Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-09

, would give you his, blessing for the
loyal way in which you have served
your country in the face of great
peril to yourself. You are as much a
soldier in this war as L am. You
should wear a uniform. too, by rights,
and have a commission. In a few
days am going to Franco to do my
part in this great war, hope; but it
Is very unlikely that shall have op-
portunity to do anything great in
comparison to what you have done
for the cause. You are only a young
girl, hut you have been as brave and
true and quick as any man could
have been. And the. great man who,
lies in that tomb would have been
the first one to have told you so if he
were living" -
They had turned from the tomb
and were walking down the .close-cut
lawn to the terrace overlooking tho
river. sIIilda lifted her shining eyes
to the young soldiers face and spoke
eagerly: st
But I could not have done any
thing at all If it had not been for you.
In the first place. shouldn't have
been alive to do. it ii you had not
saved me from that express train!
And should not have known enough
to DO anything If cyQu had not talked
.. about spies and tv1d,me to send swerd
to Washington II I found any. Of
course. when got hold cf that suit
case had to bring it myself. There
was no other way to get it here safe
w.. Anybody would have done it.
Don't you see, after all.-it was really
you who did every bit of it?''
"No. you sweet child, I, don't sec
soul in your eyes" he answered,
smiling down at her. Let us sit
down under this; tree. want to ask
You a few questions" n.
There was something in his voice
and manner that made Hilda sudden
" conscious Of herself and her ex-
traordinary situation. and brought
the pink to her cheeks and the shin
ing wonder to her eyes She sat
OF amazernent at herself. Here was
she, the erstwhile kitchen maid Of
the Schwarz truck farm, attired tn
beautiful and modish garments and
sitting at her ease with son of
wealth and culture. nay, soldier Of
rank and accom- piishuents! How
had it come about? How was it that
she was not covered with confusion
before him, she shy little school
Were all rich and cultured people
like this II you only got to know
we'll? Perhaps. IL he had not, been
an engineer she never would have
known him at all. For, although he
might have saved her life, yet she
felt sure she would never have felt
so free with him, nor confided in him
as she did, if he had been dressed
like a gentleman instead Of having
on that old blue blouse and greasy
cap. 1t somehow made him Just q
man, and swept away ali class dis
tinctions that would have made her
shy. And yet, how perverSe was the
human heart! Now that she knew
him she liked him better dressed like
q gentleman! 1t had not been the
clothes after all. It was just that ha
whatever he wore. only at first there
had been no marks of the barriers OF
wealth to keep her fro1a knowing the
man.
All this swept vaguely through her.
mind as she settled herself on the
velvety turf and leaned back against
the old tree trunk looking down at
the calm, steady river Moving, by.
Down there, close to che water. an-
other girl in-a white dress with a
autter OF pink ribbons, was walking
with sudden, pride. She had a SOL
der, too. just for, the day. She. need
not look at that othe. girl With envy,
She wa8 looking we'll. snd having q
beautiful con,paaionship with. ono
who could stand with the best OF the
land. It was q wonderful thing to
have comeSto har. OF course. Il was
not to last. He would 20 on, away.
to France, and probably she would,
never see him again for years, per.
h1ps never: But she. would have Il
in. her memory to take out and think
about and perhaps .tall-no, she
would never tell. It should bs hid
in her heat. She would tell how the
President had once talked with her;
but this young man-this was her
own beautiful neraoFy to keen in her
heart all the dtys Of her life. There
might be other Presidents. but there
would never be-Another like this one!
Her cheeks glowed a little deeper.
with the thought Of what this ad-
mission must mean. She turned 70
look at him With sudden realisation.
that he had been silent long time,
and discovered that he was watching
her. Then their eyes met ana his
face burst Into, the wonderful smile
that seemed to flood her very soul.
No. there would never be another
like him, and she must keep the
insmory of every word and look IN
her heart fors the time when she
vnuld walk her quiet way alone.
again. u II (, ~
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with whafs = 1Me0 s0gs har fea4
irrelevanes,t I'D sGtilt 1ktgY 1fnest-
iy s hsr, 81 & Nt &. ilsr YOU 4 lot