Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-11-23
miscellaneous.
A Breach OF Discipline.

GO"
Are YOU mad, Kendall IT., your nigh,
on guard. and YOU know what martinez
the Colonel is"
"Confound the Colonel ! tell you wil.
20. The Coionels not dancing man.
He'll know nothing about It.
"Don'I YOU believe 1t. The Colonels
thick with those Lindsay girls. and Ill bet
YOU ten TO one hes there to meet them"
"Oh hang it III take M chances then, -
vas the reply in the dogged tone OF a man
Who know. he Is IN the wrong. but does not
choose to Yield.
The speaker. were two officers Of the-th
Regiment, hioh had been quArtefed tor the
iast SIX months at Slns sleboruugh. The sub
Jet OF discussion was great public ball
which was 10 take plao. that evening. The
regiment Was to be relieved in a day or two,
and the ball would be the .asi at which the
gallant officers OF the-th would appear IN
that huspltable town. Ii had been CAV
season. and the redeoats had entered heart
.ly into the fesiiN Ii.cs, aHd noS, that their
departure arv~ uigH. there might have been
many an inclpicni heaItache m a gentle
bosom hsre and there. The girls indeed of
hat aNored distract were pretty, that
even a brave soldier might be excused Il a
pang shot through has mani, breast at the
thought of leaving them behind.
Captain hendal looked very obstinate as
be answered the prudent admonIiions of his
friend BreTeton, Who gave long whistle,
and tapped the ground omInously with his
cane.
Il gave YOU credit for more common
sense" he resumed after pause.
Then YOU ~ere mistaken. YOU see"
$50 II seems, bat 1t Is an awful pity.
loull be cashiered to certainty, for the
old fellow is Keen a. hawk and is SURF to
find YOU out. | say, man. be advised give
1t up the games too dangerous.
Pooh" exclaimed the other testify. Il
tell you the Colonel wont be there, and II
he we're, trust me TO dodge him. Why,
bless YOU he's blind as 4 mole -
HI, friend looked utterly unconvInced, but
remonsiTance Was plainly of no use.
.lt's all because of that Leslie girl" he
said ruefully, for he was honestly attached
to his messmate. and saw clearly the conse-
quences which might be expected to follow
upon his attendance al tie ball. Lord
what All ass spoonIng makes Of a fellow
Thank Heaven. I'm not IN love- -
Spare your eloquence and have done
now. can't YOU ? replied Captain Kendall un-
graclously. go | must and viii, but trust
to me to take care Of myself"
The two friends walked down the rest of
the street in silence tall BreretOn turned IN
10 his club. while the other vent on, with q
slightly anxious frown on MS handsome sun
burnt face, aud swinging his cane uneasIly
He knew Brereron vas right, but wrong Ia
apt TO be stronger than right sometimes,
and the temptation in this case was power
ful. He ~as about 10 commit, deliberately.
a glaring breach Of military discipline,
which. # discovered, would assuredly cost
him dear aud put an end to more pleasant
hopes than one. Nevertheless he was quite
determined to risk it. 1t was his duty TO
keep guard thai night at the Royal Bank,
and his colonel was not man who would
lightly overlook even a triiing offence
against the military code.
What, then, was the motive which could
induce this gallant young stieer of her
Majesty's service, who had already won dis
tlnction for his bravery on the battlefield,
and who had always acquitted himself we'll
and honorably heretofore, TO plan reckless
ly so grave an infringement of duty as the
abandonment of the post he was bound in
all honor TO guard
We offer no excuse. But the explanation
Of his conduct must be found in his state of
mind, which was abnormal. Brereton Was
right There was q woman IN the case.
Before his minds eve, there danced q love
In vision that lured the infatuated young
man from the right path; pair of blue
eyes, a sweet smile, graceful glrlish form,
TO gaze on which the foolish fellow would
have travelled miles,
And she was to be at the ball, surrounded
by admirlng swains, of one or two Of whom
| he was madly jealous and who knew what
might happen while he was ABSENT
lie might of course have spoken a GER
tain momentous little word before, and be
had thought, now and then, that il would
not have fallen on reluctant ears. But he
had gone on basking in the sweet sunshine
of her smiles, too happy IN the present TO
think much Of the future, and he had just
heard casually that tomorrow morning ear
| ly she was to leave town for her home in
the country.
To-day, too, chance had brought sud
| den revelation TO his neart. Till then he
| had not been fully aware Of the strength OF
| his own feelings for that blue-eyed charmer.
| On turning down street corner, he had
come suddenly face to face with her, and IN
close attendance upon her was Maddox OF
the-th Lancers, brilliant Adonis whom
ladies where terribly partial to. In his face
Harry Kendall read something that made
him tremble for his own hopes, and showed
him too. in startling moment Of time, how
his whole life's happiness was bound up in
them. That rapid glance Of recognition
swoke q storm of anxious fears IN his
breast, and left the green-eyed monster rag
ing there.
Was he at this important crisis of fate to
stand tamely aside and to leave her to the
wiies of that handsome Lothsrio, to be
whirled away from him for ever in the
waltz, during the enchanted hours of that
festive night, while he kept lonely watch
over old money-bags? Maddening thought!
And tomorrow she would be gone. Oh,
why had he not known sooner? To-mor-
row would be too lates
No; ne could not let love and happiness
yo down the stream without making an ef-
fort to hold them fast. Duty might go to
the winds for once. He would go TO the
ball. where he could zee Der that night.
| Ana q 10 the Colonel? Surely be would
L -