Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-01-17
w. d. WALLACH.
vAYLE yENTNoR, PRIVATE.

The music wandered off from Flotow to near
er home, playing the "Star Spangled Banner
in bold breezy bursts The large, long hall
was filled with the sweet sharp shocks Of the
cymbsls, the bright blowing Of the bugles and
the great drum-beats rolling through. People
let their thoughts flow forth to meet the music
as suited them best, out upon the piazzas, in
the psrlors, or in the large, long hall Walk
ing up and down the latter, q girl voice went
singing the FIRST line,
"Oh, say, can you see by the dawn,s early lIght,u
then ceasing, beating her palms together in
tire with the striking cymbsls, she said, ''Oh
iss's It lovely! 2" lingering in a pretty draw
upou the "lovely."
The gentleman walking beside her looked
down, smiling mischief, as he replied, "Very
lovely, Carlotta; sing it again. -
Nonsense. do not mean my singing All,
but you know that don't 10 looking up laugh.
ing into the laughing face.
He bent lower and mere msaningly returned
But mean the singing. like 1t better than
the band" !"
No, no, don't talk SO, but listen-ah, it is
divine, divine better than any music in the
world. don't wonder, listening to it, that
soldiers realize all the excitement aud not the
danger when they march to the battlefield to
such inspiring strains. Raymond, how did you
feel when the men were dropping round you
at Manassasr'
"Oh, as most men feel; after the first shock
and dread passes, the nerves grow steady
Thus easily we get careless of human lives -
"Ah, no, do not think it is that; think
the soul rises to the occasion. But will you
60 again."
IF 1 can get commission, yes if not, no. ~
why will yeu not go if you do not get a
commission ?''
"Well, don't like the associations gener.
ally as private It's too hard work and if
risk my life, / want to choose the vay,',
" Yes, see,' she answered ahsenfIv "a ;f
she did not half zee
You would be glad to have me 90, Carlot
ta?' bending again, with eager interest.
She knew what be meant, and little color
OF crimson fused into the faint pink cheek,
and she unfurled her fan with quick ner.
vous slide, as she replied,
would be glad for every man to 20 that
dren."
They may have mothers; you forgot that, -
he said, with an irritated, jeering sort of a
laugh.
But she was very serious, almost solemn, as
she returned, " Yes, that is very true; didn't
forget My brother went, you know; and be
goes sgain, with oar mothers consent"
know" That was all he said, but it was
said IN softer accents, under conviction. Then
In moment more he began, t'And the tie Of
lover, Carlotta?" A little tinkIing clash
and the pretty pearl fan was living broken
upon the door, making grIeveus interruption.
Swinging 1t TO and fro, il had swung far ont.
and fell At gentleman's feet. who was sitting
On one Of the side couches. He brought il r.
her, ana received little airy Thank you. :"
envious
81 wonder who he is?" she exclaimed.
watching the gentleman as be returned
down the hall. i've noticed him sitting
there all the evening""
Have you2" with satiric emphasis, to
which she paid no attention, but went on
"'Yes; and did you see what an air he has
how loftily he carries his head? Military,
too, do you notice ?" He must be a new ar.
rival"
VERY likely" was the reply, cross enough
now, and swapping two or three more sticks of
the fan he had taken from her. Whereupon
such cunning little smile went flashing whittier
pearls than be held into view, and a pair of
merry brown eyes dropped their white cur
tains, for modesty's sake. The gentleman who
had been the innocent cause Of all this, from.
his place on one Of the side couches observed
the pantomime Of the conversation with an
odd smile curling his heavy mustache 1t was
evident that he understood
On the next morning, Miss Carlotta Delevan
in other words, Miss Charlotte, the sweet
Spanish rendering being the work of her Gu
ban nurse-might have been seen, somewhere
after breakfast, when the halls are mostly va
arrivals, as she leaned over the Office desk
There were Smiths and Smythes, and aristo-
cratic Houards, and Vans, and the Partisan
De-, but only one military Captain Jones; and
following this, making 1t more noticeable from
the sharp contrast OF euPhony, was one name,
the last, Vayle Ventnor.
"Vayle Ventnor!" She ran il over in her
mind. The oldest name in the world. But
she had found what she sought her military
hero Of the lofty carriage was Capt Jones
30, satisfied, she went sauntering out upon the
piaIIs and met the military hero, "Captain
Jones, sauntering too She dropped her
pretty head in pretty remembrance, and re-
ceived graceful reverence in return; then,
with gentlemanly courtesy, he turned of from
his walk, leaving her alone.
So she sauntered slowly, thinking, sFThere's .
something fine about the man-not so hand
some, though, as Raymond Mays; horrid name,
too, Jones" Heighho" tyawning) " I wish 1
Raymond; I'll ask him. Raymond" nodding
and smiling her greeting, ''is that the paper
you have? Yes f? Thank you :" nodding again
and dropping into chair 10 unfold and look
it over, talking meanwhile to Raymond, who
seated himself near. Looking down list of
soldiers, what should she come upon but those
two names again. First, among the officers,
Jeremiah Jones, Captain" then lower down,
"Vayle Ventnor, Private" This Capt Jones,
how he haunted her. Jeremiah Jsnes, think
OF tnht sac tnougnti ana Iaugned outright, q
little tinkle Of merriment.
What il it 30 funny, Carlotta? could
not find anything funny there. You get all
the sunshine Of life. What is it ?' bending
over.
But Carlotts chose not to tell, 50 she put a
little slim hand between his eyes and the pa.
per, saying, with . merry malice, Curious? ?''
4" No; only interested In what interests you
want to catch your sunny way. Can't you
teach me how ?"
eyes" demurely, "I'll teach you 10 catch
it, rolling the paper into ball, and tossing
Ii lightly 70 him.
He caught the paper, and the fun too, toss
ing il back again softly. And to and fro they
kept il going q moment, until, in q backward
bend Of her head, all laughing and flushed,
and breeze-rufied ss the head was, she re-
eeiVed glance Of admiration from q bearded
face looking down from an upper window upon
their laughing play. IL was sheer admiration,
nothing less, for the girl herself In all her
bright monentary abandon. As she met it,
bar Al . allv. sha II L..