The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-04


this scratch on my forehead, and when l
came to myself he had got his death a
saving of me and the flag, SIR
"The little sergeant had laid the colors
upon the breast Of his dead officer as ten
derry as mother might strew flowers
upon her child. Cam Browne just then
joining me, pointed out to him the sad
spectacle. Cam bent over him and
touched the tattered remnants that meant
so much and had cost SO much. He has
won his Gordon bleup he said, signifi-
cantly. Yes, he had won his Gordon
bleu, the brave little fellow, fighting
double enemy every inch of the way"
The colonel paused moment and took
out aa old memorandum book; opening it
he drew forth something that seemed of
many colors, strip either of paper or
silk only few inches in length and
breadth. "This" he resumed, is piece
of that Gordon bleu. 1t was wet with
his blood when took it and l have kept
it ever since, for | knew no one else who
was nearer to Melr0e than myself, for he
was an orphan and without brothers or
sisters. Ii he had had sweetheart l
would have sent it to her that she might
have known what hero she had lost in
this young fellow, whose delicate, sensi-
tive nature shrank from the conflicts
which his great soul urged him into. /
have seen many brave charges, many for
lorn hopes, carried since that day,
Howith, but never saw Drawer charge
or more forlorn hope carried than this
that led Melroe to his death. We
mourned DaIzell, good fellow, but there
was something in The loss of Melroe that
went beyond every other loss. We loved
him better than we knew, and when We
buried him there every one of us recalled
that sentence of him, 4 might recoil
from the encounter, but l should recoil
ten times more from the skulking away
from ii.
A momentary silence fell upon us all
as the colonel ceased. But as he closed
his memorandum-book, shutting in the
strip of blood-stalned faded silk, voice
broke the silence.
"James, give it to me-Holland Mel
roe's Gordon bleuW ....
'You, PattyT
"Yes, to me, James," Patty answered,
quite steadily, though white as the dead.
Mechanically, perhaps instinctively,
the colonel held out the sacred memento
without word. But the coloneps wife
had no osuch delicate instinct of the truth.
"What do you mean, Patty? she ex,
claimed.
"Imean," returned Patty, with great
dignity, chat I have a better right to
Holland Melroe's Gordon bleu than any
one else"
"oh, Patty' and all the time you
we're"
But Mrs. Kings discretion came back
to her; it was too late, however, to answer
her purpose.
eyes, Emily; all the time was ell
gagged to Morton Eames! But you know
who brought me into that. 1t was scarcely
my own, and Holland Meroe never sought
me after he discovered this. knew his
heart and mine. When l got news Of his
death, I broke my eng ,sement to Nor,
ton, but I could not 60 tllking about
Holland then. / had no right to tell the
truth then, who could not tell it before
who had to be told by death what the
whole truth meant even to myself"
By this time we had all been brought
up, rs it were, to PAtty's revelation-all
but Mrs. King. l noticed vaguely that
she looked disturbed, and glanced unea.
silly at Major Howith. But for that
should have forgotten his presence, YET
even then he did not seem an intruder
stranger though he was.
The Colonel, always fond Of his little
sister Patty, as he called her, found new
| cause for tenderness now. She had beer
Mplroe's sweetheart-Melroe, whom hi
had loved! And, leaning forward, he tool
her in his arms and kissed her.
The next morning got the meaniny
of Mrs. Kings disturbance. She cam
into my room, with the words:
"Just think Of Patty's maxim gsuch I
mess of it'll"
"What do you meant" / inquired
thoroughly amazed.
"Oh, dearl What do / meant Don
you see that Major Howith was i'm
mensely pleased with Pattys And now
Just for that old sentimental nonsens
eing dragged up, it will fall through
for he is not the man to play second fic
die to any other man, dead or alive. An
it would have been such good mate
for PattyW wound up the fascinating bu
worldly Mrs. King.
| turned upon her all the vials Of NJ
wrath. Patty had come out most nobly
and she ourht to be ashamed If sh
couldn't appreciate such nobility. ! dt
clared. But did no good; she only re
iterated her regrets at Patty's "mess,
not a whit disturbed by my vials c
wrath. But in this iteration she was Gu
short by her husb,n voice, as he cam
in from the little library which con
municated with the room ave occupied
Emily, you don't know men quite 6
well as you think you do, my dea
When I went into the smnking-room las
night Major Howith joined me, an
what do you think he said to meT'
"Well, whatT inquired Mrs. Emily
making little impatient movement.
"He said that if Patty was to be wo
by any living man he should try his bcs