Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-04-30
LOVE AND WAR
BY AGNES G. eRoeAN.
Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper

| hOllyhOckS like SentlnelS on either s;lue
Dulcie moved slowly. At the farther
most end of the garden she would flint
small white house, and in the vine
covered porch Of that house lived {
merry old lady who was always hel
comforter. For Dulcie was, these
days, in need Of sustaining sympathy
Hers had been grave mistake, one
which she feared might be beyond
remedy. 1t had seemed so difficult tC
learn the secret of her own perverse
heart. Robert and Gordon both had
loved her, "Bobbie" from the time OF
their school days, Gordon during these
last few months when engineering
business sent him out from the city
Until Gordon came, Dulcie had been
sure that her affection was Bob's
alone; afterward she came to believe
that Bob had merely grown necessary,
like any other accustomed possession.
But the problem had caused her little
anxiety until Bob's time Of departure
to serve his country across the great
water; then, as he plead with all the
earnestness Of his honest heart for
her promise of love and loyalty, Dull
Gle had considered it her duty to con-
fess to him her growing interest in
Gordon, and for that reason to refuse
the promise.
She had loved Bob always, she de-
cided, as she walked on between the
hollyhocks, and now 1t was too late
to tell him so. She could even have
no knowledge Of his whereabouts.
Discouraged, bitterly disappointed
in the girl of his heart, Bob would
never let her hear from him; she was
sure of that. And on the porch, in
her soft gray dress, with the after
noon sun glinting her silvery hair, sat
the little old lady who had lived and
learned.
"rm so glad to see you, DEAR" she
greeted, "but not to see that shadow
In your eyes. surely"
There was gentle malice In the old
voice. "The new lover proves all that
one could wishY'
"There is no new lover" Dulcie
burst out passionately; "there never
has been any lover but Bob, only !
was too stupid to know"
1T takes me back" she said, ito
one troubled time in my own girlhood.
We were Southerners then, and our
men were bidding us good-by and go
ing off to war. l was gay bit OF q
creature, coquette, too, fear, but
that was much in the fashion of the
time. SO two lovers Of mine were
rushing away, all aglow for victory
yes, lovers, my dear.
"There was one lover, tall and well
favored; rich, too, in the things we
counted dear-and the other, just a
brave lad, true and good. My own
selfish heart inclined toward this hum
BILE lover, but-well. the other would
be the more envied conquest as a hus-
band, you see, and So" the old lady
sighed and smiled-"I accepted them
both"
Dulcie's eyes widened incredulous.
~, but her old friend continued.
""The engagement must be kept
secret told each one, and to each,
gave one Of pair Of bracelets.
cameo on the sclasp, sort of love
token, my dear, sort Of faith token
from my faithless self. When the
war Is ended l thought, I shall know
which man I really wish to marry
Letters Came occasionally as they
could, from both in their different
places; still. was undecided. But al
ways In the fanciful dreams Of my
future, stood great house, the home
which my fortune-favored sutton could
provide. And all at once, one eve
ming, as sat dreaming Of this great
house and myself its mistress, came
message, brief maddenlng message,
from one of our rough hospitals Of
war: A soldier was being cared for
there, said the message, he was
wounded. perhaps fatally. Upon his
person was no means Of Identified
ton; in his pocket a bracelet alone
had been found, cameo-set bracelet,
wrapped in a paper bearing the name
and address to which this message
was sent. Would notify the mans
friends Of his condition.
"The manY My heart seemed to
stand still at its own question
'Whichmanr" 1t demanded. fiercely.
The old lady paused. Across all the
years her eyes shone wistfully. "And
l hoped" she went on, "Oh! prayed.
that this wounded soldier might not
be the humble lad and true. Straight
way, l went to see; miles were as
nothing. had to know, and perhaps !
to ask his forgiveness before 1t would
be too late. So throughout that long |
journey I suffered the penalty Of my |
deceit. And asI bent over the broken |
body of the lad loved, I knew that
nothing in the world thereafter could
count with me, save the making Of his
The other? Yes, he lived !
through the war and married one Of i
my friends. ThOmas" called the old ,
lady suddenly, "ThOmas!"
From an inner room came an old /
man, still military in his bearing, an
empty coat sleeve hanging at his side.
'Yes, DEAR" he answered, his tone was
softly caressing.
Evil you show to Dulcie the brace
let I gave you, and which You carried
the war;" his wife re-