Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-03


toward the sea, as ii their inmates want
ed to watch the boatmen and fishers
from as near point as they might.
Wherever the houses broke apart, one
caught gllmpses of a wild, flat country,
dotted here and there with weird trees
in Indian file; and the youth looked
wistfully toward these desert fields, is if
he would fam have struck away across
them, instead Of going on, as he did, 10.
ward the grim old fort.
"Yet there, il was clear, festivity was
going forward, and friendly voices greet
ed him as he passed the gray old portal
And then, over his stern, sad face he
dropped mask Of gayety, and though
he relapsed into silence at times, he was
as polite and convertible rs the best Of
them.
There was preparation for a dinner
party in the fine stuff old hall, with its
rows Of military portraits, and its dingv,
blood-stained banners. The castle, the
barracks, and the fort itself had eagerly
furnished guests TO welcome the visitor
of the day, grand old General recent
~ returned from honorable victories in
the south OF Europe.
TO our ideas of to-day" said Mrs.
Martin, shaking her dear, white-capped
head, there was perhaps great deal
in that dinner-table conversation which
ought not to have been. We have left
oil openly despising our then enemies
the French, or speaking Of any foreign
allies much ms If they We're Sermin,
whom it was our good pleasure for the
time being to support and protect, Let
us not be afraid to condemn our hon
orablc grandfathcrs III that wherein We
think they were wrong. Only let us
humbly remember that, strive rs we
may, we ourselves shall still say and do
many Things which, as we believe III
God and progress, our still more for
tunatt descendants will characterize rs
illjuoged and perhaps wicked. We can
but do our very best according to the
light which is youchsafed to the world
III our day.
after dinner, when ceremony was
fairly thawed the good old general III
the kindliness and pride of his heart
displayed little box, which had been
given to him by some grandee Of Spain.
think it must have been too small for
a snutl-box, and was probably one Of
those tiny tritles in which fashionable
folks used to carry comtits and lo2enges.
AT any rate, this box was set with dia-
monds and colored gems Of rare value,
and it passed from hand to hand, flash
ing brightlyin the lamp-light, while the
old warrior told dread stories Of his
campaigns, and of the caring and honor
of his men.
"But suddenly, at the end of II story
50 thrilling that all heads had been
screamed toward him, while the military
servants had thronged the door III rapt
attention, the simple question was
asked
where is the generals ieweled
box"
Nobody knew; everybody said that
ne had silently passed 1t on TO his TEL
low"
"The general rummaged his own
pockets, lest it had found its way back
to him and he had half consciously put
it away. No, it was not there, and the
brave old fighting face looked little
blank, and he murmured an excuse
about chow its loss would vex Lady
Elizabeth"
"But it can not be lost, general" cried
the officer in command of the fort. In
this room it was few minutes ago, and
in this room it must be still. M gentle
man, to his knowledge, has it in his
possession. Let the servants at the
door come in, though, to the best OF
my belief, not one of them has APP
preached the table since the box was
brought out. Let the door be made
fast. and let our search be thorough
"The candies were brandished to and
fro, under the tables, under the chairs,
round the table drapery But from no
point flashed cut the brilliant beauty Of
the little box"
Still it must be here" insisted the
commandment, "and surely no gentle
man will think his honor infringed if
each III turn is asked to empty the con
tents ofhis pockets upon the table. ]
myself will be the first 10 do So And
the servants shall be the last"
"Nobody could be expected to demur
at SO simple and sensible y proposal,
backed as it was by the honest old Of
ficer instantly rafting out some crown
pieces and tobacco pouch, half-pence,
and an old pipe. One after the other,
the gentleman on either side of the
table followed his example, while sharp
but not uniriendly eyes took eager note
Of strange pieces of personal property,
and Of dainty three-cornered notes,
which might serve in the future as ma
terial for badinsge and qulzzing.
"But one drew back when the Com
mandant made his proposal. That
young man VINO had walked in from
the eastern end Of the town dropped
suddenly into his seat. whence he had
risen in the first eagerness of the search.
He passed his hand once or twice, ner-
vously, through his hair, leaving it wild
and struggling. And then he watched
bankly, as the fruitless search drew
nearer and nearer to himself. Within
five minutes later, one or two of the
officers were whispering 10 each other
that any simpleton might have seen he
did not expect it could be found.
Hist was the very last. Ensign