alas！　its　future。　Everything　time　does　is　written　on　the　stones。　And　my　stream　seems　to　murmur　the　sad　and　ceaseless　flow　of　human　life；　with　its　music　and　its　misery。
  Then；　descending　from　the　sublime　to　the　humdrum　and　necessary；　I　heave　a　sigh；　and　pull　myself　together；　and　go　in　to　make　biscuits　and　fry　ham。　But　I　should　not　forget　to　tell　you　that　before　I　do　go　in；　very　often　my　looming；　wonderful　walls　and　crags　weave　in　strange　shadowy　characters　the　beautiful　and　unforgettable　face　of　Carley　Burch！
  I　append　what　little　news　Oak　Creek　affords。
  That　blamed　old　bald　eagle　stole　another　of　my　pigs。
  I　am　doing　so　well　with　my　hog…raising　that　Hutter　wants　to　come　in　with　me；　giving　me　an　interest　in　his　sheep。
  It　is　rumored　some　one　has　bought　the　Deep　Lake　section　I　wanted　for　a　ranch。　I　don't　know　who。　Hutter　was　rather　noncommittal。
  Charley；　the　herder；　had　one　of　his　queer　spells　the　other　day；　and　swore　to　me　he　had　a　letter　from　you。　He　told　the　blamed　lie　with　a　sincere　and　placid　eye；　and　even　a　smile　of　pride。　Queer　guy；　that　Charley！
  Flo　and　Lee　Stanton　had　another　quarrelthe　worst　yet；　Lee　tells　me。　Flo　asked　a　girl　friend　out　from　Flag　and　threw　her　in　Lee's　way；　so　to　speak；　and　when　Lee　retaliated　by　making　love　to　the　girl　Flo　got　mad。　Funny　creatures；　you　girls！　Flo　rode　with　me　from　High　Falls　to　West　Fork；　and　never　showed　the　slightest　sign　of　trouble。　In　fact　she　was　delightfully　gay。　She　rode　Calico；　and　beat　me　bad　in　a　race。
  Adios；　Carley。　Won't　you　write　me？
  GLENN。
  No　sooner　had　Carley　read　the　letter　through　to　the　end　than　she　began　it　all　over　again；　and　on　this　second　perusal　she　lingered　over　passagesonly　to　reread　them。　That　suggestion　of　her　face　sculptured　by　shadows　on　the　canyon　walls　seemed　to　thrill　her　very　soul。
  She　leaped　up　from　the　reading　to　cry　out　something　that　was　unutterable。　All　the　intervening　weeks　of　shame　and　anguish　and　fury　and　strife　and　pathos；　and　the　endless　striving　to　forget；　were　as　if　by　the　magic　of　a　letter　made　nothing　but　vain　oblations。
  〃He　loves　me　still！〃　she　whispered；　and　pressed　her　breast　with　clenching　hands；　and　laughed　in　wild　exultance；　and　paced　her　room　like　a　caged　lioness。　It　was　as　if　she　had　just　awakened　to　the　assurance　she　was　beloved。　That　was　the　shibboleththe　cry　by　which　she　sounded　the　closed　depths　of　her　love　and　called　to　the　stricken　life　of　a　woman's　insatiate　vanity。
  Then　she　snatched　up　the　letter；　to　scan　it　again；　and；　suddenly　grasping　the　import　of　Glenn's　request；　she　hurried　to　the　telephone　to　find　the　number　of　the　hospital　in　Bedford　Park。　A　nurse　informed　her　that　visitors　were　received　at　certain　hours　and　that　any　attention　to　disabled　soldiers　was　most　welcome。
  Carley　motored　out　there　to　find　the　hospital　merely　a　long　one…story　frame　structure；　a　barracks　hastily　thrown　up　for　the　care　of　invalided　men　of　the　service。　The　chauffeur　informed　her　that　it　had　been　used　for　that　purpose　during　the　training　period　of　the　army；　and　later　when　injured　soldiers　began　to　arrive　from　France。
