South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-09-03
The Red Flag at No. ga.
(Mrs. GRAY to. Mrs. Thompson. ]

da, New Mexico, and all other places
beyond the Rocky Noun tnins, has
been paying US visit, You know
just what a Jolly good soul Ned al
ways was, and he is just rs Jolly now
las why should he not be, with an
income of six or seven thousand, a
year Beside that my poor Georges
eighteen hundred hides It's diminished
head. lie is handsomer than ever.
too-the same merry brown eyes and
chestnut hair; but, in addition, an
appearance, an air so altogether dis
tlngue that our neighbors al go TO
their windows to gaze after him.
We'll, do you know, the moment he
appeared l set my heart on him for
our dear old friend Adelaide, who
shall not waste her sweetness on the
desert air if can help it. You know
always had fancy for lnatchmak-
ing, though, to confess the truth,
have never yet scored a success in
that line [; my two prcdestined ahini-
ties always fly Off at a tangent Just
as fatter myself it is un fat accom-
phi. You will perceive l have not
forgotten quite all the French we
learned together at the Riverside SEM
mary, Notwithstanding my years of
devotion to pies and buildings. I
will keep little of it out OF respect
for the memory of poor Mademoiselle
Laurent who worked so hard 10 drill
ii into me.)
But Adelaide and Ned have been
corresponding n year or two :. he
speaks of her with great respeet-as
how could he otherwise, of course {?
and | have fondly hoped that his
mission to the East may have more
relation to the affairs of the heart than
to mining-stocks, as he pretends.
We'll, soon after his arrival three
weeks ago, Ned and / were sitting in
the dining-room alone; the children
had started for school, and George
had kissed me and gone down town,
after On hours talk with Ned about
ranches, and burros, and gulches, and
canons. Now that | was alone with
our visitor the conversation took n
confidential turn, bordering on the
sentimental, and in pursuance of the
idea uppermost in my mind, | told
him thought 1t mysterious, provideu.
tial, that he had not fallen a victim
to some bonanza princess, or some be-
witching scnorita with no dover but
her beauty. a
and by the way / went on, what
was ever the trouble betwecn you and
the cap tain's daughtcrP
You remember of course, Julia how
much we heard 1T the time about that
atfair-how during the war used to
read TO you, even during study hours,
the letters / had received from broth
er Jim, stationed at Fortress Monroe,
giving the details, III Jin's rather
satlrical style, OF the serious Irritation
IN progress between Lieutenant Ned.
of Company G, and Captain Daring
tons pretty daughter, OF the regularsi
And alterward, how some way a
shadow came between them--nobodv
could tell how, only that Ned WIS
hasty, and had exaggerated ideas oi' a
mans prcrogatlyos, perhaps, and Miss
Darlington proud and SLY? 80 It
was forgotten.
And now this same lieutenant. af-
ter hair-breadth escapes from shot aud
shell, and scalping Apaches. sat tnero
in IN easy chair by my Baltimore
heater and actually turned pale be-
cause / mentioned the captains
daughterr Love is indeed 10 grandc
passion.
He had nothing to communicates,
however; babe me consider that we
were always great fools vt twenty-one,
and likely at that time to get caught
in trap, or, on the other hand, to
throw our chances OF happiness away,
just as it Glanced to be; he became
silent, and | had not the heart TO raj
ly HIM as he sat there watching the
floating smoke of his cigar with far
off look in his eyes-knowing Rs
did that he had gone back fifteen
years, and that lie was walking the
moonlight beach with pretty Lottie
Darlington, while the band Of the
regiment played IN the distance.
From the sublime to the ridiculous
lit is always my fate, dear Julia
Barney, the factotum of the nciuhbor-
hood, tapped at the window, nnd rs
raised the sash, "A foine morning.
num-, said he; there's red flag
out at Number "a, and / thought I'd
be after comm to tell VIC. 'Ts n
foine house, and foine Teddy, more
the pity You see Barney knows my
weakness, and he had seen me q few
days before All animated bidder al
an auction in the neighborhoJd.-
Thank you, Barney / think III be
on hand | replied, closing the win
dow.
"A fome Teddy TO be sure; l had
often met her--a fair-faced woman,