we let hel
make the sacrifice. She called it a
great privilege"
And that was all Hillary could learI
even to the day when, weak and little
like the big Hillary Of prewar days, he
travelled from the hospital to pick up
the threads of New York life again.
It was with no mild surprise that SO.
ciety watched the return of Helen
Travis into evening clothes. At all the
great functions given for heroes and tC
celebrate peace, Helen appeared in
variably in gowns that even a prude
might term overmodest. Those glorious
arms that the feminine world envied
and masculine adored were concealed
hovOn6 tho hOMoc of mon
Whereas all womankind was revel-
ing in creations that the breaking of a
bead strap might bring disaster upon,
Helen graced the bathrooms. in her
nunlike garb, distinctive in it's rarity,
(Which convent are you entering?"
and when do you get your seventh
veil?" were some of the questions
flung at her, and Helen claSped her
secret close to her heart and laughed
with them. The scars beneath he1
chiffons were far more precious than
all the lovely gowns in the world.
And somehow from out the chaos
of her life Hillary came back to full
realization of his love for Helen. An
inward something told him that she
was his-that nothing could rob him of
a love such as theirs had once been
She had not realized his mans duty at
the time of his leaving her. He would
seek her and win her again.
Hillary had brought down five boche
planes On the battlefield. He had at
tackled always without fear, for, after
all, the worst would be physical death.
But now. if he failed with Helen, it
would be death to the soul-at least
that is the way Hillary felt about it.
But when Helen looked up and saw
Hillary standing before her, she just
crumpled into his arms and cried,
cried so that her body shook. Hillary's
arms held her fiercely. He had no
words and he was none too steady
as he soothed her.
In gesture quite beyond her con.
troll Helen's hand went up and soft as
rose petals her fingers caressed the
cheeks and neck Of the man she loved
Something in the way her fingers
fingered on the faint scars-or per-
haps it was the tremendous inner ra-
dance Of love-told him. Whatever
the flash, Hillary knew; knew that
Helen had bound herself to him by
ties greater than any he had forged,
He knew, too, the agony she must have
endured while the skin was being re-
moved from her wonderful arms.
II couldn't let anyone else be SO
dear a part of you," when later Hill
larry tried to find words to express his
feelings she spoke through the glow Of
happiness that suffused them both,
now, could II"