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

80 Colonel" said the eldest gentle
man Of the party, speaking with visible
effort, and giving Slight cough to veil
his embarrassment Colonel, think
wcall remember another time when
We dined together here.
- Certainly, remember il, answer
ed the Colonel, lifting his gray eyes,with
\ cool light in them,
:" Colonel, we fancy you think some
Of us dld you Injustice then. At least,
a lady says you felt so-Lldy Elizabeth.
the good old generals widow. If what
we are goingto do is in any way painful
to you hope you will pardon us, for we
are only following her counsel. Colonel,
there was 4 box lost that evening. Here
it is.
Yes, there it was, cleaning once
more III the light whinh danced gavly
upon ii. The colonel looked Mt ii calm
ly, and asked:
Where was II found y
His composure was exceedingly
discol certing. Another gentleman,
feeling that the first had done his part,
now took up the parable.
!" Ii was found III the very chair on
which you are now seated Colonel he
said. You will remember that the
General sat there on that night. II
must have found its way back to the
Generals own hand, and in the interest
and excitement of his own storytelling,
he must have intended to slip il back
into his pocket, which YOU recolcct,
was the first place where he sought IT,
Instead Of that il evidently escaped the
proper oriiice, and dropped into the
covering Of the chair; that covering
was very thick and heavy, and hung in
lappcts about his legs. Part of il was
unsewn, and this box dropped between
the damask and the lining, and 10
manned there safely and unseen till the
chair was recovered last year.
Gentlemen, said the Colonel, with
his accustomed calmucss, though his
lip trembed n little Il can not wonder
if someof you thought my conduct sus-
picious. thank you heartily for show
ing me youi hrothcrly delight thai those
suspicious were uniounded.'
AT the bottom of the table sat the
spiteiul old Major Che was on half pay
now and more spitelul than cver) and he
thought within himself that there was
no knowing whether ensign Ransom had
not taken some subsequent upportuni-
ty Of getting rid Of his dangerous ho lty
into the hole III tho dantask, and that
the mystery could not be called cleared
up unless the Colonel had explained
why he had demurred To the search
And this spiteiul old Major would have
SAID MS much to his neighbour, il he him
self had not bcen SO terribly deaf that
lie could not regulate his own voice be-
tween u confidential whisper and n
mighty shout.
The Colonel sat in silence for some
minutes, and toyed with his wlnc-glass,
rs ifhe quite forgot where he was. Then
he recalled himself with start, and
drawing something from his own pocket,
said quietly:
Gentlemen, |, too, have something
to show YOU"
'.All pressed forward MS he carefully
uniolded the Soltpaper packet and laid
something on the table. What was il?
What coald it be?
"lt was thc hleached skeleton Of 4
chickens wing.
"Gontlemen' he said, III that same
quiet voice, which no longer sounded
cold and stern, hut rather full Of
strength and sweetness, when ! was
here before, was IL poor fatherless lad
owning nothing in the world but my
poor pittance Of pny. ] fear was IN
eye-sore to some of you. think you
felt that my appearance did not dojus'
ticc to the dignity Of our regiment.
believe often looked rather shabby
but really could not help il.
= had only one relative in the world
and that was my mothers sister. After
my mother died she Ind been as u moth
er to me, bnt when our home was final
~ broken up, there was nothing for il
but she must he Il govcrness in stran-
gers house. And she did her work
courageously and cheerfully enough Til
her health failed, and nobody wanted
the service Of n sick woman.
.''She had always been good to me
And we two had only each other in Til,
world. | could not help her M she oughI
to have been helped, but my pay would
nc least provide her such nome ano
such maintenance as II poor working
man can give to n poor working wo
man.
~ took my aunt to lodge with tho
wife Of tie miller's man, III the little
black cottage beside the mill. She was
. kind, cleanly woman, though rough
and plain IN her ways, and my poor
aunt used TO call herself very happy
there But she could not cat tho sim
pie food my scanty means could pro-
cure. And the good landlady used e
break my heart by suggesting that her
appetite might be tempted by chickens
or game, or such other luxaries beyond
my utmost reach.
"'All the day Of that memorable din
ner-party my aunt had been very fee
ble and failing. When | left her rs
ally wondered whether she would'bs
alive when saw her again. My soul
revolted at the sight OF daintes which
were no good TO me, and which could
not convey TO her who seemed dying
for want Of them. Suddenly a bright
II