The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-03-12

have sent 1t TO her; that she might have
known what d hero she had lost In this |
Sodng fellow, whose delicate, sensitive
nature shrank from the conflicts which |
his great soal urged him into. have
seen many brave charges, many forlorn
hopes carried since that day, Howith;
but never saw braver charge OF
riiore torlorn hope carried than this that
led M0ltoe to bis death: We thourned
Dalzell, good fellow, but there was
something in the loss of Melroe that
went beyond every other loss We
loyed him better than we knew, and
when we buried him there every one of
as recalled that sentence of his, 4 night
recoil from the encounter, but I should
recoil ten times more from the skulk-
ing away from it,"
a momentary silence fell upon as all
as the Colonel ceased. But as he closed
his memorandum book, shutting in the
strip of blood-stained, faded silk, voice
broke the silence
"James, give it to me-Holland
Melroe's cordo:t bleu !''
"You, Patty ?''
eyes, to me. James," Patty answered,
quite steadily, though white as the dead.
Mechanically, perhaps instinctively,
the Colonel held out the sacred memen-
to without word. But the Colonel's
wife had no such delicate instinct of the
truth.
"What do you mean, Patty ?" she
exclaimed.
"I mean," returned Patty, with great
dignity, "that have better right to
Holland Melroe's Gordon, 6Ieat than any
one else!"
sob, Patty, and all that time you
were" But Mrs. Kings discretion
came back to her it was too late, how
ever, to serve her purpose.
"Yes, Emily all the time I was en-
know who brought me into that. It
was scarcely my own, and Holland Mel
roe never sought me after he discover
ed this. I knew his heart and mine.
When got news Of his death I broke
my enga cement TO Morton, but could
not go talking about Holland then. /
had no right to tell the truth then,
who eould not tell it before-#bo had
to be told by death what the whele
truth meant even to tdyself."
By this time we had all been brought
up, as it were, to Patty's revelation
all but Mrs. King: noticed vaguely
that sho looked disturbed, and glanced
uneaeily at Major Howith. But for that
I should haye forgotten his presence,
yet even then he did not seem an In
truder, stranger though he was.
The Colonel, always fond OF his little
sister Patty, as he called her, fouud new
cause for tenderness now. She had
been Me1roe's Melroe,
whom he had loved ! And, leaning
forward. he took her in his arms and
kissed her.
The next morning got the meaning
of Mrs. Kings disturbance. She came
into my room with the words:
"Just think of Patty's making such
mess OF it''
"What do you mean ?'' inquired,
thoroughly amazed.
"Ob, dear! what do mean Don't
you see that Major Howith was i'm
mensely pleased with Patty? And
now, just for that old sentimental non-
sense being dragged mp. it will tall
through, for he is not the man to play
second fiddle to any other man, dead
or alive. And is would haYe been such
a match for FattyP' wound DIP the
fascinating but worldly Mrs. King,
| turned upon her all the vials of my
wrath. Patty had come out most mob
ly, and she ought to be ashamed it she
couldn't appreciate such nobility, I de-
clared. But | did no good !; she only
reiterated her regrets at Patty's .smess,''
not q whit disturbed by my vials OF
wrath. But in this iteration she was
cut short by hef husbands voice, az he
came in from the little library which
communicated with the room we occu.
pied
'sEGiiIy, you don't know men quite as
well as yoti think you do, my dear. When
! went INTO the smoking-room last night
Major Howfth Joined me, and what do
you think lie said TO me ?''
''Well, what ?" inquired MEa. Emily,
making little impatient movement.
He said that If Patty was to be won 81
any living man he should try his best to
win her. You see, my dear, your way OF
LOOKING ffFi1fY fllSfresS sas,S}t az Il. 81.