| Show ae 1 1 LOVE OV E AND A ND WAR W A R B by AG A AGNES NE NES s G BR BROGAN 0 GAN J copyright cop 1918 western newspaper Nois paper union nion down the garden path with glowing hollyhocks like sentinels on either side dulcie moved slowly at the farthermost end of the garden she would find a small white house and in the vine vinc covered porch of that house lived a merry old lady who was always her comforter for dulcie was these days in need of sustaining sympathy fiers hars had bad been a grave mistake one which she feared might be beyond remedy it had seemed so difficult to learn the secret of her own perverse heart robert and gordon both had loved her bobble from the time of 0 their school days gordon during these last few months when engineering business sent him out from the city until gaidon came dulcie had been sure that her affection was bobs alone afterward she came to bellevo believe that bob had merely grown necessary ike any other accustomed possession but the problem had caused her little little anxiety until bobs 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 dulcie had considered it her duly to confess to him her growing interest in gordon and for that reason to refuse the promise she had loved bob always she decided as she walked on between the hollyhocks and now it was too late I 1 to tell him so she could even have no knowledge of ills 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 afternoon sun glinting her silvery hair sat the little old lady who had lived and learned im 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 over proves all that one could wish there Is no new lover duicie burst out passionately there never has been any lover but bob only I 1 was too stupid to know it takes me back she said to one troubled time in my own girlhood we were southerners then and our men were bidding us goodby good by and going off to war I 1 was a gay bit of a creature a coquette too I 1 fear but that was much in the fashion of the time so two lovers of mine were rushing away all aglow for victory yea ye lovers my dear there was one lover tall and well f favored rich too in the things we counted dear and the other just a brave lad ind true and food my own selfish heart inclined toward ble lover but well th the other would bo be the more envied conquest as a husband you see and so the old lady sighed and smiled 1 I accepted them both Dul cles eyes widened incredulously but her old friend continued the en must be kept a secret I 1 told each one and to each gave one of a pair of bracelets a cameo on the clasp a sort of love token my dear a sort of fajth faith token from my faithless self when the war is ended I 1 thought 1 I shall know which man I 1 really wish to marry letters came occasionally as they could from both in their different places still was I 1 undecided but at always in tile the fanciful dreams of my future stood a great house the home which my fortune favored suitor could provide and all at once one evening as 1 I sat dreaming of this great house and myself its mistress came a message a brief maddening message 1 front from one of our rough hospitals of war A soldier was being cared for there said the message mes gage lie he was wounded perhaps perli aps fatally upon his person was vas no means of identification in fit his pocket a bracelet alone had been fount found it a cameo set bracelet wrapped in a paper bearing the name and address to which this message was sent would I 1 notify the muns mans friends of his condition the man my heart seemed to stand still at its own question I 1 it demanded fiercely the old lady paused Ac across all the years her eyes shone wistfully and I 1 hoped she went on oil I 1 prayed that this wounded soldier might not be the humble lad ad and true straightway I 1 went to see miles were as nothing I 1 had to know and perhaps to ask his forgiveness before it would be too late so throughout gnout that long journey I 1 suffered the penalty of my deceit and as I 1 bt bent over the broken body of tile lad ind I 1 loved I 1 knew that nothing in the world thereafter could count with me save the making of his happiness the other yes lie he lived through the war and married one of my fri friends ends Th thimas rimas called the file old indy suddenly thomas from an inner room came an old man mill till military in his bearing na fin empty cont sleeve lia liangqing nging at his side alls dear lie he answered liis his tone way softly caressing cn will you show to dulcie the brave lor I 1 bax you and which you carried throughout the war his wife re quested 1 I mil am going into the house dear she said to th he girl to got get a 0 card which I 1 rec received elved from robert yesterday his address rs Is on it plain tind clear and when you vou write rite him tonight will ou send end with yours an all old lacta love |