  A　nurse　admitted　Carley　into　a　small　bare　anteroom。　Carley　made　known　her　errand。
  〃I'm　glad　it's　Rust　you　want　to　see；〃　replied　the　nurse。　〃Some　of　these　boys　are　going　to　die。　And　some　will　be　worse　off　if　they　live。　But　Rust　may　get　well　if　he'll　only　behave。　You　are　a　relativeor　friend？〃
  〃I　don't　know　him；〃　answered　Carley。　〃But　I　have　a　friend　who　was　with　him　in　France。〃
  The　nurse　led　Carley　into　a　long　narrow　room　with　a　line　of　single　beds　down　each　side；　a　stove　at　each　end；　and　a　few　chairs。　Each　bed　appeared　to　have　an　occupant　and　those　nearest　Carley　lay　singularly　quiet。　At　the　far　end　of　the　room　were　soldiers　on　crutches；　wearing　bandages　on　their　beads；　carrying　their　arms　in　slings。　Their　merry　voices　contrasted　discordantly　with　their　sad　appearance。
  Presently　Carley　stood　beside　a　bed　and　looked　down　upon　a　gaunt；　haggard　young　man　who　lay　propped　up　on　pillows。
  〃Rusta　lady　to　see　you；〃　announced　the　nurse。
  Carley　had　difficulty　in　introducing　herself。　Had　Glenn　ever　looked　like　this？　What　a　face！　It's　healed　scar　only　emphasized　the　pallor　and　furrows　of　pain　that　assuredly　came　from　present　wounds。　He　had　unnaturally　bright　dark　eyes；　and　a　flush　of　fever　in　his　hollow　cheeks。
  〃How　do！〃　he　said；　with　a　wan　smile。　〃Who're　you？〃
  〃I'm　Glenn　Kilbourne's　fiancee；〃　she　replied；　holding　out　her　hand。
  〃Say；　I　ought　to've　known　you；〃　he　said；　eagerly；　and　a　warmth　of　light　changed　the　gray　shade　of　his　face。　〃You're　the　girl　Carley！　You're　almost　like　mymy　own　girl。　By　golly！　You're　some　looker！　It　was　good　of　you　to　come。　Tell　me　about　Glenn。〃
  Carley　took　the　chair　brought　by　the　nurse；　and　pulling　it　close　to　the　bed；　she　smiled　down　upon　him　and　said：　〃I'll　be　glad　to　tell　you　all　I　knowpresently。　But　first　you　tell　me　about　yourself。　Are　you　in　pain？　What　is　your　trouble？　You　must　let　me　do　everything　I　can　for　you；　and　these　other　men。〃
  Carley　spent　a　poignant　and　depth…stirring　hour　at　the　bedside　of　Glenn's　comrade。　At　last　she　learned　from　loyal　lips　the　nature　of　Glenn　Kil　bourne's　service　to　his　country。　How　Carley　clasped　to　her　sore　heart　The　praise　of　the　man　she　lovedthe　simple　proofs　of　his　noble　disregard　Of　self！　Rust　said　little　about　his　own　service　to　country　or　to　comrade。　But　Carley　saw　enough　in　his　face。　He　had　been　like　Glenn。　By　these　two　Carley　grasped　the　compelling　truth　of　the　spirit　and　sacrifice　of　the　legion　of　boys　who　had　upheld　American　traditions。　Their　children　and　their　children's　children；　as　the　years　rolled　by　into　the　future；　would　hold　their　heads　higher　and　prouder。　Some　things　could　never　die　in　the　hearts　and　the　blood　of　a　race。　These　boys；　and　the　girls　who　had　the　supreme　glory　of　being　loved　by　them；　must　be　the　ones　to　revive　the　Americanism　of　their　forefathers。　Nature　and　God　would　take　care　of　the　slackers；　the　cowards　who　cloaked　their　shame　with　bland　excuses　of　home　service；　of　disability；　and　of　dependence。
