Page 63 - 1918 Hartridge

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®tBO===©ut of iWUlionS
'i' was winter. The light, fine snow sifted down unceasingly through the j)ines, and a solitary figure peered into the dim silences. This was Panline, as her lamp glowed on her bright
golden hair, her dainty profile, and her deep, bine eyes. For an instant, her left hand trembled, and the gleam from her diamond shot forth and theji died out. The chimes iji a distant tower struck twelve,
but the dreaming s\])irit of the girl looked far away and beyond.
A \])ietnre of a recent s\])ringtime, when she was not alone—as
now—rose before her face. She saw' herself following a long and winding trail with her fiance, haj)py and light of heart in the majestic forest. She saw herself, too, standing in the dim, cathedral aisles of
the oak trees, saying:
“Onr eonntrv first, Kenneth—even before onr love.” Then a
ft '
tall aviator had marched slowly away in the twilight.
All this w’as past no\v. She was alone in her home—very much
alone, and in her heart was a nameless (piestioning that would not be stilled.
*****
In southern France, the air was keen and frosty with winter, and a young ca\])tain of the flying cor\])s was sailing high above the clouds, headed for the (ierinan lines. He felt the wild exhilaration of his rush through the air, as he swe\]jt evenly along on the wings of his light battle-plane. He w'as full of the downright joy of life, and
ready for fighting.
Suddenly a low', humming sound was borne to his ears—a sound
that changed rapidly into the whir of many air-planes. Out of the blue came a fleet of the iron cross. The captain w'heeled, mounted, gained a higher altitude, and sw'oo\])ing down on an enemy scout, sent it hurtling to the ground. Ahead of him that sinister array drew' nearer, w'as rushing towards him with the speed of lightning, and a
keen eye was sighting down every machine gun. He hesitated as the vision of the burning death below him made him almost shudder. Then
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