The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-01-16
Haps Mistake.

There were three of us, only, from
Hilltop, little quaint, Irregular vii
lage, nestled high among the noun
tains-Hal Brainard, John Hazard
and !, Harrison Grey, at your service
We messed together, and that morn
ing as we drank our black coffee We
talked matters over with no sense Oi
restraint. The regiment, which had
been in camp for a month, was tC
march the next day.
81 shall be glad enough TO get out
OF this" said John. "But, by George,
boys, it does seem little tough on q
fellow to have to go off without see
ing the folks again. It can't be more
than ten miles to Hilltop, as the crow
fiiesn-Rnd the speaker, he was hard
ly more than boy, looked yearning-
ly off into the blue distance.
"It's no use, my lad" answered
Hal, while his resOlute face clouded
over. "No furloughs will be granted,
/ understand"
But just then our good Captain Tai
bot appeared at the door of the tent.
He had been teacher of the High
School In the town adjoining ours,
and we had all been pupils of his. As
we gave him the military salute, he
smiled family.
"It Is almost sehOOl-time, boys" he
said. "But, first, want to send one
OF you over to Hilltop to do an errand
for me. Whoever goes can stay all
night, but must report himself by
eight o'clock tomorrow morning"
We looked from one to another, in q
sort of eager dismay. At last John
Jack we called him-spoke out:
Couldn't we all go, Captain?"
mot exactly" he answered laugh
ing. "Orders are too stringent. But
settle It among yourselves; and let
one Of you come TO my tent in an
hour"
The boys In the next tent were
"Rally ROunl the Flag" at
the top of their voices. Some one on
the other side was whistling "Home,
Sweet Home" in long and lingering
cadences. From the pine woods on
our left, the morning breeZes brought
US watts of balsamic fragrance, with
now and then an Odorous breath from
the trailing May-flowers. How well
I remember it all
! found my voice at length.
"Let Jack go. He Is the young
est.n
But then bethOught me that Hal
had something in Hilltop that we
others had not. He had been engaged
to Thyrza Harrington for nearly a
year.
Glaneing at him from beneath my
cap, 1 saw alook upon his face that
was half defiant, half tender. Then
he caught up his gun, with pretence
Of examining the lock.
"No," Jack answered quietly. "If
but one of us can 60, it must be
Hal"
Hal looked up suddenly, his face
glowing with something that was not
exactly joy.
"Jack is right" said. at must
be Hal"
He dropped his gun and caught our
hands impulsively.
"God bless you, boys" he cried.
HYou make me feel like q selfish
brI1te. Bit il seems to me this morn
ing that ] would peril my souls SAL
walton for the chance of going to
Hilltop"
Injury up, them" we both an
syered. ''You have no time to
We stood in the doorway of our
tent, and watched the tall, stalwart
figure as it dropped out of sight be-
hind the hill. Then Jack turned to
me with smile that was somewhat
belled by his dropping eyelids.
HHal looks like q prince of the
blood in his new Uniform he said,
iiand carries himself like one, too.
What q magnificent fellow he is
But what is the matter with him,
Grey? I scent trouble In the air. He
is not himself, lately"
Just my own impression, also. But
I did not care TO discuss the matter.
The day was busy one; and when
night came, We were glad to wrap
ourselves In our blankets and go to
sleep.
Hal returned the next morning.
"Halio, old fellow, how's Hilltop?"
cried Jack, dancing around him in a
fever of impatience- "Who did you
see? How are all the folks?"
He soon received a quietus in the
shape of sundry packets and parcels.
Then Hal turned to me.
There's no change at headquar-
ters, suppose ?' ne said, interroga-
lively. ave get out of this to-day ?''
l answered affirmatively.
"The Lord be praisedn' he eX-
claimed. az could not stand this in
action much longer, Grey" and he
fell vigorously to work, packing his
knapsaek.
He had not quite the air Ofa happy
Romeo, whose lips were still warm
with the kisses Of h!5 Juliet. But /
had no time to puzzle over 1t, and by
sundown we were of.
This is no war story; and it Is need
less TO tell ofour marchings and count.
our perils, our victories
and our defeats. It is enough to say
that We were in Virginia, that vast
mausoleum of two armies, and that
we three Hilltop boys had no reason
to be ashamed OF our record.
But through it all, and underlying
all, there was something about Hal
Brainard that could not understand.
He was brave, even to rashness. But
IL seemed to me more like the reck-
lessness of the man who holds his life
of little worth, than the bravery Of
him who takes 1t calmly In his hand,
ready, If 1t Is required of him, to offer
It up In all its full, sweet complete
ness. One evening-it was on the
eve of an engagement-I ventured to
demonstrate with him.
'9You are too reckless, Hail. I said.
"a man has no right to throw his life
away needlessly, even In battle. Think
what It would be TO ThyTZa, if you
were to be left in some nameless
grave down here"
He started as If the bullet had al
ready found him. Whether you be-
Iieve It or not, we three had messed
together ever since we left Vermont :;
we had tramped side by side through
Virginia mud ; We had shared each
Others rstions and blankets in many
a stress of danger and fatigue but
the name of Thyrza Harrington had
never passed our lips since that day
In camp at Brsttleboro'. Hal was
was always retieent. He was the
sort of man who held you at arms
length II he pleased and any subject
he chose to Ignore was q sealed book.
He had otchosen to talk of her, and
so Jack and I had been silent. But
that night the spirit moved me
strongly-and ] spoke.
He started, - have said, and his