The Argosy — page 62: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

32 A Story of the Day. rest of it!” gleefully cried Captain Ainslie, who was a young, un- married officer, full of spiritand daring. ‘Oh, Douglas, you are in luck! Don’t I wish I had had the chance! Of all expeditions, one to rescue that glorious man, Gordon, would be the most to my taste.” A warning glance from the Major checked his ill-timed excitement. He was a husband himself, and understood better than the young and thoughtless fellow the struggle which must be taking place in Ronald Douglas’s breast. They parted then, for Captain Douglas wished them good day somewhat abruptly. ‘‘Why, what has come over Douglas ?” cried the younger man to the Major, when they were alone. ‘I should have thought he, of all men in the regiment, would have been overjoyed at the prospect of see- ing active service, and we all know what a hero Gordon is to him. Did you see how he looked? Surely he cannot be showing the white feather ?” ‘The white feather !” was the other’s indignant reply. ‘“ How dare you mention such a thing in connection with Douglas ? Every one of us knows, or ought to know, that his courage is dauntless and his honour unsullied. But do you forget that he almost idolizes his young wife, and that she is in so precarious a state of health that the news of to- night may possibly be her death blow?” “TI never thought of that,” replied Ainslie, repenting his hasty words. ‘ What do you think he will do? He is not absolutely pledged in honour to join the —th, is he?” The Major screwed up his lips. “I cannot say; it is a nice point; but, whatever may be his decision, /, for one, shall be sure that it is good and honourable.” In the meanwhile, poor Ronald Douglas was going towards home, a chaos of thoughts whirling in his brain; of which perhaps the only one standing out in a distinct shape was, that he must hurry back to Blanche, who might, and probably would, have already made the discovery—for she was sure to have opened some of the newspapers just delivered. Inher weak state, it would certainly throw her into 2 fearful state of agitation. And /e must soothe her—but how? By telling her that he would give up the idea of joining the —th ?—that there might be yet time to get back his letter from the Colonel before it was posted—that he, Ronald Douglas, whose whole heart lay in his profession, who had all an English soldier's horror of the merest semblance of cowardice or dishonour, would tell his Colonel he wished to give up the regiment he had fixed upon, because it was ordered to the rescue of one of-the noblest souls that England ever knew, of one who was his own ideal of all that was best and noblest on earth—at once the truest Christian and bravest soldier this age has known—the saintly and heroic Gordon? How could he do this ? But was there not another side to the picture? Words that he COMIC OOlKS.CO