The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-25

| the ClllIs
She was gone barely more than the
| minute asked for. When she returned
she was carrying in her hands a num-
Der of strips-bandages white
cloth Where she got them-well,
flushed deeply. She laid the band
ages upon the ledge and hid her con-
fusion over the wonderful side.
A Pretty Nurse.
The bullet had cut a deep, ragged
cash just below the armpit. It had
grazed a rib, but seemingly had not
broken il. With that encouraging fact
established, and the sting of the
wound much allayed, the mind of the
man began reaching forward TO the
night-when a certain suave lndivid-
ual in a frock coat would come TO feed
a certain horse. He said no word of
this to the girl already binding the
bandages around the clean washed
wound. he would have secuted the
bare suggestion of the things he was
planning to do the moment The dark
was sufficiently dense to hide him.
She drew what was left OF his tat
tered shirt and blouse over the band
age at last, lad his wounded arm
across his breast and slung it there
by a strip of cloth passed up around
his neck. and helped him to his feet.
With the first effort to stnad, his
plans for the coming night took in
slant flight. But for her he couldn't
have kept his feet. 1t shamsd him
that he was absolutely compelled to
cling fast to her, to lean heavy upon
her, or go back to the rock. His face
20 80 g.
cation he felt, but she saw it in his
eyes. Lifting his well arm and laying
It across her shoulders, she caught
her left arm about IFS blouse waist
and steadied him.
The Wild Rose seemed to have
taken toll of every bit Of sunshine
that ever struck the Flatwoods. That
was the distinguishing feature of her
personality. That and her good, sound
sense. She was smiling up at him,
he knew. He was staring away above
her head-but he knew. The smile
gradually drew his eyes down out OF
the trees. He could no more help it
than he could help leaning upon her.
She laughed heartening little laugh
like the happy water curling against
the ledge. He laughed back. He
broken; the smart gone.
He glanced down at the ledge before
leaving to see that no telI-tale spots
or bits of cloth were left. A need
less precaution-her woodcraft was as
fine as his own.
How she managed to lead him, half
carry him, out of the rocky and
broken gulches Of Fox Den and down
the rough banks of Wolf Run to the
cabin of the three gables she never
knew. Neither did he. It always re-
manned matter of wonder to him.
Who does know the source of power
that mysterious augmentation Of
strength--that comes to a woman in a
crisis,
He stood the exert.on better than
she had thought he would-rather he
bore it, and gave no sign. No great
attention was paid to the trail now
that he was behind the drive. There
was little likelihood that the ground
would be gone over again.
She led him inc the house and to the
sofa in the main room; the queer lit
tie leather-covered bed that had
stirred his curiosity the afternoon of
his first visit two days before.
The old man was not in the room.
She must have caught his eyes
searching for him. I
''Daddy7" she answered to the eyes.
He often spends hours away. There1l
be little pass In the woods today that
he won't see, though nobody win see
him. Poor Daddy"
She was putting a pillow under his
head-the beautiful pillow with the
picture Of the man and the woman
at the well worked upon L. He !
caught the wistful note in her voice; |
reached up his big hand and laid it
upon hers.
Wen send for that surgeon to-
morrow" he said.
He closed his hand on hers. and
she did not take it away-not for a |
wonderful moment.
Then the hand slipped out from IN