MOBILE DIGITAL LIBRARY - SOCIETY OF YOUNG NIGERIAN ...

"And he——! Uncle Bill," went on the throbbing voice, "through the devilish pain hewas radiant. He was, thank God! I wanted to hold up a doctor and get dope to quiethim—and he wouldn't."'It might make me unconscious,' he objected. 'Would I lose a minute of you? Not if Iknow it! This is the happiest hour I've had for twenty years.'"He told me, a bit at a time, about things. First how he'd arranged so that even my motherthought him dead. Then the bald facts of his downfall. He hated to tell that."'Took money,' he said. 'Very unjustifiable. But I ought to have had plenty—life's mostunreasonable. Then—I couldn't face—discovery—hate, unpleasantness.' He shuddered.'Might have been—jailed.' It was shaking him so I tried to stop him, but he pointed to hiscoat and laughed—Uncle Bill, a pitiful laugh. It tore me. 'John Donaldson's making agood getaway,' he labored out. 'Must tell everything. I'll finish—clean. To—my son.Honor of—the uniform.' He was getting exhausted. 'That's all,' he ended, 'Dishonor.'"And I flung at him: 'No—no. It's covered over—wiped out—with service and honor.You're dying for the flag, father—father!' I whispered with my arms around him andcrying like a child with a feeling I'd never known before. 'Father, father!' I whispered, andhe lifted a hand and patted my head.