  Carley　saw　two　forces　in　lifethe　destructive　and　constructive。　On　the　one　side　greed；　selfishness；　materialism：　on　the　other　generosity；　sacrifice；　and　idealism。　Which　of　them　builded　for　the　future？　She　saw　men　as　wolves；　sharks；　snakes；　vermin；　and　opposed　to　them　men　as　lions　and　eagles。　She　saw　women　who　did　not　inspire　men　to　fare　forth　to　seek；　to　imagine；　to　dream；　to　hope；　to　work；　to　fight。　She　began　to　have　a　glimmering　of　what　a　woman　might　be。
  That　night　she　wrote　swiftly　and　feverishly；　page　after　page；　to　Glenn；　only　to　destroy　what　she　had　written。　She　could　not　keep　her　heart　out　of　her　words；　nor　a　hint　of　what　was　becoming　a　sleepless　and　eternal　regret。　She　wrote　until　a　late　hour；　and　at　last　composed　a　letter　she　knew　did　not　ring　true；　so　stilted　and　restrained　was　it　in　all　passages　save　those　concerning　news　of　Glenn's　comrade　and　of　her　own　friends。　〃I'll　never…never　write　him　again；〃　she　averred　with　stiff　lips；　and　next　moment　could　have　laughed　in　mockery　at　the　bitter　truth。　If　she　had　ever　had　any　courage；　Glenn's　letter　had　destroyed　it。　But　had　it　not　been　a　kind　of　selfish；　false　courage；　roused　to　hide　her　hurt；　to　save　her　own　future？　Courage　should　have　a　thought　of　others。　Yet　shamed　one　moment　at　the　consciousness　she　would　write　Glenn　again　and　again；　and　exultant　the　next　with　the　clamouring　love；　she　seemed　to　have　climbed　beyond　the　self　that　had　striven　to　forget。　She　would　remember　and　think　though　she　died　of　longing。
  Carley；　like　a　drowning　woman；　caught　at　straws。　What　a　relief　and　joy　to　give　up　that　endless　nagging　at　her　mind！　For　months　she　had　kept　ceaselessly　active；　by　associations　which　were　of　no　help　to　her　and　which　did　not　make　her　happy；　in　her　determination　to　forget。　Suddenly　then　she　gave　up　to　remembrance。　She　would　cease　trying　to　get　over　her　love　for　Glenn；　and　think　of　him　and　dream　about　him　as　much　as　memory　dictated。　This　must　constitute　the　only　happiness　she　could　have。
  The　change　from　strife　to　surrender　was　so　novel　and　sweet　that　for　days　she　felt　renewed。　It　was　augmented　by　her　visits　to　the　hospital　in　Bedford　Park。　Through　her　bountiful　presence　Virgil　Rust　and　his　comrades　had　many　dull　hours　of　pain　and　weariness　alleviated　and　brightened。　Interesting　herself　in　the　condition　of　the　seriously　disabled　soldiers　and　possibility　of　their　future　took　time　and　work　Carley　gave　willingly　and　gladly。　At　first　she　endeavored　to　get　acquaintances　with　means　and　leisure　to　help　the　boys；　but　these　overtures　met　with　such　little　success　that　she　quit　wasting　valuable　time　she　could　herself　devote　to　their　interests。
  Thus　several　weeks　swiftly　passed　by。　Several　soldiers　who　had　been　more　seriously　injured　than　Rust　improved　to　the　extent　that　they　were　discharged。　But　Rust　gained　little　or　nothing。　The　nurse　and　doctor　both　informed　Carley　that　Rust　brightened　for　her；　but　when　she　was　gone　he　lapsed　into　somber　indifference。　He　did　not　care　whether　he　ate　or　not；　or　whether　he　got　well　or　died。
  〃If　I　do　pull　out；　where'll　I　go　and　what'll　I　do？〃　he　once　asked　the　nurse。
  Carley　knew　that　Rust's　hurt　was　more　than　loss　of　a　leg；　and　she　decided　to　talk　earnestly　to　him　and　try　to　win　him　to　hope　and　eff