The Argosy — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

A Story of the Day. 35 But for many days we knew it not. Hope lingered in all hearts, only to be dispelled. And at length the truth forced itself on us all, that surely and truly, though we may never know for certain how, or by whose hand, that gallant man had fallen, and alone. With none of his own race or faith near him, the martyr-hero had gone to meet his God. Time passed. Not so very long subsequent to that tragedy, Captain Douglas was wounded in the arm; not dangerously, but - enough to disable him from taking any further present share in the campaign. An attack of fever supervened, sufficiently grave to cause the doctors to order him home as soon as he should be fit to travel. During all this while he had received many letters both of and from his wife. At first from her ; letters written in a strain of cheerful, loving hope. Then came a day he never forgot, when a telegram amived for him, from Dr. Spencer, and at the sight he, who could face the enemy’s fiercest fire steadily and unmoved, trembled like a weak woman. It proved, however, to contain these words: “ All well over; no cause for alarm.” This was followed by one or two more, all to the same cheering effect ; and, in due course, by a letter from Mrs. Deane, the Colonel’s wife, telling Ronald about his little son, and that Mrs. Douglas was far better than could have been expected. Though very weak, she was bearing up well, was brave and hopeful. Almost before it was quite prudent, Dr. Spencer sanctioned the departure of Mrs. Douglas for England. He was anxious to get her away from that enervating climate; and she was anxious to travel under the escort of an officer who was going home on leave with his wife. The voyage did her no harm, and they arrived in safety. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon of a day in this present year, that a fly stopped before the door of a house in a healthy sea- side resort in old England. The occupant, a young man with one arm in a sling, but otherwise healthy-looking, for he had picked up wonderfully during his home- coming, leaped out of the fly and knocked at the door ; asking as soon as it was opened for Mrs. Douglas. “This way, sir,” said the servant; and, leading him through the hall, she opened the door of a drawing-room, and left him in it with his wife and child. Blanche was standing with her baby in her arms, dressed in white, 4 soft lace cap with a pale blue ribbon-tnmming on her pretty, golden brown hair. She was painfully thin, though her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks, for the moment at least, were lit up as by a bright, Crimson rose. In one bound he crossed the room. “ Blanche !” GOMMGIO@ S GO)