Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-09-04
THE NARROWING TALE OF
YUSEF, THE DRAFT.

HuHus.
art Yusef Thayer ?" said his
oppressor.
- am" proudly said the youth; at
which cara, who had come to the con-
clusion that she had been faintng long
enough, awohe with sigh.
81 have been searching for you, my
buck, high and low" said he. "Yoa're
drafted and must go where glory waits
you"
Wretch !" retorted Yusef, "thou
liest. The quota of our ward was made
up week ago"
Ha, ha," sneered the official mot so
fast In truth you thought so, and faith
so did |, but we wanted more men, and |
the caliph revised the figures for dozen
of the wards, this among the others. The
draft was drawn this morning, and you
were hit"
" Why this haste? ?" said Yusef.
" Canst thou not wait till thou hast the
evening paper? Perchance he will figure
again and let us out"
&" 1t won't do" said the officer. "We
must have men. Come"
" But | am physically unfit. am"
=" l know what you are going to say
you are ruptured, have IA cough, have
varicose veins, are near-sighted, etc. 1t
won't do. We have reduced the cause of
exemption to barely one."
"And that is"
death before the draft"
g Is there no escape ?"
Nary. This isn't time to get substi-
tutes and if there were"
Il haven't got the stamps, you would
say, but deIicacy prevents you. True,
too true "
Here !" shrieked cara, tearing the
massive jewelry from her ears and fingers
and arms and bosom "take these glitter
ing gauds end give me back M Yusef :"
The officer looked at them and returned
them with plainly perceptible sneer on
his finely chiseled features, with the sig
nilcant remark, "DoIlar store !"
All hope was gone.
AT least, said Zara, let's do the
regular thing"
Yusef !"
"Zara /"
And they fell into each others arms,
mutually assuring each other that thro'
veal and woe they would be true to each
other forever and forever.
In the course of four minutes, Yusef
Thayer was ON his way to join his regi-
ment, leaving cara fainting on the
sward.
Did she remain true to him ? We
shall see.
One year elapsed. A gallant soldier
was standing at the door Of an humble
cottage. Twas Yusef. He had returned
unscathed by bullet, bayonet. or shell.
He had been in the commissary depart
ment and had snutfed the battle afar off.
Mother" hissed he, tell me, Zara-"
e" Was married precisely eleven months
ago, my son, to one of the first gentlemen
OF Cairo, who made big thing out of an
army contract"
" Married !" he hissed through his
clenehed teeth, and shifting himself twice
on the forehead. Married !"
" Certainly, my son." replied the good
mother, wrnging out shirt calmly, zone
month after you were drafted"
Z" Tell nae did her paternal parent on
her fathers side compel her thus to sac
rifce her youth and beauty, thus to break
her plighted troth, thus to go back on
herself and me ?"
"No."
" Did not her father speculate in pork,
and get caught on Il falling market
Were not his notes going to protest, and
did NOT this rich villain offer her the dread
alternative of her fathers ruin or her
hand ?"
" Nary. She laid for him till she COB
bled him."
Did she never speak Of me ? Has she
grown pale and wan and so on ?"
" Not war. She's as fresh as
peach and the gayest Of the gay. The
bulbul sings not more sweetly, nor the
nightingale more frequently" "repled the
old lady, putting more soap on dirty
wristband. "She faunts at the opera
while wash shirts at fifty cents dozen
Bismullah Such islife."
Destruction " muttered Yusef. 81 |
will meet her. | will confront her with |
her faithlessness, and then ~" and /
with despaiLing shrek he flung himself
from the house.
"There was a sound of revelry by |
night"
There was ball in progress at the |
Spread Eagle Hotel, at which all the elite .
and bon-ton of Cairo were present. That |
none but TIE eitest should be there, the 4
managers had put the tickets at twenty /
shillings.
cara was there in the highest spirits.
Her baby had been dosed with soothing
syrup to keep it sleeping and relieved Of
care on its account, she was rushing
things. She had just finished a waltz,
and was waiting, painting while her cav
alier was bringing her goblet of water,
when manly form approached. He