The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-07-05

up my mind to go on the spot. had but
six days to go in, but much might be done.
Margaret insisted on going with me in spite
OF all could do to keep her away.
Have not done all you wished me to do
since we have been out here? Do, for Heav-
ems sake, let me have my way in this
So we went up the country in post haste.
| was, of course, as one of the staff, adj
mitted to see Gerald, whom | found terri
bly, cut up.
i don't mind the imprisonment it's the
disgrace The ashes My God I shall kill
myself directly get loose after it, | know [
shall
No, no. said Meggie; don't, for my
sake. Oh, Gerald ifyou knew how have
suffered for weeks past, you would live for
my sake, do not care about the brand of
lashes know you are innocent and that
there has been some horrible blunder COM
mitted in this matter. Oh, Willie, dear,
do think of something to save him.
Oh, do, there's 4 good fellow get me
some stuff that will make au end of me-
Don't talk like that Gerald there's some
internal mistake in it. Don't despair yet.
Let's 20 over the ground again step by step,
and made him tell the whole story over
again.
1T seems to me-, Gerald, VIC want not a
few things to show you are not guilty. We
want the tiger you shot at. and that we
shan't get and we want the clue to the
mystery Of the other rifle
oh, l've thought of it all till I'm sick.
don't care what happens now. I'll wait till
the day before it's to come off, and then
break my head against the walls
Don't be a fool, Gerald I'm sure you
are innocent. So is Margaret
Yes; so are a hundred others but it's
all no Use. In three days | am disgraced
for lifc, if live
well, ! must leave you now, and see
what | can do
Let me have five minutes with Meggie,
will you"
/ then left them alone for some ten min
utes, and then told Meggie she must 60
home with me.
was beaten; I could not see how could
get any fresh evidence, aud without that
repreve - postponement-was impossi-
BILE.
| went to the wounded officer, the captain
of his own company, and got him to tell his
own story; it was just the same thing over
again, always the exceedingly loud report
and the fouled and still smoking carbine.
Il would said the captain, have given
the price of my commission rather than have
it happen. He's as fine a fellow as ever sat
on horse brave, kind and as thorough a
gentleman as the colonel himself; always
made him my orderly when l could, so as
to have company. declare to you that |
did my best at the court-martial for him,
and got into disgrace with the general pre-
siding for cOlOring my statements-that was
his expression-so as to favor the prisoner.
almost sniveled when l heard the sentence
as if he had been my brother. The men are
mad about it !; there has not been lash or
punishment of any kind in the regiment for
the last twenty five years.
l hardly knew how to pass time tried
to think, but my ideas only travelled in the
same old grooves again.
| invited the assistant surgeon to come up to
my quarters, and introduced him to my sister
He was quite a young fellow, and seemed
quite ilatered by my simple attention, for
in the army they have not made up their
minds whether medical officer should be
treated as n gentleman: but the strangest
thing | ever saw in my life was my sisters
conduct OF course, speaking to you fell
lows | shan't be misunderstood, and some
of you have seen her She laid herself out
to please him to an extent I never should
have thought my dear grave Meggie capable
of; sang to him; and made eyes at him till
| thought her brain was turned. She said
she should so like to see his quarters, asked
him to ask us to lunch, and shut me up lie
a rat-trap when | ventured to hint that it
might not be convenient
Well, he went away at last as mad as she.
| spoke TO her after he was gone, and she
fell into my arms, sobbng as if her heart
was breaking and then, without word of
explanation, ran out of the room.
Next day we went to his quarters, and
nothing would satisfy her but that he should
mix up some medicine for her out of the
bottles of his travelling case There she was
handling and shifting and tasting every
thing like 4 child OF ten rather than girl
of eighteen. She sent him about the room !;
made him bring books from the opposite
side Of it so that she might read about the
of the drugs and, in short, be-
haved so like a lunatc that | thought the
trouble about Gerald must have affected her
mind. got her away at last, and intended
to insist on her remaining in the house and
putting some ice to her head. 1t was quite
the minute we left the surgery
she was calm and silent as a nun.
Well the days passed in some sort of
dreary fashion till the evening of the llth
l had been asked during the day to go down
with the officers to some rifle practice, at
some temporary marks, and / went down.
1t was rather late when | rode up to the
firing point, and they were just leaving off
and one Of them came up and said
Il say, captain, tell us the cause of these
new bullets turning inside out2' and he
handed me bullet reversed just such an
other as Williams has in his hand.
| took it, just to explain the matter to
him, when thought struck my mind like a
flash of lightning.
Saved, by God | exclaimed. Who's
got the bullet out of the saddle?
What bulletP
'Gerald's-my Cousins
'Oh, Gentleman Jacks affair. The doc
tor got it,
Where is he?
Don't know-quarters | think.
H., Al